Austin Weekend Guide: August 14-16

Mid-August in Austin means planning around the heat instead of pretending it isn't there. This weekend has a free musical closing out its run on the Zilker hillside, two big shows on back-to-back nights, and enough shade to make Sunday survivable. Here is where to spend it.

Saturday Morning Pick

Get to Barton Springs Pool before 8 a.m. The gate opens at 5, entry is free until 8, and the water holds around 68 degrees all year, which in August reads as a different climate entirely. Early mornings are mostly lap swimmers and regulars, so you get real room to move. Park on the Azie Morton side and walk down. By 10 the lawn is full and the line at the main entrance is 20 people deep.

Brunch Worth the Wait

Nixta Taqueria on East 12th is the one to build the morning around. Order the duck carnitas taco and the beet tartare tostada, which sounds precious and is not. Doors at 11, and people are lined up on the sidewalk before that. Figure 25 to 40 minutes on a Saturday. If you would rather sit and read something, Bouldin Creek Cafe on South First is the other move. Get the Renedict, the coffee keeps coming, and the wait runs about half an hour unless you show up before 9.

Live Music This Weekend

Friday, Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire co-headline Moody Center. It is a straight hits show pulling from both catalogs, with an 8 p.m. start and doors an hour before. Floor pricing on Ticketmaster climbs fast, the upper bowl stays reasonable. Also Friday, Anthony Green plays Mohawk on Red River at 8 p.m., which is the better call if you want a room small enough to see the band's faces. Saturday, Muse brings The Wow! Signal tour to Germania Insurance Amphitheater out in Del Valle, where lawn is the cheap seat and the walk from parking is long and hot. Bring water. Saturday also brings the last night of Singin' in the Rain at Zilker Hillside Theater, 8:15 p.m., free, no tickets. Get there by 7:15 with a blanket if you want a flat spot on the hill.

Sunday Chill

Mueller Farmers Market runs Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Branch Park Pavilion. It is smaller than the downtown market and much easier to actually shop. Grab a kolache, do a lap, then walk the loop around Lake Mueller, roughly a mile and mostly flat. Shade thins out after noon, so go early and finish with something cold at Colleen's Kitchen across the way.

Local Hidden Gem

Sam's Town Point sits at the end of a residential street off Manchaca in far south Austin and looks like somebody's house, because it more or less was one. Inside there is a small stage, cheap beer, and a calendar of Texas country, conjunto, and whatever the owners feel like booking. Cover usually runs five to ten dollars at the door, cash. It is a 20 minute drive from downtown and worth it for a room nobody has redesigned.

ATX Weekly App Tip

💡 ATX Weekly Tip: Switch to map view and filter for free events before you head out. The Zilker musical and the Mueller market both land on the map with times and directions, so you can line up Saturday night and Sunday morning without opening five tabs on your phone.