Austin Weekend Guide: September 25-27

Austin City Limits is one week out, so this weekend is your last quiet one before Zilker fills up with 75,000 people a day. The Texas Tribune Festival and a comedy run at Cap City are still wrapping up downtown, Built to Spill is playing a room way too small for them, and the farmers market at Republic Square never gets old. Here's the plan for Friday through Sunday, plus a first look at what to eat once ACL actually starts.

Saturday Morning Pick

Head to the SFC Farmers Market at Republic Square, 422 Guadalupe St, Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. About 40 vendors set up downtown, rain or shine, and parking is free at the State of Texas Garage N a block over once you register with the QR code at the SFC info booth. Get there before 10 for the good tomatoes. It's also the market that runs Double Up Food Bucks, so SNAP dollars stretch further on produce.

Brunch Worth the Wait

Paperboy on the east side does a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich worth planning a Saturday around, but weekend tables book up to 60 days out, so if you didn't reserve, don't bother showing up and hoping. Bouldin Creek Cafe on South First is the better call for a walk-in. It's vegan, the patio and the mosaic-covered dining room fill fast enough that the line spills onto the corner of South 1st and West Mary, and a michelada or mimosa makes the wait easier. Get the El Tipico with veggie chorizo.

Live Music This Weekend

Friday night, Built to Spill plays Central Machine Works Brewery on the east side with Paul Schalda opening, doors at 7. It's a brewery show, so you can grab a beer before a band that usually headlines rooms twice this size comes out. Saturday, Hole in the Wall throws an album release for Ivy Mine with Team Trust, Wake Up Spaceboy, and Daybed, doors at 8, the kind of cheap local bill that's easy to say yes to on a whim. If you'd rather sit down for it, Indigo Girls play ACL Live at the Moody Theater with Linda Perry opening, 7 p.m., and that room rarely has a bad seat.

ACL Eats: What to Actually Order at Zilker Next Weekend

Austin City Limits runs Friday, October 2 through Sunday, then does it again October 9 through 11 for the festival's 25th anniversary. Charli XCX, Rufus Du Sol, Twenty One Pilots, Lorde, and The XX headline both weekends, Skrillex closes out weekend one, and Kings of Leon takes that same slot for weekend two. This week, though, let's talk about the food, because ACL Eats runs 40-plus vendors deep and not all of them are worth the wait in early-October heat. Chi'lantro's kimchi fries are still the closest thing to real fried festival food on the grounds. Four Brothers Venezuelan Grill's rice bowls hit that balance of filling and not terrible for you, which matters by day three. Blenders & Bowls is the smart move if you're getting there early, and Gati Ice Cream is the lighter reset once the afternoon sun gets mean. Thai Fresh and High Road Deli & Bar, which opened last December, are both new to the lineup and worth a lap before you fall back on your usual order. If you want a real sit-down meal before or after, Zilker is surrounded by options. Terry Black's Barbecue on Barton Springs Road smokes brisket that beats anything inside the gates, figure $25 to $50 a person. Taco Xpress, also on Barton Springs, is the move for an early taco before the gates open, cheap and fast. On South Lamar, Odd Duck and Eberly both do a solid pre-show dinner if you're willing to spend $40 or more a person, and Uchi is there if you want to treat the weekend like an occasion.

Sunday Chill

Sunday, skip the plans and go sit by Lady Bird Lake. Rent a kayak or paddleboard from one of the outfitters off Riverside, or just bring a blanket to the Butler Hike and Bike Trail and watch the paddleboard crowd go by. Nothing about Sunday needs to be complicated this close to ACL weekend. Save your energy.

Local Hidden Gem

Moontower Saloon out on Manchaca Road doesn't show up on anyone's must-see list, which is exactly the point. It's an outdoor yard bar with sand volleyball courts under a canopy of live oaks, a rotating Salt Lick Barbecue food truck parked on site most nights, and a crowd that's mostly neighborhood regulars instead of anyone in town for a festival. Go on a weeknight for the full effect, though a Sunday afternoon works fine too.

ATX Weekly App Tip

💡 ATX Weekly Tip: Every venue and show in this guide is on the Live Music map in the ATX Weekly app, with door times updated the day of. Save a spot to your list before ACL week hits and the app will remind you once a room is close to selling out.