This weekend you can celebrate Kwanzaa, watch a $1 movie from the Alamo Kids Camp, go ice skating at Whole Foods, show off your hip hop moves at a Big Don show, watch rescue dogs perform the Mutt-Cracker (Sweet!), go to Wizard School, check out the exhibits at the Mexic-Arte Museum for free, spin under the Zilker Holiday Tree and much more!

Other stuff:

topfamilypicks

Here are our Top Austin Family Events

 

friday

 

— Take the family to the George Washington Carver Museum from 2-5 p.m. for the Kwanzaa Celebration. On this first day of Kwanzaa, African native & educator Elizabeth Kahura will bring Kwanzaa to life with storytelling, music and art for all ages. Free, but RSVP to [email protected].

— Settle in with a big bowl of popcorn at the Alamo Drafthouse’s Kids Camp where admission to several children’s movies is only $1. You can enjoy Muppet Christmas Carol, Ernest Saves Christmas, Arthur Christmas, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. All proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to Austin Children’s Shelter, Caritas of Austin, the Mary Lee Foundation and SafePlace. Click here to check out the movie schedule and locations.

— Get out for an adventure with the kids at the Austin Nature and Science Center. Say “happy holidays” to the animal friends who live in the Wildlife Exhibit and check out the microscopes and touchable specimens in the Naturalist Workshop. You can also bring in your favorite rock, shell or other cool item and take it to the Trade Counter from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. to trade it for a new treasure. Free!

 

saturday

 

— Rap up your weekend with a free show from Big Don at Strange Brew at 9:30 a.m.. Big Don’s energetic hip hop performances are sure to entertain kids of all ages.

— Take the family to the Whole Foods Market Downtown for Ice Skating on the Plaza. Right up on their rooftop, you’ll find a little ice open from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Admission is $10 per person and shoe sizes range from 8 in Juniors to 14 in Mens.

— Check out a Nutcracker-inspired show featuring dogs and circus tricks called the Mutt-Cracker (Sweet!) from Circus Chickendog. At The Vortex for the 4th year in a row, this show brings wacky holiday fun to kids of all ages. Tickets are still available for the 8 p.m. show and are $10 for child/student/senior, $20 for adult general admission, and $30 for adult priority admission. Tickets can be purchased online here.

— Calling all train enthusiasts…make plans to visit the Holiday Model Train Exhibit at ArtSpace in Round Rock. The Tinplate Trackers have trains on display today from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Free! (You can check them out through Saturday, Jan. 3. Click here for the schedule info.)

 

 

sunday

 

— You can take the kids to the Hideout Theatre at 2 p.m. for the kid-friendly improv show, Wizard School! The Flying Theater Machine improv group acts silly as kids laugh loudly and parents watch happily as a new and unique story unfolds based on the suggestions of the kids in the audience. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased online in advance here.

— Enjoy free admission on Sundays at the Mexic-Arte Museum downtown from noon – 5 p.m. Explore a wide variety of fine arts from Mexican & Mexican-American artists.

— Take a spin under the Zilker Holiday Tree. It’s your last weekend to visit (it will be lit through Dec. 31), so go give it a whirl! Lit from 6 p.m. – midnight. Free!

 

Have a fun weekend!