This weekend you can get into the holiday spirit at a tree lighting celebration & Christmas light show, head to the drive-in for a Grease Sing Along, drop the kids off for a Frozen night out, watch art cars race down a wacky track, spend a “Year with Frog & Toad”, enjoy nostalgic tunes at Schoolhouse Rock Live!, take a hayride at an aquaponics farm, help fight hunger with the Austin Empty Bowl Project and much much more!
Other stuff:
- Enter our Keep Austin Thankful Photo Contest
- Enter to win tickets to Elf: The Musical
- Check out our Famliy Guide to E.A.S.T.
- Check out the list of Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving
Here are our Top 10 Austin Family Events…
— Check out the kick-off night of this year’s Christmas Light Show at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters where music and lights are choreographed in a most entertaining display. The light show will run through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015. Shows last about 15 minutes, start at 6 p.m. and run every hour on the hour until midnight. Free!
— Take the family to the Blue Starlite Drive-in for a fun-filled night that the kids will love. Arrive early for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving preshow before The Neverending Story at 8 p.m., followed by a Grease Sing Along around 9:15 p.m. Tickets range from $5 for walk-ins to $15+ for cars. Click here for more pricing and ticket info.
— If you’re in need of a night out without the kids, you can drop them off at The Little Yoga House from 5:30 – 9 p.m. and rest assured that they will have a great time at the Frozen Kids Night Out. Kids will do yoga, watch Anna & Elsa, eat pizza, enjoy foot rubs and more! For ages 3 and up. $35 per child. Pre-registration is required. Click here to sign up.
— BookPeople is hosting Hold On To Your Hat Storytime at 11:30 a.m. featuring This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen and other funny stories about hats. Free!
— Catch a free performance from the ImprovED Shakespeare group at the Carver Library at 3 p.m. The company of youth players (3rd – 8th graders) will perform a family-friendly, shorter version of Shakespeare’s Henry IV. Free!
— A Year with Frog and Toad at ZACH Theatre is a “must see” show for kids! Take the whole family to this high-quality musical production at 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. where the characters from Arnold Lobel’s books come to life on stage! Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased online here.
— Schoolhouse Rock Live! will feature all the catchy songs from the 1970’s cartoon series at the Paramount Theatre with shows at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online here.
— UPDATED: This event was originally scheduled for Saturday, but moved due to rain.
Head to The Domain for The 8th Annual Lighting of the Great Tree. Family friendly activities will include children’s holiday music, face painting, caricature drawings, balloon twisting and holiday crafts. Many stores will also offer special in-store events and discounts throughout the day. Watch the tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. followed by a performance from singer/songwriter, Sunny Sweeney, and Outside Voices, a local children’s choir. Free!
— Head to the Heart of Gold Farm in Dale, TX from 2 p.m. to sunset for the Farm Fresh Accessibility Project Launch Party to learn about this farm’s partnership with The Capital Area Food Bank to produce & distribute fresh, organic greens to families in need in Austin. At this free event, you’ll enjoy music, hayrides, lawn games, petting zoo, food trucks, tours and more!
— Enjoy the thrills at the first ever Junior Danger Derby sponsored by Blue Genie Art Industries and the Thinkery. Children ages 3-12 can create a vehicle out of a pinewood block or recycled materials. These “art cars” will travel down the 20ft tall, 100ft long track attached to the Blue Genie studio, and kids can take home the creations that they make. The event is free you must pre-register to participate. Sign up online here.
— Join the Austin Empty Bowl Project from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Marchesa Hall & Theatre for a family-friendly event that raises money for Kids Cafe, a program of the Capital Area Food Bank, and Meals for Kids, a program of Meals on Wheels & More. At the event, you can purchase a locally crafted ceramic bowl for $20, have it filled with gourmet soup & bread and listen to live music while enjoying your lunch.
Have a fun weekend!
