This weekend you can meet elephants, attend a bear cub birthday party & a teddy bear picnic, watch cats play in a rock band, check out a robot zoo, build faerie houses, watch Flat Stanley sing & dance and much much more!
Other stuff:
- Get a Sitter – check out our latest column about getting out without the kids
- Giveaway: Ballet Austin’s Family Dance Workshop
- Sign up for our daily feed so you don’t miss a thing
Here are our Top Austin Family Events…
— Take the kids to an Elephant Brunch on Friday, Jan. 16 at noon at the Cedar Park Center. This fun, event is a kick off for the Ben Hur Shrine Circus which will run from Friday – Monday. Meet and greet the elephants outside on the front lawn of Cedar Park Center, pose for pictures with Circus clowns and entertainers, too. The Elephant Brunch is free and open to the public and even includes complementary parking.
— Everyone’s invited to a Teddy Bear Picnic with Gerald the Baking Bear at Toybrary Austin at 11 a.m. Bring a picnic lunch and your own teddy bears and be ready for story time, dancing, healthy snacks from Beta’s Oven and some cooking practice. Free event!
— Take your robot lovers to the Austin Nature & Science Center in Zilker Park for a Free Family Event centered around the Robot Zoo that is currently on exhibit inside the Center. Stop by between 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. for hands-on activities for kids of all ages. Make robotic art with marker bots, create a simple solar machine, and more.
— You’re invited to the cutest birthday party in town! The Austin Zoo & Animal Sanctuary is hosting a 1st Birthday Party for the Bear Cubs. Black Bear cubs Korben, Tilly and Ruby are turning one year old, and the public is welcome to the Zoo for a celebration at 1 p.m. Refreshments will be served. This party will be free with regular paid Zoo admission — $9 for ages 13 and up; $8 for students, Military w/ ID, & Senior 60+; $6 for children ages 2-12; free for members & babies less than 2 years.
— See live cats performing circus-style tricks and playing instruments on stage in an all-kitty band called The Rock Cats. The Amazing Acro-cats perform to sold-out venues across the country, and they are coming to the Paramount Theatre at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. (and Sunday shows, too). Tickets are $28 and can be purchased online here.
— If you love the idea of a future family jam session or simply introducing the kids to some fun with music, you can start by signing up for a parent & child ukulele lesson. Share a fun new experience with your kids in the Parent Child Sing-Along-Play-Along hosted by Groundwork Music Project at 3 p.m. at Strange Brew. Lessons are $27.50 per family (ukuleles will be on-hand for you to use), and you can register online here.
— Take the whole family to the Zilker Botanical Garden from 1-4 p.m. to create faerie homes using natural materials. Afternoon in the Garden: Forts & Faerie Homes is special activities for kids of all ages that’s free with regular admission of $1 for children (ages 3-12) & seniors (age 62 & over); $2 for adults, Austin resident (ages 13-61); $3 for adults, non-resident (ages 13-61).
— The Whole Foods Market Domain is celebrating their one year anniversary from with some fun events, specials and giveaways for you. Take the kids for face painting, crafts, live music and store-wide sampling from noon-3 p.m.
— Flat Stanley is coming to the Paramount Theatre at 2 p.m. in a fun play for families. In The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley, you’ll find this ultimate exchange student scouring the globe to do something the world has never seen before, and learns that heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online here.
— Austin Kula Yoga & Karate will be hosting a White Elephant Family Yoga party 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. in their studio in Central Austin’s Tarrytown neighborhood. Bring a new or gently used book to be donated to Austin Public Library’s Recycled Reads program and enjoy a fun, family yoga class. Cost is $25 per family, and you sign up online here or call (512) 542-3334.
Have a fun weekend!
