This weekend you can enjoy a Mad Science show, tour Westlake Preserve, celebrate International Mud Day, enjoy some great people-watching at the Keep Austin Weird Fest, play marbles at the French Legation, cheer on the Austin Aztex soccer team, listen to songs of The Beatles, and attend the Family Water Festival, the Inside Out Sweet Emotions Party & a free strings concert at the Long Center.

Other stuff:

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Here are our Top Austin Family Events...

 

friday

 

—  Enjoy a free Mad Science Event at the Terrazas Branch of the Austin Public Library at 2 p.m. Mad Science shows are high-energy with demonstrations and experiments that are educational and fun.

Westcave Preserve is now offering special Friday tours this summer. You can take a Canyon Tour at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Westcave Preserve gates will open at 10 a.m. and access to the Upland Trail system will be available from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Tours are limited to the first 30 people and on a first come, first served basis. Fees are $25 per family or $5 for kids ages 4-12 and $10 for adults. (Take note that you can still also tour the Canyon and Uplands on Saturdays and Sundays between 9:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.)

 

saturday

 

— Let the kids get muddy at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s International Mud Day event from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Kids can explore bugs and other organisms that live in dirt. They can also make seed balls, mud pies and get up close and personal with a giant mud mound. Kids should come dressed for the mess, but the event will also include a rinse-off station, so bring extra clothes and towels as needed. Admission to the Wildflower Center is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and children 13 & up, $4 for children ages 5-12, and free for children ages 4 and younger as well as members.

— Head to the on the lawn at The Long Center for the 13th Annual Keep Austin Weird Fest for live music, good eats, and plenty of Weird Austin attractions from 1:30 – 10 p.m.! Bring your strangest, wildest, most outrageous costume. Tickets are $20 for grown ups, and you can buy them online here. Fest entry is free for kids (12 and under) with a donation of 3 items to the Capital Area Food Bank.

— Austin’s French Legation Museum is offering plenty of family fun during the Summer Saturdays series with guided tours and special kid-friendly activities on the grounds of this historic home. This week kids can play marbles and make their own taw (shooter) out of clay. Tours last approximately forty minutes and are offered at 1:15 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tours are a suggested donation of $5 per person, and kids under 5 are free. The Summer Saturdays activities are free with your paid tour.

— Take the kids to see the Austin Aztex vs. Sacramento Republic FC at the Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex in North Austin for some exciting soccer action! Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and kick-off is at 7:30 p.m. . Click here to check out all of your ticket options.

— Introduce your kids to the music of The Beatles with Austin’s own Beatles cover band, The Eggmen. They are playing at Nutty Brown Cafe at 6:30 p.m. Doors are at 5 p.m. All ages show. $7 per person, and you can purchase tickets online here. (Children under twelve do not require a ticket.)

 

sunday

 

— Plan to bring the whole family out to the 2015 Family Water Festival at Fiesta Gardens and celebrate the Texas Colorado River and the water resources that keep Austin flowing. From 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. you’ll find over 30 educational booths with engaging activities, presentations, arts & crafts, food trailers, live music, door prizes and more! Free! Rain or shine.

— Get tickets to the Inside Out Sweet Emotions Party at 9:30 a.m. at the Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline. At the party you’ll also get to enjoy crafts, a dance party and photo booth in the theater before the show. ickets for the Inside Out Sweet Emotions Party cost $12.25 per person, and you can click here to buy online.

Austin Symphony Orchestra is presenting a summer concert in front of the Long Center City Terrace as part of their summer series. You and the family can attend the Hartman Foundation Concerts in the Park at 7:30 p.m. featuring Strings music. Free!

Have a fun weekend!