Front Fest, Pride, and Plenty More to Do in Austin This Month
From Stevie Nicks to Front Fest, here's how to spend your weekends in Austin this month.
Austin may be hailed as a live music paradise—and it very much is—but the central Texas city bursts with oh so much more. Just look at the variety: cool indie bookstores, vintage shops for days, produce-packed farmers markets, bar arcades and gaming hotspots, impressive restaurants, eclectic bars, stellar record stores (of course), coffee shops, elite barbecue, and the list goes on.
Austinites, lest you forget, love the great outdoors. Such nature-basking recreation come in the form of hiking, getting into spring pools or swimming holes, paddle boarding on Lady Bird Lake, or—and, yes, this absolutely counts—chilling on a patio.
When romance is in the air, discover plenty of places for a great date (the dating scene itself, however, is another story entirely). There’s also Austin’s rich AAPI and Latinx cultures and a welcoming LGBTQIA+ community that make this Texas capitol feel like home to so many people.
With all this in mind, our monthly events guide will help keep your calendar full with a variety of fun things to do in August 2023. Stay tuned here to discover the best things to do in Austin, updated monthly.
Special Events in Austin
August 12
Fiesta Gardens and Congress Avenue, Free
At long last, the big kahuna weekend of Austin Pride month has finally arrived. Grab your rainbow gear, guzzle enough liquid courage to give your number to some strangers, and make your way over to the Pride Festival. This free event at Fiesta Gardens will feature games and carnival rides, drag queen story time, a pop-up market with an almost overwhelming amount of vendors, and food and drinks galore. The good times keep rolling that night with the main event: the Pride Parade down Congress. Grab a spot on the street, or dangle from a bar’s patio, to catch all the spectacle of exquisite floats and live performers.
August 25–27
Moody Center, $26 (taxes and fees not included)
There are few things as essential to the Texas experience as hitting up the cultural phenomenon that is professional bull riding. Get ready for belt buckles, Bud Heavys, food, music, and non-stop entertainment, as the city’s professional bull riding team, the Austin Gamblers, return for a showcase of their skills. While there, you can root for the Gamblers as they take on the seven other professional teams from across the country.
Live Music in Austin
August 18, 7:30 pm
Parish, $20
When you read the words “a giant dog” images of an impressively large corgi, or the traditional red Clifford, might be the first things that come to mind. However, hit up Parish this month and your definition of colossus canine will be changed forevermore. Local Austin rock band, A Giant Dog, never falls to put on a gut-busting, guitar-shredding show, and they will be sure to bring it extra hard for their album release party on August 18. Rounding out the bill for this special performance, which is presented by Psych music party people, Levitation, are Dregs and The Get Lows.
August 15, 7 pm
Moody Center, $140+
Find the fringe-iest shawl you own, and get ready to twirl the night away, because the High Priestess of Rock and Roll, Stevie Nicks, is coming to Austin this month. Catch the Gold Dust Woman herself at the Moody Center on August 15, for a night which is sure to be filled with her powerful vocals singing all the classics like “Rhiannon,” “Landslide,” and “Edge of Seventeen.” After basking in her ethereal glow and trademark tunes, the world is sure to feel a bit more magical.
Festivals in Austin
Aug 31–Sept 3
Various locations, Early bird passes start at $10
This month, local nonprofit, Future Front Texas, is celebrating their mission of amplifying female and queer voices at their amazing bonanza, The Front Fest. Festival activities include a music showcase at Cheer Up Charlies, as well as a film screening at Laguna Gloria, and pop-up pool parties at the LINE Austin. With all this good-good, we don’t blame you if you’ve already stopped reading this and just clicked the ticket link.
Performances in Austin
Through August 6
McCullough Theatre, $45
Your two left feet might mean you aren't “born to hand jive,” but it doesn't mean you can enjoy the iconic musical, Grease, presented by Summer Stock Austin and Texas Performing Arts. Local high school and college students will take the stage to perform the tale of 1950s summer-turned-fall romance and drag racing, complete with matching jackets and poodle skirts. During the show, you can belt along like you're Olivia Newton-John to all the tracks you memorized in Middle School, such as “Look At Me Im Sandra Dee” and “You’re The One That I Want.”
August 20, 5 pm
Bass Concert Hall, $69.50
Whether you know him as the problematic psychology professor, Dr. Ian Duncan, from Community, or as the man who keeps you informed on what’s going on in the world on Last Week Tonight, you can’t help but love John Oliver. The beloved British comic is coming to Austin this month for a stand-up set that will most likely feature his dry humor, social commentary, and adorable accent. Perhaps, in tribute to the meme-able photos of him as “John Olive,” grab a pre-show dirty martini at nearby Howard’s Bar and Club.
Film Screenings in Austin
Every Friday
Austin Motel, $25
When it comes to the Austin summer weather, there’s usually two options: pool or movie. Float Film Fridays at the Austin Motel lets you combine both for one weekend heat-beater extravaganza. BYOF (bring your own float), grab a drink from the pool’s bar, and get ready to enjoy some Texas-themed stories on screen, including Man of the House, Reality Bites, Varsity Blues, and Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
August 23–27
Various locations, $95
Celebrating its 36th year (!), Austin’s oldest film festival, aGLIFF (which stands for All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival), is coming back for a triumphant return with their Prism 36 event. This year, the LGBTQIA+ film fest is offering a whopping amount of cinema for your viewing pleasure, including features, documentaries, and shorts. We’re especially excited for Chasing Chasing Amy, a documentary about the influence of queer cannon film, Chasing Amy, and opening night narrative feature, Glitter & Doom, a musical featuring the iconic tracks of The Indigo Girls.
Sporting Events in Austin
August 13, 8 am
Circuit of the Americas, $10–$15
Your 2007 Toyota may not be the hottest wheels around, but, this month, you can dive into the freshest chrome around at one of the largest car meet-ups in the whole country. Head to car mecca, the Circuit of the Americas for the Cars and Coffee event, where you can get in a caffeine buzz while taking in some of the best classics, mods, and supercars around. You can even take one home with you from their dedicated “For Sale” lot, or take a lap around the world-famous Formula 1 track yourself on a go-kart.
Food & Drink in Austin
Thursdays, 6 pm
Lenoir, $45 per person
The days of summer camp, and all the mosquito bites that went along with them, may be long gone for those in the adult world. However, there’s still an opportunity to get your camp feet wet in the foodie world — no Tevas required. We’re talking about Camp Lenoir, a food-oriented adult “camp” which will teach you different skills in food and wine. This month’s classes, which happen every Thursday night, include pasta making, tart creating, natural wine tasting, and knife sharpening. And, you’re guaranteed to get a lot more use out of everything you learn there than the beaded lizard keychain you made in Arts and Crafts back then.
Weekends
Dovetail Pizza
If you want to eat pizza for breakfast, you no longer have to settle for cold leftovers from the night before. Make the hangover dream a reality by heading to Dovetail Pizza on Saturdays and Sundays for their new brunch menu. Their fine selection of grub, which serves as the perfect antidote to staying out till 3am, includes the previously mentioned Breakfast Pizza, where bacon, egg, and caramelized onion meet-cute with some cheese and crispy crust. Round out your meal with some “veggies,” courtesy of their pizza sauce-based bloody mary.
August 20, 10–4pm
Meanwhile Brewing, Free
While it’s super tempting to spend a weekend re-watching that same early-2000’s sitcom for the fifth time on Netflix, may we suggest an alternative form of entertainment: the timeless novel. The Lagers & Literature event, hosted at South Austin beer hub, Meanwhile Brewing, makes it even easier for you to find your new favorite read, and enjoy a pint or two while doing so. You can browse the paperback stacks of thirteen local vendors, including every reader’s go-to spot, BookPeople. And, while you don't need any convincing to day-drink as it is, the fact that a portion of the bar proceeds will benefit the Inside Books Project, a local organization which sends free books and educational materials to prisoners in Texas, serves as a perfect excuse.
Shopping in Austin
August 26 & 27
Palmer Events Center, $10
There’s no doubt we have some epic brands here in Austin: from cowboy boots, to customized bandanas, to prayer candles featuring Harry Styles, a true sense of imagination runs through the veins of our home-grown businesses. And, this month, you can get your local retail revelry on with the unbelievable deals going down at the semi-annual Le Garage Sale. The great expanse of the Palmer Events Center is hosting over 100+ brands hawking their goods at serious discounts, including home goods, apparel, accessories, art, and more. Not to mention, a full cocktail bar ready to hook you up with margaritas while you give that plastic a workout.