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City Cast Austin

Kelsey Bradshaw

It’s not news that you’re allowed to be topless in Austin – Barton Springs Pool is often full of topless sunbathers, and Hippie Hollow Park remains a popular destination for those looking to be even more naked.

How we got here is easy to explain: No Texas laws exist against being topless, and Austin has never moved to prohibit toplessness. If a man can take his top off somewhere, so can a woman.

 says you cannot show your genitals or anus in public or in a private place with the intent of the public seeing you. The law does not mention breasts. At Hippie Hollow Park, 

, visitors must be at least 18 years old, and lewd behavior is not allowed.

, Austin embraced being topless more than other Texas cities and it became a common sight. Being topless at Barton Springs Pool 

"As someone who has been swimming at Barton Springs pool since the 1970s, I can say that toplessness has always been the norm for some swimmers and sunbathers," Kanya Lyons, an Austin Parks and Recreation spokesperson, 

Barton Springs Pool is a popular topless spot. (Brandon Bell/

Spring is the best. It’s the last stop before summer, flowers are blooming, and you’ve still got plenty of time to get your vegetable garden in tip-top shape.

With all the rain we’ve been having lately, it’s just cool enough to spend a morning outside in the garden. April is actually a great time to plant a whole bunch of summer produce favorites. 

According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

, April is the ideal time to plant the following in Travis County:

A transplant is a seed that has been grown inside and germinated for three to four weeks. This helps the roots withstand the move from inside to outside.

“The other reason to recommend transplants is the number of days it takes to harvest. Central Texas has two very short growing seasons. A crop like brussels sprouts just doesn’t have enough time in their ideal growing temperatures to amount to anything unless started as a transplant,” 

. (Brussels sprouts are best planted in January or February.)

One could really spend a whole day on the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension website learning about gardening and planting vegetables. But thankfully, they’ve got a 

 if you don’t have that kind of free time.

Apply preplant fertilizer to your garden.

Keep a record of what’s going on in your garden — things like when you plant, and when you water.

Water as needed and use mulch to conserve moisture.

Which Vegetables To Plant in April in Austin

Get to know the natural side of Austin: the plants, animals, weather and more that make our city unique.

Austin Urban Almanac

Urban Almanac

Despite recent rainfall, drought conditions in the Austin area won’t be changing any time soon.

A total of 2.37 inches of rainfall have been recorded in Austin so far this month, which is a jump from what’s normal during the first 13 days of April. The area usually sees just 0.92 inches of rainfall by this time, National Weather Service data shows. While rain is in the forecast this week, it likely won’t be significant, said Mack Morris, a National Weather Service Meteorologist.

“This rain probably won’t put much of a dent in the drought,” he said. “We basically need another year’s worth of additional rain to completely break out of the drought. It would take significant rainfall.”

 shows the majority of Travis County is in an extreme drought and some western parts are in the lesser severe drought. Part of the problem is that the area has been stuck in a La Niña pattern since the fall.

A La Niña pattern happens when the eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator cools, which can lead to warmer and drier conditions across the southern U.S., 

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says

Austin is down about 2-4 inches of rainfall in the last three months in an area that has seen a lack of rainfall over the last five years, Morris said.

“The constant La Niñas have been a problem,” Morris explained.

But relief from the La Niña is finally on its way — a neutral weather pattern is expected to kick in within the next few weeks, Morris said. The neutral pattern is expected to last through the summer months before an El Niño pattern moves into the area, making conditions cooler and wetter.

“We’ll take it,” Morris said. “Literally anything is better for this area than a La Niña.”

A steadier steam of rain would help the area’s drought conditions, and lucky for us, Austin should get 

Rain is possible on Wednesday, with showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. More storms are expected on Saturday and Morris said a decent amount of rainfall is possible.

Travis County is experiencing severe drought conditions. 

Travis County Needs a Year’s Worth of Rain To Break Out of Drought, Meteorologists Say

Travis County Needs a Year’s Worth of Rain To Break Out of  Drought, Meteorologists Say

One might imagine the house of a grocery store billionaire is filled with overflowing pots of rubies and emeralds, golden staircases, and spa-like bathrooms. And who knows, maybe Charles Butt’s house does look like that.

But amongst all the deluxe decor you’re envisioning is a very real and vast collection of incredible works of art. Butt, the chairman 

, has shared more than 80 artworks that hang in his home with the Blanton Museum of Art in 

“American Modernism from the Charles Butt Collection: From Edward Hopper to Alma Thomas.”

The exhibit is on display at the museum, which sits on The University of Texas at Austin’s campus, through Aug. 2 before it moves on to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio.

“Charles Butt’s vision as a collector reflects his deep belief in expanding access to art and education—a mission we share at the Blanton. We look forward to sharing these remarkable works, many of which have never been seen outside his private collection,” “said Simone Wicha, Director of the Blanton Museum of Art.

The first display you’ll see when you visit is a salon-style gallery wall that works as, “a nod to the personal, domestic spaces they normally enhance,” the museum says. Pieces by Mark Rothko, Marguerite Thompson Zorach, and Winslow Homer dot the exhibit entrance wall, letting you know you’re in for something cool inside.

You’ll be wowed with the names the collection drops — Georgia O’Keefe, Edward Hopper, Jackson Pollack — and it might make you jealous that Butt gets to fill his home with such great stuff.

Broken up into seven sections, the exhibit explores cubism, abstraction, precisionism, and more as it relates to the growth of the American modernism movement.

Pieces included in the show span from the late 19th century through the 1970s and feel distinctly American. You won’t find elaborately decorated, Catholic-inspired triptychs or old Greek sculptures here. Instead, you’ll get a collage Madonna and child made in a Black art collective in New York, and O’Keefe landscapes of her New Mexico backyard.

If you go, you’ll find portraits, sea-themed scenes, collages, and something you’ll wish you could take home. And that might be the mark of a great show.

New Blanton Exhibit Invites You Into the Living Room of H-E-B Chairman Charles Butt

Find the best of everything that Austin has to offer. 

Austin’s Best

Austin's Best

 are calling for Cesar Chavez Street to be renamed after the 

 reported several sexual assault allegations against the labor leader last month.

The investigation says Chavez abused women and girls, including Dolores Huerta, a fellow leader in the labor movement who Chavez worked with. Fallout from the report was swift — across the country, events honoring Chavez were canceled, statues were removed, and school curriculums 

In Austin, four city council members — José Velásquez, Vanessa Fuentes, José “Chito” Vela, and Zohaib “Zo” Qadri — made a request earlier this month to change the name of Cesar Chavez Street.

Chavez died in April 1993 and that December, Austin’s First Street 

 after him The street runs west to east from MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) to U.S. 183. El Concilio Mexican-American Landowners de East Austin, a local nonprofit, originally organized a call to rename First Street to honor Chavez. Now, the group wants the street 

“It’s a lesson learned,” Gabino Fernandez Jr., an El Concilio leader with El Concilio, 

. “Going back to First Street eliminates future discoveries about individuals that could lead to the same situation.”

The council request calls for City Manager T.C. Broadnax to develop a community outreach plan on whether or not to change the street name, and how much doing so would cost. It also asks Broadnax to report back to council on May 27.

“The city of Austin is committed to upholding the dignity and safety of all people and affirms its

unwavering support to survivors of sexual violence,” the request 

We recently asked City Cast Austin readers what they think the street’s name should be and got quite a few responses:

. She’s a civil rights icon, too, and bravely came forward with her story about Chavez.

Texas musician Stevie Ray Vaughan already has 

One of Texas’ two women governors, Ann Richards, was another reader suggestion. 

Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bat Bridge

Pastore was an Austin police officer who 

 to rename the road after Pastore has more than 1,500 signatures.

This wouldn’t be Austin if someone didn’t suggest Nelson. 

These are all great options, but it’s possible our reader 

 had the best suggestions: “Bessie Coleman, Simone Biles, Bonnie Dunbar, Opal Lee. ANY WOMAN!”

Austin May Change Cesar Chavez Street. Here’s 5 Name Suggestions.

What's being decided in Austin City Hall and why it matters. We monitor local elections, political news, and Austin City Council. 

Austin Election and City Hall News

Local Civics

Hamburgers are the perfect food. They work in every season, are a divine mix of veggies, sauces, cheese, and bread, and are just plain fun to eat.

. To keep your burger habit going, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite deals in town:

Do you ever dream about a burger? No? That just means you haven’t yet tried 

the smashburgesa at Bar Toti, off of Manor Road

. The burger comes with two wagyu beef patties, American cheese, griddled ham, chipotle mayo, and escabeche relish. It’s so comforting to eat and just $8 during happy hour, which runs all day on Monday and 5-6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

. On Wednesdays starting at 5 p.m., you can get a burger, fries, and a mini Spaghett or cosmopolitan for $15. The pickles on the burger have a great crunch to them, and you’ll have a blast with the tiny drink glass they bring out for you!

, you already know I’m a fan of the cheeseburger and shoestring fries at Clark’s Oyster Bar in Clarksville. The burger, which is 

, is perfectly juicy and half off during happy hour, Monday through Friday 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Sour Duck Market in East Austin has some of the best burgers around — they come with pimento cheese and are on challah buns. During the restaurant’s 

, you can get a single-patty burger for $6 or a double patty for $9. Finish off your meal with a $3 soft serve sundae.

Much can be said about downtown Austin’s dining options. Too few exist, many are too expensive, and who can find a parking spot? But if you happen to find yourself downtown, pop into Bill’s Oyster for its daily 

 The burger, which is usually $21, is $10 during happy hour and bottles of wine are 50% off.

Lots of local restaurants have great burger deals!

The Best Burger Deals in Austin

The latest on the best and newest restaurants and bars in Austin. We'll help you find where to eat, drink, and socialize.

Austin Food & Drink

Food & Drink

“The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson” is out 

 and the documentary does what true crime media should: It actually centers the victim.

Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson was an accomplished, 25-year-old cyclist visiting a friend in Austin in 2022 when she was fatally shot by a local cyclist, Kaitlin Armstrong. Armstrong was found guilty of first-degree murder in November 2023 and sentenced to 90 years in prison, a ruling that was 

recently upheld by Texas Third Court of Appeals

The case has the trappings of a true crime podcast or splashy TV show. Armstrong was released from police custody, took her sister’s passport, and made her way to Costa Rica, where she got a nose job and started teaching yoga. After she was found and brought back to Texas, she managed to escape police and even got 1 mile away before being apprehended again.

But despite the bizarre story, Wilson’s murder remained largely untouched, save for local reporting as the case unfolded, until now.

Director Marina Zenovich and Producer Evan Hayes never made a true crime film before this one, and it shows. While the documentary includes details on the case told through police recordings and emotional interviews, you come away from watching with Wilson top of mind. That’s unusual in a world where true crime media seems to focus on things like the looks of a killer or the goriness of an incident.

Watch the Documentary Trailer

“I love that you mentioned that the crime is the subplot (of the documentary), because that's really what we were trying to do. We were showing who she was, what she worked to become, how she was on the cusp of becoming,” 

The documentary also shows how important Wilson became to Austinites as well as the people investigating her murder. Several Austin prosecutors, police detectives, and others who worked on the case attended the movie’s premiere during South by Southwest last month.

Zenovich said you could feel how invested everyone was in doing right by Wilson while making the documentary.

“I felt that (the movie) had to premiere in Austin,” she said.

SXSW was also the first time Wilson’s parents and brother were in Austin since Armstrong’s trial ended. Matt, Wilson’s brother, told the crowd at the movie’s second screening that showing the documentary felt like closure for him.

The film is equal parts sad and beautiful, as timelines switch from the shooting back to Wilson’s life. You may finish the movie and feel compelled to embrace the Wilsons and you wouldn’t be alone in that. A few viewers were lined up after a SXSW screening to give Matt Wilson a hug. Whether you followed the case or not, the documentary is worth a watch.

“At the end of the day, that's what this movie is about. It's about family and community. It's about perseverance,” Hayes said.

Listen to City Cast Austin's interview with Zenovich and Hayes. 👇

"The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson" is out now on Netflix.

Netflix’s True Crime Documentary on an Austin Homicide Bucks the Status Quo

Austin’s Garrison Park neighborhood in South Austin runs from South First Street to just west of West Gate Boulevard, between Stassney Lane and William Cannon Drive.

While small, the neighborhood is home to some of the city’s best eats and a really great park:

Don’t just take my word for it — LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue has a Michelin star. The barbecue joint, 5621 Emerald Forest Drive, is a must-visit on your Austin barbecue journey. Get the jalape

o cheese chorizo, beef fat potato chips, and the kale caesar slaw with your 

. The restaurant is also known for its burgers, which are perfectly salted if you ask me!

Remembering DK Sushi & Seoul Korean Restaurant exists when I’m craving sushi is a treat every time. The small restaurant, 6400 S. 1st St., has been around since 1993 and for good reason. The sushi is reliable — it’s delicious 

. Bonus: The restaurant has a section where you can sit on the floor!

Plush with rows and rows of trees, Garrison Park at 6001 Manchaca Road feels like a small oasis. It’s tucked away off the side of the road in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it spot. Beyond a pretty sizable playground is room for picnicking, courts for basketball, and a small trail. The park’s city-run pool 

The South Austin neighborhood is home to great restaurants.

Your Guide to Austin’s Garrison Park Neighborhood

Everything to know about Austin neighborhoods: What to do, eat, shop, drink, and more.

Austin Neighborhood Guides

Neighborhood Guides

It is unbelievable that March is not the busiest month in Austin. I know we just finished what felt like a never-ending month of festivals and live music, but April is going to be even bigger and fuller.

Urban Music & Cultural Fest is April 4 at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park. The festival celebrates Austin’s music, art, food, and community. Tickets start at $78.

Dozens and dozens of comics will be performing downtown April 7-18 for this year’s Moontower Comedy Festival. The lineup includes Leslie Jones, Marc Maron, Kathy Griffin, and so many more. Badges start at $175, and one-day wristbands are $85.

ABC Kite Fest starts at 10 a.m. on April 11 in Zilker Park. The annual event is free to attend and includes a mini market, an off-leash area for dogs, and dozens of kites.

Pease Park is hosting Squirrel Fest, a celebration of spring, on April 11 starting at 4 p.m. The event is free to attend and includes games, food, drinks, and music.

The Statesman Capitol 10,000 race is on April 12 this year. The 10k race goes through downtown and includes live music. You still have time to register, too.

Head out to Pease Park on April 25 for Eeyore’s Birthday Party, which is free to attend. 

 and celebrates our city’s free spirit with drum circles, face painting, costumes, and vendors.

Austin Reggae Fest runs April 17-19 at Auditorium Shores. The lineup includes Stephen Marley, Original Koffee, and Iration, among others. Tickets start at $53.

Austin Blues Festival is April 25-26 at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park. The lineup includes Jimmy Vaughn & Friends, Parliament Funkadelic, Eric Johnson, and George Clinton. Tickets start at $89.

Your Guide to April 2026 in Austin

Going topless has been popular in Austin since at least the 1970s.

Why You Can Go Topless in Austin

Explainers

What Austinites have been wondering. We break down why things in Austin are they way they are and how they work.

Austin, Explained

Before it had a booming tech scene and a skyline full of towering buildings, Austin was a small college town full of weirdos. Yearly revelers intend to keep that spirit alive through one iconic, weird, hippie-forward event: Eeyore’s Birthday Party.

The party is held annually at Pease Park, and 2026 will be the event’s 61st iteration. Held on April 25 this year, Eeyore’s Birthday Party is free to attend, lasts all day, and includes drum circles, food, drinks, music, costumes, face painting, and so much more.

Lloyd Birdwell was a student at the University of Texas at Austin in 1964 

 the author behind Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne. To celebrate the end of that spring semester, Birdwell pitched a party to his fellow classmates and Eeyore’s Birthday Party was born. The first version of the party was held on May 8, 1964, at Eastwoods Neighborhood Park near campus.

Just 50 people attended that first party. But eventually the party needed a new space due to attendance and was moved to 

“There really was no impetus for it, and I had never read ‘Winnie the Pooh,’” Birdwell told 

To throw the first party, the students used English Professor James Ayres as a faculty sponsor. But more than 10 years later in 1979, Ayres said he didn’t want to hold the party in Austin anymore. He canceled the Austin event so it could be held on his newly acquired land in Round Top.

That’s when the Young Men’s Christian Association of The University of Texas at Austin stepped in and took over organizing the event. The YMCA of UT is now known as Friends of the Forest.

 because of the coronavirus pandemic and returned in 2022.

Today, the Party Is a Bastion of Old Austin

Austin looks different all the time, but Eeyore’s Birthday Party still keeps that old and weird Austin flair.

“The Winnie-the-Pooh-themed bash is one of those reliably weird things about Austin that no amount of venture capital has managed to disrupt,” 

Eeryore's Birthday Party is 100% volunteer-run and all the vendors are nonprofits.

The party is often lauded as a chaotic tribute to spring complete with funky outfits, the feeling of freedom, and time with your neighbors.

Eeryore's Birthday Party is on April 25 this year. 

61 Years of Eeyore’s Birthday Party: What Is The Iconic Austin Event?

Moving to San Marcos for college in 2012, I had no idea what awaited me. I’d grown up in the lanes of Krogers, Tom Thumbs, and the occasional Albertsons grocery stores in Dallas. I never considered what grocery stores could be.

Enter: H-E-B. This might appear to be a little too much for the lead-in to an article about a grocery store. But that’s what H-E-B does. Through freshly made butter tortillas, disaster response, and highly curated shelves, H-E-B has developed a cultlike following since its inception in South Texas 120 years ago.

“You know, it’s just a sweet little company, honestly. It really is,” Heidi Post, Senior Director of Public Affairs for Central Texas at H-E-B, 

Of course, Post acknowledged that “little” is the wrong word to describe H-E-B these days. H-E-B has sales of more than $50 billion and operates more than 440 stores across Texas and in Mexico. The company, which started operating in the 

, continues to expand with locations in Lubbock, and in Dallas-Fort Worth.

So, how does a grocery store that started in one room in 1905 become huge enough to have Jim Parsons, the “Big Bang Theory” actor who was born in Houston, voice a baby for 

It’s a combination of things, of course. 

The store manages to keep its prices low in this economy by staying humble, Post explained. The company keeps things modest in how it operates — not having the fanciest offices, for example — to keep costs down.

H-E-B has also found that being communicative with the communities it serves has been helpful. Nikki DaVaughn, the host of City Cast Austin’s podcast, may be why the H-E-B near the intersection of Springdale Road and U.S. 183 has hummus.

“I remember going in one day and they didn't have hummus. And I was like, ‘Why don't y'all have hummus? This is weird, right?’” DaVaughn told Post.

DaVaughn took it upon herself to send H-E-B an email about the missing hummus and the company actually responded. A year or so later, hummus was on the shelves.

Depending on what store you visit, different products may be available. An H-E-B in Northwest Austin near the Jewish Community Center has lots of Kosher products and is always packed with matzo around Passover, for example.

“We try to personalize our assortment for different areas of a town. That is a bit of our special sauce. We're not cookie cutter,” Post said.

The Cult of H-E-B

But perhaps the best thing H-E-B does that keeps Austinites coming is how it responds to disaster. Anytime a natural disaster happens, jokes that H-E-B runs better than the Texas government make the rounds online.

H-E-B always appears to be ready for anything — a 2024 

Austin, Explained

Why You Can Go Topless in Austin

Kelsey Bradshaw

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