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City Cast Austin

Kelsey Bradshaw

This sandwich shop offers “free stuff” through its rewards program on your birthday. Please someone go and let us know what you get!

This is a really good one. Sign up to become a Kendra Scott insider and you can get 50% off one item during your birthday month.

Join the Torchy’s Tacos “Taco Junkies Reward Program” and get gifts on your birthday.

Join Alamo Drafthouse’s rewards program “Alamo Victory” and get a free sweet treat when you go on your birthday!

Sign up for the Sundae News and snag a free ice cream on your birthday.

Get a free birthday gift from Ulta! All you need to do is fork over your birth date and email address.

Spend $25 online at Sephora and get a free birthday gift during your birthday month. Go in person, and the gift doesn’t require a purchase!

Red River Cultural District officials outlined a plan for the downtown street in the next five years, including a wish-list of safety improvements, new murals and signage, and greenery.

 comes just two weeks after the district 

 it contributed $2.3 billion to Austin’s economy over the last five years.

“This district has helped shape Austin’s cultural identity for decades, and protecting it will require real coordination, investment — both public and private — and a shared commitment to the venues, small businesses, artists, and community spaces that make it matter,” said Nicole Klepadlo, Executive Director of Red River Cultural District.

Part of the plan calls for making Red River Street more walkable and visually cohesive, officials say. Some of the 

Solar-powered lighting from 10th to 15th streets

Adding directional signage and district banners

Traffic-calming measures like decreasing speed limits

Exterior upgrades to venues like The 13th Floor and Elysium

Next, the district will have to secure funding to finance the upgrades. District officials did not say how much the upgrades may cost.

“We’re excited to see where this road goes next as the Red River team plan for meetings with city council, city commissions, and city staff and in the coming months, although so far, public feedback from our community has been very positive and supportive,” a statement from the district says.

While the renderings the organization released are not set in stone, they give a good idea of what the road downtown may look like in the future:

Upgrades include solar-powered lighting and new trees. 

Austin’s Red River Street May Be Getting a Makeover. Here’s What You Need To Know.

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

Austin Neighborhood Guides

Neighborhood Guides

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

 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

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

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?

Explainers

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

Austin, Explained

Passover starts tomorrow, y’all, and if you’re behind on prep like this writer is, this is the perfect guide for you:

, has lots of flourless options for Passover, including: Coconut macaroons, caramel matzo, flourless chocolate cake, flourless chocolate cupcakes, and a Passover dessert box. The treats are available April 1-9 and 

Pick up Matzo Ball Soup and Brisket at Mum Foods Smokehouse & Delicatessen

Mum Foods Smokehouse & Delicatessen, 5811 Manor Road, has everything you need for a Passover celebration. Matzo ball soup, brisket, egg salad, 

 for pick-up or dining in. You can also get the $84 family style meal which includes: 1.5 pounds of barbecue, three pints of sides, house pickles, and six slices of bread. I’m sure you could skip the bread if you want!

If you don’t feel like cooking this year, Whole Foods 

. A vat of matzo ball soup, or 52 ounces, will run you just $14.99. The chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons, which are $10.99, look incredible.

The H-E-B grocery store at 7015 Village Center Drive near the Jewish Community Center in 

Passover destination if you plan on cooking everything yourself this year! They usually have lots of matzo, and other Kosher-for-Passover finds like matzo meal, matzo ball soup mix, horseradish, gefilte fish, and coconut macaroons.

I don’t know about y’all, but the minute Passover ends, I want a bagel. People who keep Passover don’t eat leavened bread during the 

If you still haven’t found your bagel spot in Austin, here’s a few to try:

A photo of Malcolm in his matzo bandana to go:

Your Guide to Passover 2026 in Austin

The Best Austin Birthday Freebies

Find the best of everything that Austin has to offer. 

Austin’s Best

Austin's Best

Whether you’re finishing high school or college or whatever else, it’s graduation season in Austin. I hope you’re taking senior photos to commemorate the moment! If you need some ideas of where to start, here’s what I’m thinking:

♥️ The “I love you so much” mural

This is maybe the cutest option on the list. The green-and-red “I love you so much” mural scrawled on the side of 

 on South Congress Avenue is the perfect backdrop for a cap-and-gown photo. Even better, your parents will love it! You can always pick out another 

Taking photos at perhaps the most beautiful spot in Austin is a no-brainer. 

 near Zilker Park encapsulates the best of Austin – beautiful greenery, stunning blue water, and hippie swimmers galore. A photo here will remind you of home.

🦇 Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge

If a cityscape is more your vibe, post up at 

 downtown. You can get photos of the skyline and Lady Bird Lake in the background and go at sunset for a beautiful Texas sky. If you can somehow get the 

 that live under the bridge coming out at dusk in your photo, you’ll be my new hero.

This one is a trek but it’s worth it! Hike up the stairs at 

 to get an overlook of Lake Austin in your photos.

 in West Austin has some of the city’s most picturesque views and would look even better with a cap and gown!

🍽️ Bonus idea: Any taco or barbecue spot

Ok, this suggestion is for my out-of-staters. Not only can you brag about graduating from a school in Texas through your photos, but you can also brag about all the good food you got to eat while here. I’m envisioning a photo of a plate of brisket in front of you while you’re wearing your graduation cap. Eh? Thoughts?

Where To Take Your Senior Photos in Austin

The Cutest Spots To Take Your Senior Pictures in Austin

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

“The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson” is out 

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

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

Austin's Best

The Best Austin Birthday Freebies

Kelsey Bradshaw

🥪 Best free sandwich “stuff”: SNARF’S Sandwiches

💎 Best free jewelry: Kendra Scott

🌮 Best free taco: Torchy’s Tacos

🎥 Best free movie snack: Alamo Drafthouse

🍦 Best free ice cream: Amy’s Ice Creams

💄 Best free makeup: Ulta

🎂 Best free gift with purchase: Sephora

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