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Fact: The Alvin Ailey troupe was the first company to perform in the Bass Concert Hall when that venue opened in 1981. Now the brilliance of the late choreographer – a Texas native, yes! – is celebrated here for the first time in more than a decade, as the company (designated “a vital American cultural ambassador to the world” by the U.S. Congress and led by Robert Battle) features dancers of stunning technique and passion, performing Ailey’s iconic ballet Revelations and newer works by Ronald K. Brown, Alonzo King, and more. – Wayne Alan Brenner

Though inaugural ATX Open singles champion Marta Kostyuk won’t return to defend her crown, some notable names have entered the field. Two-time major champion and former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka (No. 27 in the WTA Tour rankings as of Feb. 19) looks set to play as the draw’s No. 1 seed but has since dropped from the tournament. 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens, 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins, and former Longhorn Peyton Stearns are some of the American women returning for the tournament’s second edition. Stearns won the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Singles Championship while attending UT-Austin and made the quarterfinals of last year’s ATX Open. Free entry to the event’s qualifying has “sold out” for both Feb. 24 and 25, but paid tickets are still on offer for the remaining days. – Derek Udensi

Following its launch at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium last year, Besame Mucho Festival expands to Austin with a multigenerational Latin music-focused lineup including Los Tigres del Norte, Juanes, Banda MS, Grupo Frontera, Caifanes, Bronco, Gloria Trevi, Café Tacvba, and Alejandra Guzmán. The absolutely massive schedule of over 90 Spanish-language acts divides among stages labeled Las Clásicas, Beso, Rockero, and Te Gusta El Pop? Tickets to the one-day fest, which launched at $275 presale, now run for $399. – Rachel Rascoe

There’s Texas, and then there’s Texas, right? This shindig rye cheer is as consarned Texas as it gets, hoss, and y’all are invited to get your Lone Star style on as ostentatiously as possible at Independence Brewing’s Western fashion show and contest (Aaron & Stacy Franklin are among the judges, boy howdy!), to hoedown to the live music of Armadillo Road and Mayeux & Broussard, to drink some tasty brews and rope yourself around the Lasso Station and photo booth – and help support the Austin Parks Foundation while you’re at it. We dare say: Yeee-HAW! – Wayne Alan Brenner

Here are the live semi-final and final rounds of the 11th annual Coltman Competition! Ensembles may include woodwind quintets, string quartets, piano trios, and other ensembles mixed with winds, strings, brass, and piano.

Warm leatherette, anyone? Join the car crash set – that is, the local devotees of J.G. Ballard’s novel Crash and the David Cronenberg film based on the sci-fi author’s unnerving erotic narrative – as they rev up one of Austin’s finest indie bookstores to reveal Auto-Erotics, their newly curated zine of fiction and art, and screen the 1996 James Spader-led shocker in an evening that’s sure to leave a stretch of burning rubber along one of your mind’s darker roads. – Wayne Alan Brenner

Houston-born provocateur Dorian Electra promises gleeful genderfuckery and high-camp hyperpop as addictive as Mountain Dew. Like fellow genre-dodging pioneers/past collaborators 100 gecs, the performance artist mashes experimental pop, punk, and baroque stylings with reckless abandon, amalgamating in a highly theatrical output that drips with queer sex appeal. Since retiring their signature eyeliner-drawn pencil mustache, the artist remains equally playful with presentation as with genre, donning an Edwardian-era bodice reminiscent of a slutty Sgt. Pepper on recent album Fanfare’s cover. Supporting siblings Frost Children return their euphoric glitchcore to Austin after last spring’s electrifying SXSW sets, while atlgrandma supplies tongue-in-cheek digital pop. – Genevieve Wood

Brigitte Bandit hosts this all-ages family fun day featuring drag story times with artists like OnlineKyne, Lady Shug, Vylette Ward, La Dede Camacho, and Cholula Lemon, plus much more.

Be ringside for the bone-breaking, heart-pounding, spine-tingling power of wrestling superstars Fight Opera, who’ve been bringing Austin storytelling body slams since 2022. It is, as they say, “the answer to the question, what if a group of artists, performers, wild animals, and feral goblins came together to put on a show, with the only constraint being that everything must take place in a wrestling ring?” On offer to the interested consumer: Brawls with narrative themes! Prop comedy! Juggling! And extremely violent mayhem! Come check ’em out at their new venue and, as Fight Opera’s Facebook event copy says, “Embrace the decadence and feel the wonder.” – James Scott

Austin’s Julie Fiore and her One Ounce Opera collective of stage-it-anywhere, stage-it-everywhere modern provocateurs take over the Eastside’s storied Museum of Human Achievement for their sixth annual (but first time since 2020!) mini-opera showcase, bringing four dynamic new works chosen from more than 40 submissions nationwide. Relevant to the here-and-now, redolent of sonic glory and classic style, the revelations of “An Artist’s Regrets,” “Bubbie and the Demon,” “I Am Worth Nothing,” and “What the Spirits Show” will touch your heart and wow your ears with the power of the human voice. – Wayne Alan Brenner

If you caught the 2018 doc McQueen, about the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen, then you’re already familiar with the talents of his nephew and protégé Gary James McQueen, who was responsible for the stunning, under-the-skin skull sculptures featured in the opening credits. Those skulls, as represented via 3D lenticular artworks, form the basis of the Gary James McQueen exhibit – his first stateside – now running at West Chelsea Contemporary through March 24. – Kimberley Jones

Inspired by Lawrence Wright's book, this three-part HBO documentary series explores Texan issues from local perspectives. "Part I: Hometown Prison" (D: Richard Linklater) screens March 2, followed by virtual interview with Linklater and Wright; "Part II: The Price of Oil" (D: Alex Stapleton) and "Part III: La Frontera" (D: Iliana Sosa) screen March 3, followed by an in-person conversation with Stapleton and Sosa. Read Alejandra Martinez's Sundance 2024 review.

It really is your park, but with great enjoyment comes great responsibility. So, this biannual event gives you a chance to give back to the green spaces that give Austin its unique character. No matter where you are in the city, there are projects taking place nearby where you can clean, decorate, mulch, weed, seed, and more. Go online and find a group that suits your volunteering vibe. In return you get the satisfaction of making someone’s park experience all the more restorative … and a T-shirt. – James Renovitch

You’re a busy guy; you don’t have time to read all of War and Peace. But you’re also ashamed that you’ve not dug into the hottest Russian novel of 1869! Hark: A solution awaits at the Zach Theatre production of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Dave Malloy’s musical adaptation of a 70-page section of Tolstoy’s great tome. Described by the theatre as an “innovative electro-pop opera,” this two-hour-and-thirty-minute love triangle will be available as pay-what-you-will until Feb. 4. Heads-up to queers: Thursday, Feb. 1, is PRIDE night!– James Scott

Since 1990, artists Teresa Hubbard and Alexander Birchler have worked collaboratively on art centered on how “histories, social life, and memories intersect.” Recently commissioned by Waterloo Greenway, these artists created a public video art installation featuring historic artifacts such as buttons, plates, and marbles “suspended in a rhythmic free fall, a choreographed parade.” These artifacts come from the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, unearthed from Waller Creek about two decades ago. Take in this art on its opening night, or any night following, as the installation will be on display one hour after sunset for the next five years. – James Scott

If you’ve never seen or heard of Miklós László’s 1937 play Illatszertár, don’t worry: You know the story. Two colleagues who hate each other at work are dearest friends as anonymous pen pals. Sound familiar now? It’s Ernst Lubitsch’s The Shop Around the Corner, and In the Good Old Summertime starring Judy Garland, and the *other* Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan rom-com, You’ve Got Mail. But it’s also this delightful musical from Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, the duo behind Fiddler on the Roof, which only becomes more charming with every new staging. – Richard Whittaker

Heralded as a lively reset of Tkay Maidza’s eclectic pop and R&B framework, Sweet Justice arrived on 4AD last year to break up with past boundaries. The sleek, synth-led, bass-heavy collaboration with major producers like Kaytranada and Flume followed the artist’s Last Year Was Weird EP trilogy, which stretched over three years and 24 songs. The Zimbabwean-born, Australian-raised, and now Los Angeles-based artist returns following a set at ACL Fest 2021. – Rachel Rascoe

Fans can celebrate Shaylee Gonzales, Shay Holle, and other seniors on Senior Night when Vic Schaefer’s team concludes its regular season against Big 12 newcomers BYU. With aspirations of a one seed in the NCAA Division I basketball tournament, the AP poll’s No. 3 ranked squad is well-positioned to play two postseason games at home. Women’s March Madness’ first two rounds are typically hosted at the home venues of the tournament’s top 16 teams (all one through four seeds). Tickets for this tilt – the second half of a doubleheader with the men’s team – currently start as low as $6 on SeatGeek. – Derek Udensi

For generations of children, Arnold Lobel’s stories of amphibian best buds Frog and Toad have been a charming guide to the complexities and joys of friendship. Now the pair take to the stage for this delightful Tony-nominated musical. It’s truly a family affair, adapted by Lobel’s son-in-law Mark Linn-Baker with music by Robert Reale and book & lyrics by his brother, Willie. This new production, directed by Best of Austin winner Sara Burke, features Jillian Sainz and Victoria Brown donning the signature jackets and trousers of Frog and Toad, respectively. – Richard Whittaker

A special program for visitors ages 0-3 and their families, providing caregivers and early learners the chance to experience the children's museum together. Thinkery will host two storytimes and free play that support the social, emotional, and cognitive development of the earliest learners.