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Hoo-wee! Does anything feel better than a dip in the pool during a hot Texas summer? While some among us may be privileged to own private watering holes, most of us get to enjoy the great Austin PARD’s work at the 44 public aquatic facilities to choose from this summer. You’ve got regional, neighborhood, and community pools; a wading pool; splash pads; and the crown jewel: Barton Springs. Check austintexas.gov/pools-splashpads for up-to-date info on which pools are open, what their entry fee is, and whether you have what it takes to be a public pool lifeguard. Now, outta the way if you don’t wanna get wet: I’m gonna do a cannonball! – James Scott

Eager to watch a tragic, thought-provoking, sociopolitical tragedy? Experience the student-performed, professionally directed classic (which feels like an understatement), in a replica Elizabethan theatre space by Lake Austin.

Summer seems a natural time for lightness, airiness. There’s a freedom the soul craves. Diana Greenberg’s latest exhibit, on display at Wally Workman, utterly fits those summer vibes. Inspired by nature, her art evokes the breeziness of a hammock in the sun, a picnic in a meadow, the possibilities of a bright sunny day. That’s perfectly complemented by the art’s pastel palette, pearly pinks and hazy yellows adding to the seasonal feeling. Welcome nostalgia and hope of longer days with Greenberg’s impressions of the world around us. – Cat McCarrey

A chill community hangout for all the bi-,pan-, or otherwise multi-gender-sexual folks, organized by local event empress Democrasexy. Find your people on Hold Out Brewing's private mezzanine.

Stand aside, Anya Taylor-Joy and Gwyneth Paltrow. Heck, I’ll include Alicia Silverstone in there as well. Get back, ladies, because there’s a new Emma in town. Austin Playhouse presents their own updated Emma, giving that meddling matchmaker a new twist in the old setting. Emma might know what’s best for everybody else, but can she see what’s right in front of her? You probably know the answer, but this guarantees a laugh-a-minute journey along the way. Romance and absurdity – a recipe for greatness. – Cat McCarrey

There’s not a single situation on Earth that can’t be made better by puppets. Avenue Q and Team America: World Police prove my point. For some more family-friendly puppet improvements, check out the all-ages production of La Maleta de Maebelle, Glass Half Full’s creative telling of Tricia Tusa’s picture book Maebelle’s Suitcase. It tells the story of a young girl and her bird friend, both of whom yearn to return home to Colombia. With Colombian music by Kiko Villamizar and incredible puppets, made and handled by master puppeteers, Glass Half Full offers a perfect production for all. – Cat McCarrey

Kids already got a gift when school let out for summer. Now Austin’s favorite all-day cafe Kerbey Lane says it’s parents’ turn for a prezzie. All month, Monday-Friday, kids eat free after 4pm with the purchase of one adult meal. Pancakes, grilled cheese, crispy chicken tenders, all for the glorious cost of zero extra dollars. With those savings, you could spring for a bowl of Kerbey queso and go home a hero. – Kimberley Jones

I have nothing but respect for my sovereign ruler of Texas, H-E-B. Setting a play there sounds like a stroke of genius. A few lucky souls may have been inducted into the tale of turbulent grocery visits at FronteraFest, where playwright Raul Garza debuted this as a short play to great acclaim. But the extended version is now on the market, getting deeper into the nitty-gritty lives of three different grocery store people. Who knows what will happen, but whatever does, I’m sure H-E-B will take good care of any physical or emotional needs. – Cat McCarrey

Who doesn’t want to build up their CV in these trying times? Or perhaps you just want to fill your free time with something other than TikTok? Or maybe you want a behind-the-scenes, hands-on tour of Austin’s best place for sustainable craft supplies? Whatever reason you’ve got, it’s a good time to volunteer for Austin Creative Reuse’s Summer of Service program. Opportunities are abundant, with group projects like fabric rolling, dog toy making, or Funky Fabric Friday – that’s when they process all the weird stuff like purple faux fur or bright yellow vinyl. Sign up on austincreativereuse.org, complete 30 volunteering hours, and earn your Summer of Service certificate. Beats losing eight hours to ASMR slime-scoop videos, I’ll tell you what. – James Scott

Classical musicians worldwide flock to Austin to fill the city with sound for three weekends. Individual and bundled tickets are available.

We Are Blood – who are definitely NOT vampires in disguise – have totally cracked the case on how to make giving blood even more of a good deed. See, for this month only, whenever you take your juicy veins to a WAB donor center or mobile unit, they’ll donate $5 to your choice of one of three partnering nonprofits. That’s right: Donate blood, and you can give Central Texas Food Bank, Austin Humane Society, or TreeFolks a fiver to do with what they please. And usually what they please is helping our Austin community in various positive ways like keeping peeps fed, nurturing puppies and kitties, and growing big beautiful trees whose shade is sorely needed during this cruel summer. – James Scott

Thanks to Seventies funk band War, the word “lowrider” often calls to mind the unforgettable sax riff of the band’s 1975 No. 1 single. But lowrider can mean a snazzy customized car with hydraulics or a person who works on such a vehicle, and the culture around these cars has strengthened Mexican American communities in the Southwest since the Forties. Learn more about them at this exhibit featuring an interactive touchscreen mural, cars and bikes on display, and stories about the people who make lowriding a community. A member reception takes place May 18. – Kat McNevins

The impeccably named MuthaGoose is the collective brainchild of artists Jill Garcia and Kim Phu. They are two of the baddest muthas around, debuting their collaborative creativity with the sly, wry, “Luster Woo” exhibit at the Butridge Gallery in the Dougherty Arts Center. Both are well-versed in playing around with mediums, crafting sculptures and paintings created from all manner of found or upcycled items. For “Luster Woo,” MuthaGoose present their nostalgic-but-modern takes on women’s issues. On Wednesday, Jill Garcia will be present for the artist reception, answering questions about the duo’s process. Check out these indelible visuals highlighting how the more things change, the more things stay the same. – Cat McCarrey

Vessel: a container that holds things. Vessel: a person infused with a quality. What quality? Any. Feel free to interpret it yourself when basking in Diane Chiyon Hong’s exhibit “Vessels – Handle with Care.” Her architectural sketches, part function, part form, part object, part person, part humor but all thought-provoking, currently grace the halls of the Asian American Resource Center. It’s Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Month, so why not pay the AARC a visit. I mean, if not now, when? – Cat McCarrey

“What will you do with your one wild and precious life?” asks the poet Mary Oliver. So do the artists Amanda McInerney and Lana Waldrep Appl, taking inspiration from Oliver’s question to create works highlighting the small but important beauties in our lives. McInerney’s work presents bold, botanical elements through mediums from print to stitched mixed-media art, confident graphics speaking against the unknowns in the world. Appl is a perfect highlight with that, her object-based work (showing plants, toys, ceramics) begging us to consider what is useful and actually important in the small moments. – Cat McCarrey