A CelebrASIA, Taste of Mexico, and Lesbian Wedding Highlight Our Community Events
Fests, gatherings, classes, and more
By James Scott, Katherine McNevins, Carys Anderson, James Renovitch, Kimberley Jones, and Cat McCarrey, Fri., May 17, 2024
Diamond’s Dirty 30 Rodeo
Saturday 18, Cheer Up Charlies
This ain’t Texas – oh, wait! This is Texas, and this is also the birthday celebration of true Texan Diamond Dior Davenport. Perhaps you’ve seen her work onstage at Swan Dive during weekly Tuesday-nighter Drag Dive, or her stirring performance in last year’s Majestic Ball at the Paramount Theatre. Diamond celebrates her new decade in Cowboy Carter style: Come out in Western wear from 10pm to 2am to dance to a set by DJ BabiBoi and sip on drink sponsor Patrón’s tequila-forward vittles. – James Scott
Fix-It Clinic
Saturday 18, Carver Branch Library
Handy people willing to spend their Saturdays teaching you, for free, how to repair your broken items? Community really is a beautiful thing. Electronics, appliances, clothing, jewelry, bikes – head to the Austin Public Library’s Carver Branch from 10am to 2pm, and not only will you get your stuff fixed, but you’ll hopefully pick up a trick or two so that you can do it yourself next time. Give a man a fish and all... – Carys Anderson
CelebrASIA Austin
Saturday 18, Asian American Resource Center
A decadelong tradition, this indoor/outdoor celebration of the local AAPI community features everything you want from a cultural extravaganza: food, dance, vendors, food, music, kids’ events, educational presentations ... did we mention food? We also clocked an event called “Senior Bollywood,” which we have to assume will be some life-affirming song and dance from folks with the life experience to really make you believe it. We’re not sure how they’re going to squeeze all this in between 11am and 3pm, but we’ll be willing to stay late if need be. – James Renovitch
Afternoon Tea
Saturday 18, Neill-Cochran House Museum
Sometimes you just want to get fancy, put on a flouncy flowered hat, and enjoy the finer things. Austin English Tea Co. and the historic Neill-Cochran House Museum collab for this delightful day inspired by teatimes held by Mrs. Neill way back in the 1880s. Sample NCHM-branded teas along with bubbly and a selection of scones, jams, clotted cream, and tea sandwiches, from the classic cucumber/cream cheese to the more daring hummus with carrot relish. Cap it all off with a French macaron or millionaire bar before you say “Cheerio.” – Kat McNevins
City-Wide Vintage Sale
Saturday 18 - Sunday 19, Palmer Events Center
It used to be called the City-Wide Garage Sale back when it started in 1977, and it was actually created as a way to save gas during a massive shortage: Why drive all over town to poke through garages when you could bring all the sales to one place? While times have changed along with the name, the spirit remains. Find tables of treasures filling the Palmer Events Center, including vintage clothing and housewares, collectibles of all kinds, and antiques galore – even more of a rarity now that Austin Antique Mall has gone the way of the dodo. – Kat McNevins
Seafood & Crawfish Festival
Sunday 19, Barton Creek Square
Now, if you asked the late, great Buckwheat Zydeco, the path to crustacean feasting requires at least three steps: "You’ll get a line and I’ll get a pole/ As we go down to the crawfish hole." Lucky for you, ATX Food Truck Festival has you skipping steps 1-3 and arriving directly at "insert crawfish in pie hole." Organizers have so far kept mum about vendors at Sunday's Seafood & Crawfish Festival, but if you're cray-cray for crawdads, the $50 VIP pass is an option: It gets you in an hour before opening and guarantees you a pound of crawfish and a 10% discount at participating food trucks and bar bevs. – Kimberley Jones
Lesbian Wedding
Sunday 19, Sahara Lounge
Bring something old, something new, and something blue to this actual sapphic ceremony, featuring the nuptials of qmmunity members Bobby and Mimi Pudrido “on the same dance floor where they met 7 years ago.” Yes, there’ll be much cutting of cake and consuming of queso at this celebration: DJ sets by La Morena, Chorizo Funk, and Lavender Thug; drag by Sir Beau Elliot, Papi Culo, Azúcar, Jasmania, Travis Randy Travis, Adrienne Anemone, Coach Bunz B, and Lynn Metcalf; and a performance by Austin’s premier Le Tigre cover/clown band, Deceptaclown. Many well-wishes to the happy couple! – James Scott
AANHPI Heritage Month Celebration
Sunday 19, Central Library
May is Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander heritage month, wherein we take the time to appreciate the culture and contributions of generations of AANHPI folks. Our lovely library will celebrate with family-friendly activities from noon to 5pm. Little ones will enjoy a storytelling activity about Asian dragons at 12:30pm, and older kids can try a portrait workshop at 2 or take in Hideout’s Bollywood improv show at 3:30. All ages are welcome for a classical Indian violin performance at 1, and there’ll be plenty of other fun all afternoon: mochi donuts from OMG Squee, book displays, paper lei making, coloring pages, and more await. – Kat McNevins
Sad Girls Only: Sad Girls of the Rodeo
Monday 20, Swan Dive
Ain’t nothing sadder than a country girl cryin’ – wet ol’ eyes under the Lone Star sky, troubles as big as the bill of her 10-gallon cowboy hat. Tribute those weepy Western women at a special edition of Louisianna Purchase and Ruby Knight’s Sad Girls Only, which features exclusively down-in-the-dumps drag. Rodeo roll call includes regulars Summer Clearance, Noodles, Tatiana Cholula, Rosalind Hussell, and DJ Sad Dad aka Chique Fil-Atio, and special guests LO-Ti-ON, Diamond Dior Davenport, Brigitte Bandit, Petty Cakes, and Violet Rage. Stick around after the show for a li’l karaoke pick-me-up. – James Scott
Paper Lei Making With Austin History Center
Tuesday 21, Windsor Park Library
Thirty-two years ago, local(ish) boy George H.W. established May as Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander month. Pay your respects at Windsor Public Library, bringing another fantastic bit of programming in partnership with Austin History Center. A local curator will walk through artifacts from each culture, then they’ll dive into traditions from America’s only archipelago – Hawaii! Learn about the cultural significance of the hula and leis, then respectfully try out lei-making for yourself. It’s a perfect way to honor the stories of this vital community. – Cat McCarrey
Taste of Mexico
Wednesday 22, Republic Square Park
Rescheduled due to lousy weather, the delay only reinforces this year’s theme – Antojitos / “Little Cravings” – at Taste of Mexico, an annual foodie fundraiser. Mouths are going to water at the tasty comestibles dished out from 50 Austin restaurants and food trucks, including Licha’s Cantina, Comedor, and Jaime’s Spanish Village, and it’s all going to support Mexic-Arte Museum’s educational programming. Also on the menu: a Ballet Folklórico performance, beats by DJ uLUVi, screenprinting, loteria, mariachis, and more. – Kimberley Jones
Intro to 3D Printing
Wednesday 22, Central Library
Did you know the Austin Public Library had a Digital Makerspace? Well, it does, and they want to help anyone try out this recent technological advancement with a two-hour, hands-on course. Learn the basics of how 3D printers and the software behind their creations work before playing around in Tinkercad to help draw up something printable. Leave those designs with your instructor and within a few weeks you can pick up the physical manifestation of your idea. Maybe not quite Frankenstein-levels of creation power, but we’re getting there. – James Renovitch
Trans & Intersex Community Sing
Thursday 23, Museum of Human Achievement
Mi-mi-mi – oh! Sorry, Reader: You seem to have caught me warming up my vocals. You see, Gender Unbound is hosting a community singing event for trans and intersex folks. So you can see why I must prepare – like, they literally have trans choir director A. Villarreal leading the chorus! No, no, you don’t have to worry about how interrupting me has ruined my voice forever. This here’s a space where all voices at all levels are welcome, so even a creaky crooner like myself may join. As Gender Unbound’s event post says, “Off-key is okay, but off-putting gender binary norms are NOT!” – James Scott
“Carros y Cultura: Lowriding Legacies in Texas”
Through Sept. 2, Bullock Museum
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
Want to see all of our listings broken down by day? Go to austinchronicle.com/calendar and see what's happening now or in the coming week.