Austin summers are only getting hotter, but the heat can be beat when you’re chilling with your community! Our Summer Fun issue is packed with ways to build community, including 40 upcoming summer events (link TK), but the best option is joining up with local groups already organized around what interests you. Cinephiles can check out our feature on microcinema Hyperreal Film Club (link TK), but perhaps you’ll find your new crew among these awesome Austinites.
The Outdoor Athletic Advocates:
We Outside ATX
SIGNATURE EVENT: Weekly Saturday runs at the Eastside’s Lorraine Camacho Activity Center
Some of Austin’s greatest attractions are its green spaces but, although these are places purportedly for everyone, Mercedes Collins struggled to find people who looked like her among the trails and trees. Inspired by the belief that “Austin’s Black communities deserve to take up space outside: in nature, in wellness, and in joy,” Collins founded We Outside ATX in 2024. First a running meetup of around 15 folks, the group’s grown both in size – their members number in the hundreds now – and in scope. “From run club to skating, rock climbing, line dancing classes, kickball, field days, hikes, cookouts, and so much more,” Collins says, “we’re connecting back to ourselves, each other, and nature. And we’re just getting started!”
The Artists About Town:
ATX Art Nights
SIGNATURE EVENT: The “Monday Bundle,” where one can buy a single pass for four Monday night craft classes
Creating and crafting after childhood can be a tough task for adults, especially if one doesn’t know where to start. Founder Madison Purdy fell in love with hosting weekly craft meetups during her time at UT-Austin, which inspired her to widen the reach of these low-key but highly inspired gatherings open to anyone with a creative spirit. Her often sold-out calendar of events runs the gamut of mediums – needle-felting, patchworking, beading, etc. – as well as venues from breweries like Fast Friends to grocery stores like Wheatsville Co-op to cat cafes like Purrfecto Cat Lounge. “I strive to promote art as a social and accessible activity,” Purdy says, “and I do that by making ATX Art Night events fun, low pressure, and a great way to explore Austin, be creative, and meet new people!”
The Renaissance Queers:
Local Queer ATX
SIGNATURE EVENT: Twice yearly sleepaway camp CampOUT! in both May and November
There’s no shortage of nightlife fun for the Austin LGBTQ community, but co-founders Chase Brunson and Caleb Armstrong sought more variety in their queer outings. Beginning with mini meetups organized via their Instagram page to their current sweeping selection of activities, Local Queer ATX’s aim is to “create accessible events that go beyond nightlife to bring our people together,” they say. Their calendar includes monthly offerings like a queer full moon circle as well as weekly walk club Strut and special occasion boat parties on Lake Travis. “People show up alone and leave with new friends,” say Brunson and Armstrong. “We’re intergenerational, diverse, and know that community is how we carry on.”
Make Your Summer Fun Schedule
Find Your Summer Fun Social Scene
This article appears in May 15 • 2026.
