On the Avenue

NewsDesk dropped in Thursday evening at the Frost Bank Plaza for a twirl with the Downtown Austin Alliance's latest outreach venture, "PlazaLife": "performance, music, games, business gatherings, yoga and more." There's still time for you to get your plaza on, today and Saturday.

As the press release tells it, "The event celebrates a year-long effort of DAA's Congress Avenue Plaza Team to re-imagine the plaza as a place that is as iconic as the building itself. Building on the work of the Congress Avenue charrette and vision, the event demonstrates how the team's design and programming ideas can add value and vitality to the plaza on a regular basis."

Thursday's VIP preview featured lots of schmoozing, a herd of folks huddling near the bar, and several terrific sets by Austin's scintillating descendants of Duke Ellington and Tito Puente: Beto & the Fairlanes. NewsDesk and his inamorata -- aka La Misteriosa -- whirled into the evening, while the rest of the best-dressed list mostly stood and stared.

Thomas Property Group's Andy Smith heralded the DAA's effort to turn Congress Avenue ("a good street") into a "great street, an exceptional street," and Mayor Lee Leffingwell dropped by to say a few celebratory words and thank the crowd for briefly luring him out of a nearly endless City Council meeting. ("What Item have you gotten to," he was asked, of the 142-Item agenda. "I think 104," he answered -- only a few more hours to go!)

It's not too late to put on your dancing shoes; festivities continue today and tomorrow. Still to come Friday evening:

5:00 – 6:30 p.m. Music by the White Ghost Shivers

6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Comedy Hour with the Moontower Comedy and Oddity Festival

Saturday, April 28th

9:00 a.m. Yoga on the Plaza with Wanderlust LIVE (bring your own mat)

10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Giant Chess begins with the kids; Playground in a Box for the kids

11:00 a.m. Yoga on the Plaza with Wanderlust LIVE (bring your own mat)

11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Chess Meet-Up – (bring your chessboard)

Noon – 2:00 p.m. Music by The Invincible Czars