Home Events
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Sponsored Listing
Affordable Art Fair Austin
After a hugely successful first edition, Affordable Art Fair Austin returns May 15-18, 2025 at the Palmer Events Center, showcasing thousands of original contemporary artworks ranging between $100 to $10,000. Welcoming 55 local, national and international exhibitors, the second edition will be unmissable.May 15-18, 2025Palmer Events Center -
Sponsored Listing
The Juilliard String Quartet with pianist Anna Petrova
With unparalleled artistry and enduring vigor, the Juilliard String Quartet (JSQ) continues to inspire audiences around the world. Founded in 1946 and hailed by The Boston Globe as “the most important American quartet in history,” the ensemble draws on a deep and vital engagement to the classics, while embracing the mission of championing new works, a vibrant combination of the familiar and the daring.Sat. May 17, 7:30pmRiverbend Centre
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Arts
Visual Arts
Sev Coursen: “Portable Objects”
For the 45th in their ongoing Window Dressing series, ICOSA pretties up their outward facing exhibition space with the work of Austin-based artist Sev Coursen. Viewable from this coming Monday until next Sunday are Coursen’s many foldable objects, created by him to be “self-contained sculptures” which may collapse, travel, and expand at the whims of their presenting environment. These expansion and collapsing points come from multiple features, including hand-milled wooden articulated hinges. Swing by to see these wonders through ICOSA’s front window, or pop in on May 16 to meet the artist at his reception, 7-9pm. – James ScottMay 12-18 -
Arts
Visual Arts
Affordable Art Fair
Couldn’t fuel your private jet for Art Basel this year? Can’t afford even a painting of a private jet? That’s where you may be wrong, as the Affordable Art Fair may be the way to get an original work on your walls. The traveling international celebration of visual media always highlights local artists at each stop, so you have your chance to purchase paintings, prints, and more curated by Austin galleries and institutions like Art From the Streets and Canopy Collective alongside London’s Quantum Contemporary Art, Lumas from Berlin, and Paris’ Galerie Duret. – Richard WhittakerMay 15-18 -
Arts
Visual Arts
Aisha Imdad: “The Allegorical Gardens”
Gardens loom large in legend. Think the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Shalimar Gardens, the Garden of Eden: each bursting with symbolic beauty, dripping with promises of life and growth. Artist Aisha Imdad explores the lush intricacies of this verdant imagery. Her watercolor works delve into literary and mythological gardens, inspired by Indian, Mughal, and Persian frescos. Each invites closer introspection, a desire to immerse in the vibrant world of her works. Each intricate blossom speck, or gilded turn of a bird wing, vibrates with idealized life. Imdad’s art portrays the possibilities of paradise. – Cat McCarreyThrough July 3 -
Arts
Theatre
Anklets in the Boardroom
Ever wished you could just redo that awkward situation? Take that snappy comeback you dreamed up in the shower hours later and test it out in real life? It’s possible with forum theatre. Forum theatre isn’t just a fancy term for non-bedroom role-playing. It’s more like applied academia, performances intentionally inviting the audience to participate in examining issues and testing out solutions. That’s exactly how Leela Theatre presents Anklets in the Boardroom, a series of scenarios based on real-life workplace bias experienced by Asian women. It’s an intensely individualized experience, expanding scope depending on you – yes you, the audience – to set the course of exploration. How could things be better? What should have happened? How can we fix the future? – Cat McCarreyMay 16-18 -
Qmmunity
Arts & Culture
Austin Gay Men’s Chorus Presents Shake the Rafters
An early choral congratulations for having the taste to pick the gayest tunesters in Austin for your hearing pleasure. Bringing what they’ve called “a full-spectrum extravaganza of emotion, community, and vocal cords working overtime in the best way possible” – emojis removed to protect our Chron designers’ font sensibilities – the Austin Gay Men’s Chorus features modern songs from the likes of Harry Styles, Sam Smith, and the Beatles. (Look, at least two of them are alive so that counts as modern.) Snag your tix for Saturday or Sunday and get ready to watch those rafters, you know. Shake. – James ScottMay 17-18 -
Arts
Theatre
Austin Shakespeare presents Julius Caesar
Friends, Texans, Austinites, lend your ears and eyes to Shakespeare’s classic coup, as tortured and brutal as tactical Brutus can offer. Or shall I say bodacious Brutus, since Austin Shakespeare’s production of Julius Caesar offers a tantalizing twist – Caesar’s inner circle is mostly women, adding what might be seen as righteous rage to raw revolution. This Caesar’s served with a cunning corporate aesthetic. No need to clutch your pearls though. There’s still the mired malaise of what best serves the collective good. Grab your friends and family, and “get-tu” Zilker for this free show. – Cat McCarreyThrough May 25 -
Arts
Visual Arts
“Meeting at the Edges: Testing Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Boundaries”
Why are the edges always the most difficult? Almost all textile arts suffer in relation to cleaning up those untidy ends. This month, Link & Pin Art Space invites viewers to embrace the unruly threads of life. To shamelessly pull from artist Sam Elkins’ Instagram post (@samelkinstextiles), join Saturday’s artist reception for some “edgy” conversation with the creators involved. Elkins’ weaving work will rest alongside the fibrous textures of Gary Anderson’s art and Diane Sandlin’s mixed media marvels. Ponder, and maybe even come to terms with, life’s bumps and whorls through these artists’ explored space. – Cat McCarreyThrough June 8 -
Community
Events
“Roots Unveiled: Exploring the Chinese Experience”
Among the many anti-civil rights bills creeping their way through the Texas Legislature is Senate Bill 17, which would bar Chinese and many other Asian citizens from buying land here. Denounced by detractors as racist and reminiscent of 19th-century laws targeting Asian immigrants, its 2023 origins, along with growing anti-Asian sentiment after the pandemic, inspired Houston artist Jane Xu to found the multi-city Asian American Art & Culture Initiative and initiate this multidisciplinary exhibit. Curated by renowned international independent curator Sylvia XuHua Zhan, it brings in-depth research and archives along with work from a wide range of artists to offer a look at the rich history of Chinese Americans in Texas. Opening reception is Sunday, May 18, noon. – Kat McNevinsThrough August 31; opening reception, May 18 -
Arts
Visual Arts
“The Everyman”
I’ve been having a lot of “girl who’s going to be okay” moments as I reconnect with my earnest, optimistic side, so I’m excited for “The Everyman,” a group show curated by visual artist and musician Lisa Alley that celebrates the beauty in the small things – from commonplace occurrences to the working-class heroes that give this exhibit its name. Alley – who plays in local acts the Well, Mugger, and TV’s Daniel – shows her paintings alongside a slew of familiar names, including Parquet Courts’ A. Savage, Never’s Emily No Good, and photographer Pooneh Ghana. Everyone has the ability to create something exceptional, this Bolm Arts project assures us. – Carys AndersonThrough June 7 -
Film
Special Screenings
Cine Las Americas
Newly in the news as one of many Austin arts organizations impacted by the National Endowment of the Arts’ slash-and-burn of arts funding, Cine Las Americas deserves our support now more than ever. But hey – we’re getting plenty in return: namely, a top-flight film festival celebrating Latine/x, Indigenous, and Latin American voices. But wait, there’s more!This year, Cine is launching its first ever concurrent conference, with fireside chats, workshops, and more taking place May 16-17. See some terrific movies, learn from industry vets like Elizabeth Avellán and David Blue Garcia, and feel good about supporting a community thrown under the bus by the Trump administration. Them’s wins all around. It all kicks off Wednesday with opening night film Take It Away, Adrian Alejandro Arredondo and Myrna Perez’s documentary about Johnny Canales, the Tejano singer and taste-making host of The Johnny Canales Show.Wednesday, May 14-Sunday, May 18AFS Cinema, Austin PBS, and City of Austin PDC Center -
Film
Special Screenings
Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
Newly in the news as one of many Austin arts organizations impacted by the National Endowment for the Arts’ slash-and-burn of arts funding, Cine Las Americas deserves our support now more than ever. But hey – we’re getting plenty in return: namely, a top-flight film festival celebrating Latine/x, Indigenous, and Latin American voices. But wait, there’s more! This year, Cine is launching its first-ever concurrent conference, with fireside chats, workshops, and more taking place May 16-17. See some terrific movies, learn from industry vets like Elizabeth Avellán and David Blue Garcia, and feel good about supporting a community thrown under the bus by the Trump administration. Them’s wins all around. – Kimberley JonesMay 15 - 18 -
Film
Special Screenings
Cooley High (1975)
Selected in 2021 to be in the National Film Registry, this 1975 classic inspired the likes of Spike Lee and was a major box-office hit upon its release. Contrary to the ubiquitous Blaxploitation of its era, it’s a coming-of-age story following two ambitious best friends in 1964 Chicago: aspiring poet Preach Jackson and basketball star Cochise Morris, who run into trouble during a day of cutting class. What starts as a series of parties, joyrides, and flirting is sadly twisted by the dangers of being Black in America. A heart-wrenching drama through and through, it’s nonetheless joyous and funny, soundtracked by well-loved Motown hits. John Singleton’s 1991 classic Boyz n the Hood is a direct homage to Cooley High, as is Boyz II Men’s 1991 debut album Cooleyhighharmony. – Lina FisherMay 16 - 20 -
Arts
Dance
DiverseSpace Youth Dance and Violet Crown Players Present Confluence
With Confluence, Violet Crown Players and DSYDT have crafted a piece exploring “human connection.” Led by local choreographer Toni Bravo, with guest choreography by Berlin’s Ortrun Stanzel and Amsterdam’s Michael Jahoda, Confluence shows the power of dance throughout every experience. DiverseSpace Dance seeks to provide dance opportunities for all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Their multigenerational cast will show the power of that access, set to live music by Victoria Schwarz. Watch the threads of connection, woven through physical and social movements. – Cat McCarreyMay 15-18 -
Arts
Theatre
I Wanna Be a F*cking Princess
This show scores one point for an extremely cathartic title, one that seems ridiculously fun to scream across the room. It scores five more for tackling the emotional pressure cooker of bridal parties and – brace yourselves – bachelorettes. Let’s add 10 points for putting that within a fractured fairy-tale format. I’m picturing something as fiercely fanged as the recent gal pals in White Lotus, but maybe with literal wolves? And finally, heap on about a hundred points for integrating this into the peri/menopausal exploration of HOT: the Exhibit, adding a whimsical performance aspect to an already-informative examination of an overlooked ordeal. Let’s talk about the changes women go through! Whether literally transformative, or just emotionally so! – Cat McCarreyThrough May 24 -
Arts
Visual Arts
Margie Criner: “Sound & Vision”
Hailing from Chicago, artist Margie Criner works in sculpture and miniatures. How so? Her unique sculptural works – themselves impressive patchworks of materials from wool to actual hornets’ nests – feature peepholes through which viewers may glance tiny tableaux. These miniature worlds all center music, such as her pinky-finger-sized record store, Needle on the Records, with vintage posters plastered across its small interior walls. “The music theme isn’t always literal,” explains Criner, “but background sounds within the space, specific to what I’m processing. Kind of like how there’s music playing at the grocery store, that music is everywhere.” – James ScottThrough June 14 -
Film
Special Screenings
Shinjuku Boys (1995)
WLV’s monthly queer movie meetup SunGays celebrates AANHPI Heritage Month with this Japanese doc about three trans-masculine hosts at Tokyo’s New Marilyn Club. Released in the mid-Nineties to posi reception – including an Outstanding Documentary win from the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Film Festival – the film focuses on the self-referenced “onabe” and their experience with romantic and familial relationships and gender presentation. A good watch for the Ouran High School Host Club fan who wants to understand real queered host club dynamics – or anyone who enjoys hot trans guys. Guilty! – James ScottSun., May 18
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Music
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Music
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Music
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Music
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Music
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Music
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Arts
Visual Arts
“HOT: The Exhibit”
Over a million American women go through the change every year. Why do we still talk about it in such hushed tones? Andee Kinzy and Melissa Knight hope to eliminate the stigma around menopause with “HOT,” a multimedia exhibit that hosts an art show, a play, and several workshops and panels throughout the month of May. The gallery opens May 4, and Jennifer Connell Davis’ I Wanna Be a F*cking Princess premieres four days later. In between and beyond, catch medical experts dispel menopause misinformation and try your hand at consciousness raising at community storytelling events. Find the whole schedule at improvedarts.org/hot-the-exhibit. – Carys AndersonFridays-Sundays. Through May 25 -
Arts
Visual Arts
“Personal Records”
One part of a greater track-and-field trio of shows, GLHF presents art from Brian Dulaney, Drake Konow, Gerardo Cisneros, Justin Leal, Tim McCool, Kevin Muñoz, Marissa Dunagan, Phillip Niemeyer, and Preetal Shah. All these pieces speak to their experiences while analog traveling – you know, using their legs rather than a car or skateboard. This show organizes under the banner of Artist Run Club, coordinated by Northern-Southern and focused on the quick-paced art intelligentsia of Texas.: – James ScottMay 3 - June 1 -
Food
Food Events
Barks for Beers 2025
Arf, arf: This is my impression of your dog when you tell them about this furry fundraising effort from Divine Canines. Tell their placid doggy faces about how 30 CTX craft breweries are participating, like Celis Brewery and Independence Brewing. Pet their ears and inform your pooch how buying a $30 Pawsport as well as a 2025 pint glass entitles you to a pour at each brewery. At this point, the canine mind might think: Okay, but what do I get out of all this? “Don’t worry,” you say. “Every brewery has promised to be dog-friendly, so we can go together.” Your dog’s response, probably: Woof! – James ScottMay 1 - 31Multiple locations -
Community
Events
Barton Creek Farmers Market
A great selection of local farmers bringing fabulous pastured meats, eggs, dairy, vegetables, and fruits, plus prepared-food vendors, artisans, bakers, and of course, live music.Sundays, 9am-1pm. Free.4805 Hwy. 290 W., Sunset Valley (Kohl's parking lot) -
Qmmunity
Nightlife & Parties
Bear Beer Bust
Iron Bear's beer bust brings all the boys to the bar. Specials on select pints and pitchers.Sundays, 2-9pm -
Community
Events
Blue Genie Art Bazaar's May Market
The Blue Genie Art Bazaar is an essential stop on your Christmas shopping list, but – lucky you – you don’t have to wait till Xmas to make your way back to the BG’s jam-packed aisles. Every weekend for the whole month of May, from 10am-8pm, you can peruse more than 100 regional artists and artisans. Entry is free, the vibe is family-friendly, and the thrill at finding the perfect Mother’s Day gift or primo piece of art to make your house a home – well, that’s priceless. More of a web browser? There are plenty of handmade goodies to tempt you at the Blue Genie online storefront: bluegenieartbazaar.shop.Friday, May 2 - Sunday, May 4; Friday, May 9 - Sunday, May 11; Friday, May 15 - Sunday, May 18; Friday, May 23 - Monday, May 26; Friday, May 30 - Sunday, June 1. free. -
Music
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Music