The Austonian Blog - Downtown Luxury Condo in Austin, Texas

Downtown Austin Event: Austin Ice Cream Festival at Waterloo Park August 13

This Saturday, the Austin Ice Cream Festival invites patrons to beat the heat with something sweet in downtown Austin’s Waterloo Park. The family-friendly event will include games, activities, contests, live entertainment, and of course, lots of ice cream. The festival is to remind the community of a time when ice cream trucks used to roam the streets of Austin in the summer, and proceeds benefit numerous charities including Austin Children’s Shelter, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Habibi’s Hutch. Guests are invited to participate in homemade ice cream making, popsicle stick sculpture building, and ice cream eating contests.

To satisfy the sweet tooth the rest of the summer, BerryAustin2Go, at the base of The Austonian offers ten rotating flavors of soft serve frozen yogurt and a variety of floats, parfaits, smoothies and frozen drinks daily.

(Photo via http://www.icecreamfestival.org)

Summer Activities for Kids in Downtown Austin

This summer, several organizations in downtown Austin have put together programming for kids who are out of school for the summer season. The programs, which encompass music, drama and dance, run from now through August. More information is available from these organizations:

• Austin Scottish Rite Theatre 
• Austin Children’s Museum
• Symphony Square
• Paramount & State Theatres
• Ballet Austin

The Zilker Park Kite Festival, one of Austin’s best-known annual events, is taking place this Sunday, March 6, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Festival is a family and pet-friendly event. Admission is free, and people are invited to participate in the Kite Contest, which has categories ranging from “strongest pulling kite” to “most unusual kite.” Registration is at Zilker Park between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the day of the event.

In addition to the Kite Contest, approximately 30 food vendors are expected at the event. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early, bring a chair, and enjoy the festival.

For kite flying rules and more information about the festival, please visit: http://www.zilkerkitefestival.com/.

Encompassing 351 acres, Zilker Park is connected to downtown Austin and The Austonian by hike-and-bike trails surrounding Lady Bird Lake. Zilker Park is home to the spring-fed Barton Springs Pool, the Zilker Hillside Theater, the Zilker Botanical Gardens and a number of areas for playing sports and enjoying the outdoors.

Learn more about the park by watching the KLRU “Downtown” video posted here.

(Photo credit austinparks.wordpress.com)

Halloween Festival Spooktacular: Friday, October 29th

The third annual Spooktacular Halloween event is Friday October 29,th at the Bob Bullock Museum in downtown Austin. Visitors are invited to embark on a spooky tour of the Bob Bullock Museum, listen to eerie stories about Texas history, compete in a costume contest, and win prizes for their knowledge of Halloween trivia! This free, family-friendly event runs from 6-9 p.m. For a full list of the activities planned, visit: http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/education/ets_programs.html#spook
From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., author Jeanine Plumer will be signing her book, Haunted Austin: History and Hauntings in the Capital City. Immediately following, the Blue Lapis Light, an Austin-based aerial site-specific dance company, will perform their new show, “Limitless,” on the Lone Star Plaza.

Downtown Austin Events: Giant Chess in Wooldridge Park

For the past six years, Austinites of all ages have gathered in downtown Austin’s Wooldridge Park to play giant chess. Every Saturday from 12-3pm, this Austin event is open to anyone willing to challenge an opponent.

To expand the opportunity to play, the Austin Parks Foundation, with support from the Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association and the Downtown Austin Alliance, are making the giant chess set available on the last Friday of every month for a moonlight session.

Tomorrow, from 7-10p.m., the chess set will be out and ready for anyone looking to try their hand at chess in the park.

Wooldridge Park is located near the Austin History Center, on Guadalupe between 9th and 10th streets.

Learn more about Giant Chess in downtown Austin here.

(Photo via the Downtown Austin Alliance)

The Zilker Kite Festival: Sunday March, 7th

This Sunday (March 7), the 82nd Annual Zilker Park Kite Festival will fill the sky with color from 10a.m. – 5p.m. at Zilker Park, located minutes away from The Austonian along Lady Bird Lake This free event will include kite flying demonstrations, kids’ activities, rock walls, food booths, homemade kite contests and more. For more information, visit www.zilkerkitefestival.com.