AUSTIN, Texas — As the days get longer and the temperatures heat up, many Central Texans like to head outside to catch some live music while soaking up the sun or sitting under the stars.
Here's a guide to some of the outdoor concert series you can attend this spring and summer.
KUTX's "Rock the Park" series of free, family-friendly concerts at the Mueller Lake Park amphitheater (4550 Mueller Blvd.) is already underway, but there are two shows left this year:
- Friday, May 17: promqueen, plus DJ Jester the Filipino Fist
- Friday, June 7: Pelvis Wrestley, plus Charlie Faye & The Fanimals
The Austin Symphony Orchestra's all ages, free concerts take place on the 3D-printed stage on the Hartman Concert Lawn at the Long Center for the Performing Arts (701 W. Riverside Drive) every Sunday through mid-June.
Here's a look at this year's schedule:
- May 5 – Wind Quintet
- May 12 – String Quartet
- May 19 – Brass Quintet
- May 26 – Brass Quintet
- June 2 – Wind Quintet
- June 9 – String Quartet
- June 16 – Brass Quintet
Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden is bringing the Summer Concert Series back to its South location (121 Pickle Road) every other Wednesday this summer. Below are the shows Cosmic has announced so far, with more expected to be announced later:
- May 1 – Hail Marley!
- May 15 – Kathryn Legendre
- May 29 – Suzanna Choffel
- June 12 – Kalu & the Acoustic Joint
- June 26 – Atash
- July 18 – Johnny Goudie & Friends
The Long Center and ACL Radio have announced their free outdoor concert series will return starting on May 23. Live performances will be held every Thursday through Aug. 15 (except July 4) on the 3D-printed stage. The Long Center said every Friday, it will the next week's artist on social media.
Below is the lineup of musicians set to play this year:
- Alesia Lani
- Barb
- Bidi Bidi Banda
- Cactus Lee
- Caroline Hale
- Dale Watson & His Lonestars
- Daniel Fears
- Elijah Delgado
- Grupo Fantasma
- Half Dream
- Little Mazarn
- Maya Sampleton
- Motenko
- Pedal Steel Noah
- Primo the Alien
- Restos
- Riders Against the Storm
- Sentimental Family Band
- SL Houser
- Tameca Jones
- Thor & Friends
- Zach Person
Austin isn't the only Central Texas city with an outdoor concert series. Georgetown's Parks and Recreation Department is hosting "Live on the Lawn," a monthly event on the lawn at Garey House (6450 RM 2243).
Below is this summer's schedule:
- Wednesday, May 29 – Second Hand Rose Band
- Wednesday, June 26 –Home at Last
- Wednesday, July 31 – Not Past 11
It's been a tumultuous year so far for Blues on the Green, the free family-friendly concert series at Zilker Park (2100 Barton Springs Road).
On Jan. 17, ACL Radio announced the popular event would not return. Then in early February, a group of Austin City Council members sponsored a resolution to try to figure out how to keep it going, keep it free and use local vendors. Finally, in mid-February, the event's organizers announced it will return this summer.
This year's event will be held on Tuesday, June 11, and Wednesday, June 12. Golden Dawn Arkestra, Nané featuring Quentin Arispe, and Grace Sorensen will play on Tuesday. Riders Against the Storm, Carmelo Haze and The Point will play on Wednesday.
This year's event hasn't been announced yet, but the Zilker Botanical Garden (2220 Barton Springs Road) typically hosts "Music in the Garden" on select days throughout the summer.
In addition to these concert series, there are also several festivals scheduled for the summer that incorporate live music:
- Spring Pecan Street Festival – May 4-5 on Sixth Street in Downtown Austin
- Hot Luck Festival – May 23-26 at various locations throughout Austin
- Pride in Local Music Festival – typically held in June on Fourth Street (details for this year's event have not been released)
- 19th Fest – June 16 at Huston-Tillotson University
- Hot Summer Nights – held in the Red River Cultural District, typically held in July or August (details for this year's event have not been released)
- Austin Pride Parade and Festival – Aug. 10 in Downtown Austin
- Bat Fest – Sept. 7 on the Ann W. Richard Congress Avenue Bridge
More of a movie person? Austin also has a number of film series screening classics throughout the summer:
Something of the granddaddy of local film series, the Paramount Theatre's "Summer Classic Film Series" turns 50 this year. The series' full lineup can be viewed online, but here's a look at the opening weekend screening and other special events:
- Friday, May 24 – double feature of "Casablanca" and "Top Hat"
- Saturday, May 25 – Robert Rodriguez Star Ceremony, followed by "Sin City" screening with Q&A from Rodriguez and Alexis Bledel
- Sunday, May 26 – "Star Wars: A New Hope" and Hyperreal Film Club Presents: "Phantom of the Paradise"
- Saturday, June 8 – double feature of "Pink Flamingos" and "Female Trouble," with Q&As with John Waters
The Paramount Theatre is located at 713 Congress Ave.
From June through mid-August, Violet Crown Cinema (434 W. Second St.) will screen $1 family-friendly films at 10 a.m. each day, with a new film every week. Here's this year's rundown:
- June 7-13 – "Minions"
- June 14-20 – "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"
- June 21-27 – "The Secret Life of Pets 2"
- June 28-July 4 – "The Lego Movie"
- July 5-11 – "Sonic 2"
- July 12-18 – "Sing"
- July 19-25 – "Paddington 2"
- July 26-Aug. 1 – "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem"
- Aug. 2-8 – "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"
- Aug. 9-15 – "Space Jam"
The Austin Parks Foundation's free Movies in the Park series currently only has one screening on the books for this summer:
- Thursday, June 13: "Jaws" at Deep Eddy Pool (401 Deep Eddy Ave.)
There are currently two screenings scheduled for Mozart's annual "Movies on the Lake" series this May:
- Thursday, May 9 – "Mamma Mia"
- Thursday, May 23 – "Top Gun"
Mozart's is located at 3825 Lake Austin Blvd.
