15 Things We Love in Oct. & Nov.

From art shows to plays, cooking classes to Halloween festivities, there is plenty to do in Austin in the coming months!

Words by Alison Bryce

Austin Restaurant Weeks
Now-October 10, times vary
Austin Restaurant Weeks is back! Support local restaurants and Central Texas Food Bank by dining with participating restaurants now through Sunday, October 10. With over 50 participating establishments across the city, patrons will have plenty of dining choices as they put their dollars toward ending hunger in Austin. Participating Eastside locations include Buenos Aires Cafe, Intero, Julie Myrtille Bakery, and more! Visit their website for a complete list of participating restaurants.
austinrestaurantweeks.org  |  locations vary

Terra Firmament
Now-Oct. 23, Fri.-Sat., 12-6 pm
See an array of emotionally charged paintings by artists Matt Rebholz and Jana Swec at ICOSA Collective. Both artists channel their personal histories into landscapes steeped in narrative and individual mythology. Detached from human chronologies, a sense of geologic or sidereal time pervades these environments as they ruminate on intersections of earth, water, and the firmament.
icosacollective.com  |  916 Springdale Rd. Bldg. 2, #102

Wonder of the World
October 8-24, times vary
Help the City Theatre and Beyond August Products kick off the season with David Lindsay-Abaire’s Austin premiere comedy of Wonder of the World. The show shares one woman’s journey which plunges her deep into the unknown. Lindsay-Abaire is a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, and librettist. General seating is $15, while reserved seats are $20-25. Group and student discounts are available. 
citytheatreaustin.org  | 901 Trinity St. 

Wheatsville Food Co-Op Tasting Fair
October 9, 12-4 pm
In celebration of Fair Trade month, Wheatsville Food Co-Op is partnering up with Fairtrade America and local artist J Muzacz to present a mural featuring a trio of Fairtrade-certified cocoa farmers and themed around a key area of impact for Fairtrade: fighting poverty. The mural will officially be unveiled at Wheatsville Co-op on Saturday, October 9. During the Tasting Fair, shoppers will be able to sample a variety of Fairtrade certified goods, participate in giveaways, and connect with the artist. This event is free and open to the public.
wheatsville.com | 3101 Guadalupe St.

The Cathedral’s 2^nd Anniversary
October 16, 7-11pm
Celebrate The Cathedral’s 2^nd anniversary Día de los Muertos style. Enjoy the sights of a special, colorful art exhibit inspired by Día de los Muertos created by women artists of atxGALS (including a special installation by The Paper Committee). Attendees can listen to live music, enjoy a curated open bar with festive cocktails, snack on small bites, and more as they celebrate local art! Tickets are $65 per person.
thecathedralatx.com | 2403 E 16th St.

Workout at Waterloo 
October 18, 6:30 pm
Enjoy a yoga and sound class on the Love, Tito’s Lawn at Moody Amphitheater during a free series of community fitness classes from Waterloo Greenway and Castle Hill Fitness. Each week through November 3, the community is invited to participate in a variety of classes. Yoga and Sound will be held Mondays at 6:30 pm while Workout Wednesdays is at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday Moves at 10 am. People of all ages and fitness levels are encouraged to participate. 
waterloogreenway.org/events | 1401 Trinity St.

Propping up Heaven Happy Hour
October 22, 5:30-7:30 pm
Celebrate Larry Goode’s gallery at Link & Pin Gallery during a happy hour visitation. In the exhibit, Goode uses paintings and photographs to create a meditative space through which the viewer is invited to contemplate awakening—or its metaphor, Heaven. The paintings are paired with a zen dialogue, giving each work a unique meaning that varies from person to person. Goode’s work will remain open to the public until November 7.
linkpinart.com | 2235 E 6th St. #102

Texas Book Festival
October 23-31, times vary
Gather with book enthusiasts in person and virtually during the Texas Book Festival. All in-person sessions are free, but capacity will be limited at each venue. Attendees must RSVP before each session to reserve a spot for in-person activities. The virtual sessions, however, have no limits and feature authors for all ages and genres. 
texasbookfestival.org  |  locations vary

Inspirational Women’s Event
October 28, 6:30-9:30 pm
Support local women-owned and -operated businesses and join EASTside Magazine for an evening of fun and connection at Springdale Station! Guests will enjoy live music, complimentary craft cocktails from Still Austin, Dulche Vida, and others, and snack on tasty bites from local restaurants such as Intero, De Nada, and more. It’s the perfect opportunity to grab your crew for midweek fun and stress-free networking, with the chance to connect with local entrepreneurs and change makers. The indoor/outdoor space is expansive, but tickets are limited, so reserve your spot: $18 for 21+.
eastsideatx.com/womensevent2021 | 979 Springdale Rd., Ste. 160 

Pumpkin Nights
Now-October 31, 6-11 pm
Explore pumpkins like you never have before during Pumpkin Nights at Pioneer Farms. With a 40-foot dragon, ghostly pirate ship, undersea wonderland, and fantastical lands built using over 5,000 hand-carved real and synthetic pumpkins, this night will be anything but frightful. Tickets, available every night but Thursdays, are $14 for kids and $18 for 13+.
pumpkinnights.com/austin | 10621 Pioneer Farms Dr.

Everything is Everything Exhibit
October 30, 7-9 pm
Rachel Wolfson Smith will be present at Ivester Contemporary for the unveiling of her newest series of immersive pencil drawings:  “Everything is Everything.” Her detailed works on paper feature delicate representations of flowing grasses and pops of subtle color. This opening event marks the beginning of her solo exhibition, which will be on view through December 4. This event is free to attend. 
ivestercontemporary.com | 916 Springdale Rd. Bldg. 2 #107

Austin Food + Wine Festival
November 5-7, times vary
Get your drink on at the 10th annual Austin Food + Wine Festival. Spread out over three days, the festival will feature chefs, restaurants, and wine and spirits experts. Tickets for the festival include a weekender pass starting at $260 which gives access to the event Saturday and Sunday while the all-in ticket provides entry starting at $625 for the whole festival. The all-in ticket also provides interactive cooking demos, book signings, and hands-on beer, wine, and cocktail testing sessions, with many local Eastside brands present.
austinfoodandwinefestival.com  |  900 W Riverside Dr. 

Austin Celtic Festival
November 6 & 7, Saturday 12-7 pm & Sunday 12-6 pm
Join the fun of Celtic traditions at the Austin Celtic Festival. This two-day family-friendly event will have everything from the highest quality regional and international Celtic artists to workshops to discover new abilities. This year’s festivities will be extra special as the 2021 Scottish Highland Games Masters World Championships will take place both days.
austincelticfestival.com  |  10621 Pioneer Farms Dr.

Taste America
November 9, 6:30 pm
Join Chefs Fermín Núñez of Suerte and LeAnn Mueller of la Barbecue as they prepare a multi-course dinner and beverage pairings in an intimate gathering during Taste America. Taste America brings together chefs and diners to support local restaurants rebuilding a more sustainable and equitable industry. 65% of all tickets sold will go directly to Suerte, with 35% of proceeds supporting the James Beard Foundation’s national programming, including Open for Good campaign. Tickets are $300 a pair.
jamesbeard.org/events  |  1800 E 6th St. 

East Austin Studio Tour
November 20 & 21, times vary
Take yourself on a free, self-guided art tour throughout East Austin’s thriving art scene during the final weekend of the studio tour. While both weekends before include artists set up both on the East and West side of Austin, the final weekend is dedicated solely East. To help with social distancing, some artists will be featured virtually for participants to enjoy. 
bigmedium.org/ast  |  locations vary