Enriched Family’s July 2021 Austin Activities List
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July Fun in Austin
Hi friends! I hope you have been enjoying the gradual reopening and normalization of life (to whatever degree possible). It has been so lovely to get together with friends again. As my girls are not old enough to be vaccinated, we are still keeping our circle fairly small when in public and focusing on masked indoor activities or smaller outdoor activities. Whatever approach your family is taking this summer, Enriched Family’s July Activities List will be helpful in planning some fun adventures and enrichment for the whole family. Check out the July 4th section below!
This month, free activities include the Austin Symphony Hartman Foundation Concerts in the Park; a virtual, multilingual story time for the whole family celebrating Asian American families and stories; and The Thinkery Community Night! For a fee, you can check out the Woodland Faerie Trail at Zilker Botanical Gardens. This is a real treat, especially for younger children. There are also some wonderful fee-based film series; you could enjoy some family time at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden; visit the Toybrary Austin; plan a hill country road trip to visit the Science Mill in Johnson City, TX; or enjoy a family singalong at Zach Theatre’s Songs Under the Stars. I hope you have fun planning and exploring with Enriched Family’s July Activities List! Please consider sharing it with your friends.
(Please note, the following is provided for informational purposes only; the information is accurate and true to the best of my knowledge, but there may be omissions, errors or mistakes, and no guarantees are made. This list is by no means exhaustive; I have curated a sampling of events that caught my eye that I wanted to highlight. Additional good sources for Austin family activity lists are included at the end of the post.)
4th of July Events
Check out Do512 Family’s great list of firework events in Austin and surrounding areas, as well as a general list of events over the long weekend on Do512.
Visit Austin has a good list of Austin firework displays, restaurants to visit, and outdoor activities.
Free Educational/Cultural/Enrichment Activities
Austin Symphony Hartman Foundation Concerts in the Park
Details: All ages, including pets, enjoy relaxing Sunday evenings with different musical ensembles presented by the Austin Symphony Orchestra. In its nineteenth summer season, these free ensemble concerts take place at the Hartman Concert Park in front of the Long Center City Terrace and run on Sunday evenings. Thanks to a generous gift from the Hartman Family Foundation, these informal concerts for the Austin community continue to be funded each season allowing Austinites to become acquainted or reacquainted with the classical music experience. Performing music from jazz and light classical to pops selections and film scores, concertgoers are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner and blanket, and make it a group outing. For those using the Long Center bathrooms, masks are required when entering the Long Center building. It is recommended that you bring a lawnchair, blanket, insect repellent, and beverages to stay hydrated.
When: Sundays in July | 7:30pm
July 11th: Woodwind Quintet
July 18th: String Quartet
July 25th: Brass Ensemble
Where: Hartman Concert Park at the Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W Riverside Drive, 78704
Summer Storytime: Celebrating APA Families & Stories (Virtual)
Details: Gather the family together every other Tuesday in July and sit in on a virtual, multilingual story time for kids! Hosted by the Asian American Resource Center, this free and virtual story time series will highlight Asian American kid stories by Asian American writers. Hear stories of kids navigating summer holidays, learning how to make dumplings, roti, and daal, and connecting with their grandparents. Stories will be interactive. Parents, guardians, and grandparents are encouraged to sit and participate during the story time alongside their kids and grandkids. See below for the list of dates, with corresponding languages. Each session is roughly 45 minutes to a hour long. When registering, select the story time your family is interested in. If you would like to join other storytime sessions, you will have to register for those individually. Only one ticket per household per story time is needed.
Tuesday July 13, 10am – The Ugly Vegetables, Eyes that Kiss In The Corners – Bilingual in English and Chinese Mandarin - in collaboration with APL
Tuesday July 27, 10am – Bihal Cooks Daal – English with South Asian Vocabulary
Details: MAKE and DO together at Community Night! Every Sunday from 3-5 pm, Thinkery opens its doors to provide FREE admission for children and families from all over Central Texas! Thinkery requires ALL staff and guests over 24 months to wear a mask while in the museum.
When: Every Sunday | 3–5pm
Where: 1830 Simond Ave., 78723
Cost: Admission is FREE, but donations are welcome! A limited number of tickets are available for pre-registration online; walk-up admission is on a first-come, first-served basis.
*If you and your family enjoy exploring Austin's many fantastic museums, check out Do512 Family's list of free times to visit Austin museums.
General Events
Details: Welcome to Alamo for All - a movie program for young families and guests with special needs. All shows starting before 2pm on Tuesdays follow Alamo for All rules, with more shows on the weekends at Lakeline, Mueller, and Slaughter Lane. Schedule may vary during holidays. At sensory-friendly Alamo for All shows:
Lights are turned up and sound is turned down.
All ages are welcome (including infants).
Talking and noise is allowed and guests can move around.
Latecomers are admitted.
Adaptive technology is welcome (but no other electronics, please).
When: All shows starting before 2pm on Tuesdays at various theaters, with more shows on the weekends at Lakeline, Mueller, and Slaughter Lane.
Where: Lakeline, Mueller, and Slaughter Lane Alamo Theaters; check out some family-friendly films showing now.
Admission: Varies.
Paramount Summer Classic Film Series
Details: Flashing marquee lights. Buttery popcorn. Colossal screen. It’s that movie palace atmosphere, an air-conditioned oasis. THIS is how movies were meant to be seen. The 46th Annual Paramount Summer Classic Film Series presented by CapMetro is back. July showings include:
Romeo + Juliet (Wednesday, July 7 | 7:30pm)
Jaws (Friday & Saturday, July 9-10 | 1pm)
Babe (Sunday, July 25 | 1pm)
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (Saturday, July 31| 1pm)
Back to the Future (Saturday, July 31| 4:15pm)
When: Through September.
Where: The Paramount Theater, 713 Congresss Avenue, 78701 (parking information here)
Admission: Tickets are $11.
Wide Variety of July Events at the Toybrary Austin
Details: Sing Alongs with Miss Ariel (July 7, 9 | 10:30am-12pm); Happy Hour Fridays (July 9, 16, 23, 30 |1-6pm); Parents’ Night Out! (July 10, 17, 24, 31 | 5-8pm); and more! Toybrary Austin is a toy lending library and kids' birthday party venue that also offers drop-in childcare.
When: Various. General hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-6pm.
Where: Toybrary Austin, 2001 Justin Lane, 78757
Cost: Varies. See website for details.
Zach Theatre Songs Under the Stars: Summer Series
Details: Socially distanced, live outdoor concerts at ZACH! Shows:
July 8-25 | 7:30pm, Come Together: Beatles Redux: “Here comes the sun and I say, it’s all right!” The timeless music of the legendary Beatles is re-envisioned in this ZACH redux from the greatest soul and rhythm and blues artists of the 60’s and 70’s, like Aretha Franklin, Joe Cocker, Earth Wind & Fire, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder and many more. $25-55 person ($35-330 per Pod Group).*
July 29-August 8 | 7:30pm, 80’s Dance Party: Get down on it and groove the night away! Dive into a totally tubular love shack dance party of scrunchies, shoulder pads, and parachute pants in this totally rad concert, featuring the biggest hits of the 80’s from the B52’s, Talking Heads, Go Gos, Blondie, Madonna, Whitney, Michael and more. $25-55 person ($35-330 per Pod Group).*
Where: The People's Plaza at ZACH Theatre, 202 South Lamar, 78704
Tickets: Pricing is per pod and tickets are sold as such. *Each pod can fit up to 1, 2, 3, or 4 people; available here.
UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Storytime
Details: The UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum offers a variety of family-friendly programming throughout the year! Admission to the garden is free for children 12 and under. Masks are recommended while indoors for all visitors and staff, and can be removed when outside.
July 17 | 12pm: Sculpture Garden Storytime is a new family program designed to introduce young audiences to the sculpture garden and help them to understand what makes the UMLAUF so special! Join us the third Saturday of every month at 12pm where Docent Frances will read a storybook before a small related exploration activity in the garden. Tours meet at the base of the waterfall, outside the front entrance. Geared towards ages 7 and under, though all are welcome!
General Hours: Tuesday-Friday: 10-4; Saturday & Sunday: 11-4; Closed Mondays.
Where: 605 Azie Morton Road (formerly Robert E. Lee Road), 78704
Cost: Adults - $7; Seniors - $5; Students - $3; Youth 13-17 - $1. Children 12 and under are free.
Woodland Faerie Trail at Zilker Botanical Gardens
Details: The award-winning, annual Woodland Faerie Trail features Faerie Homes and Gardens created by Austin area gardeners, architects, artisans, businesses, clubs, families, school groups, and others. Explore the abodes of the faeries and gnomes along the Woodland Faerie Trail through the escarpment pathway and see who is home.
When: This exhibit will be on display through the summer, ending August 1st. Hours are 9am-6pm daily.
Where: Zilker Botanical Garden: Escarpment Woodland Trail, 2220 Barton Springs Rd., 78746
Cost: Free with Garden entry. Tickets must be reserved in advance. Garden entry is $6 for adult Austin residents ($8 for nonresidents); $3 per Austin resident child, ages 3-17 ($4 for nonresidents); and $5 for Austin resident seniors, ages 62 and older ($7 for nonresidents).
Plan a Hill Country Road Trip With the Kids to Visit the Science Mill in Johnson City, TX
Details: The Science Mill is all about discovery, creativity and hands-on learning. They deliver the most innovative and powerfully playful exhibits to the community. Indulge your curiosity as you jump into the exciting world of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. Their 50+ installations blend art, kinetic technology, augmented reality, and computer gaming. Bring your curiosity and excitement and get ready to play -- in English or Spanish! COVID FAQs.
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00am - 4:00pm; Closed Mondays.
Where: 101 South Lady Bird Lane, Johnson City, 78636
Tickets: Includes all exhibits, daily activities, and access to the movie theater. Pre-purchase tickets online.
0-2 years old: free
Ages 3-17: $9.50
Adult: $11.00
Seniors (65+): $9.00
*Also, check out these sites for lists of community activities for kids and families in the Austin area:
https://austinkidsdirectory.com/events/
https://www.austintexas.org/events/
Enjoy!
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