Welcome to Austin Festivals 2013...Check em out!

Only in Austin!

Presenting a Photo spread of the upcoming 2013 Austin Festivals and Major Events.

Smart Car2Go with a Cowboy on a Longhorn

Austin has many great events and festivals every year and 2013 is no exception. If you are planning a trip to Austin, plan around an Austin event and have some fun.

From Wine to Chocolate, Running to Galas, and even quirky events like Eeyore's Birthday Party, there's something for everyone. Don't forget about our new racing events at the Circuit of the Americas, and of course there are the high profile events like SXSW, Austin City Limits, and the Austin Film Festival. If it's Hip, Weird, Fun, Exciting and Texan, It's Here!

Click on a photo to learn more about each event, and come back and share your stories about the events you attend. Come have some fun in Austin, I might even see you there.

January

January 26, 2013 - Dell Children's Gala

February

February 2, 2013 - Carnaval Brasileiro - Palmer Events Center

February 9, 2013 - Rodeo Austin Gala - Palmer Events Center

February 17, 2013 - Livestrong Austin Marathon and Half Marathon - Start Line at 16th Street

March

March 1-2, 2013 - Grand-AM of the Americas - Circuit of the Americas

March 2, 2013 - It's My Park! Day - Austin Area Parks

March 3, 2013 - Zilker Kite Festival - Zilker Park

SXSW - Interactive: March 8-12, Film: March 8-16, Music: March 12-17, 2013 - Various Locations

March 8-23, 2013 - Rodeo Austin - Star of Texas Fairgrounds, 9100 Decker Lake Road

March 23, 2013 - 15th Annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk - Auditorium Shores

March 29-30, 2013 - Urban Music Festival - Auditorium Shores

April

April 6-7, 2013 - Zilker Garden Festival - Zilker Botanical Gardens

April 6, 2013 - Louisiana Swamp Thing & Crawfish Festival - Buda City Park, 204 San Antonio Rd, Buda, TX

April 7, 2013 - Statesman's Cap 10K - Austin Texas

April 13-14, 2013 - Art City Austin - Downtown, 2nd Street District and Ceasar Chavez

April 18-21, 2013 - Old Settler's Music Festival - Salt Lick BBQ Pavilion & Camp Ben McCulloch, Driftwood, TX

April 19-21, 2013 - MOTO-GP - Circuit of the Americas

April 20-22, 2013 - Austin Reggae Festival - Auditorium Shores

April 26-28, 2013 - Austin Wine And Music Festival - Texas Hill Country

April 27th, 2013 - Eeyore's Birthday Party - 50th annual - Pease District Park

May

May 4-5, 2013 - Pecan Street Festival - 6th Street, Downtown Austin

May 17-19, 2013 - V8 Supercars - Circuit of the Americas

May 23 - June 9, 2013 - Kerrville Folk Festival - Kerrville, TX

May, 2013 - O. Henry Pun-Off - Downtown Austin

June

June 2013 - Nature Nights at the Wildflower Center - Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

June 2013 - Keep Austin Weird Fest & 5K - The Long Center

June 13-16, 2013 - The Republic of Texas Biker Rally - Travis County Expo Center

June 13, 2013 - Maudie's Moonlight Margarita Run & Gala - Start at Trailhead under MoPac Bridge

July

(Check back soon, no events currently scheduled as of posting date)

August

August 2013 - Blues on the Green - Zilker Park

August 5, 2013 - Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival - Sunday, Fiesta Gardens

August 17, 2013 - Austin Ice Cream Festival - Fiesta Gardens

August 24, 2013 - Bat Fest - Ann Richards Congress Street Bridge, Downtown Austin

August 30 - September 1, 2013 - Kerrville Wine & Music Festival - Kerrville, TX

September

September 29-30, 2013 - Pecan Street Festival - 6th Street, Downtown Austin

October

October 4-6 & 11-13, 2013 - Austin City Limits Music Festival - Zilker Park

October 15-16, 2013 - Austin Chocolate Festival - Norris Conference Center, 2525 West Anderson Lane

October 24-31, 2013 - Austin Film Festival - Various Locations

October 26-27, 2013 - Texas Book Festival - Downtown Austin

November

November, 2013 - Austin Celtic Festival - Fiesta Gardens

November, 2013 - East Austin Studio Tour - East Austin

November 3, 2013 - Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure - Downtown Austin

November 8-10, 2013 - Fun Fun Fun Fest - Auditorium Shores

November 17, 2013 - Series Formula 1 Grand Prix - Circuit of the Americas (Subject to Change as conflicts with a major University of Texas football game.)

November 28, 2013 - Turkey Trot - The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr

December

Austin Trail of Lights - Zilker Park

December 31, 2013 - Austin's New Year - Auditorium Shores

Free Fun things to do in Austin this weekend!

1. Holiday Fun at the Domain - Friday, November 30 and Saturday, December 1. The Domain is once again offering FREE horse-drawn carriage rides on Fridays and Saturdays through December 22, 2012, from 5:30 - 9:30 p.m. There are two pick-up points: one outside of the north entrance of Macy's, near the large Christmas tree, and one next to Santa's Workshop, across from Dillard's, next to Maggiano's. The rides are FREE, but tips are appreciated. Also, on Saturday at 6 p.m., The Domain invites families to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation on the plaza in Domain II, Near The Range Golf Club & Sports Bar. (Please note that there is also a free Breakfast with Santa scheduled but The Domain is no longer accepting RSVPs). The Domain, 11410 Century Oaks Terrace, Austin.
2. Home Depot Kids Workshop - Saturday, December 1, from 9 a.m. - noon. Kids can make a FREE picture frame at this hands-on workshop designed for children ages 5 – 12 .Workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills, tool safety and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment. All kids get to keep their craft and receive a FREE Kids Workshop Apron, commemorative pin and certificate of achievement. All participating Home Depot locations. (Lowe's is also offering a free workshop on Saturday, where kids can build a plane, but their clinics require pre-registration.)
3. Violet Crown Arts Festival - Saturday, December 1 and Sunday, December 2, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Bring the family, pack a blanket and some lawn chairs, and plan to spend the day. Enjoy great quality art from unique local artists, and live entertainment from all around Austin. Violet Crown Community Theater will perform the original children's play Little Miss Princess at 10 a.m. on Saturday. For the rest of the festival entertainment schedule, click here. Admission is FREE. The Triangle Commons, 722 W. 46th Street, Austin.
4. Chuy's Children Giving to Children Parade - Saturday, December 1 at 11 a.m. The parade will feature giant inflatable holiday floats, live music and dancing, marching bands, classic cars, and more. Bring you own seating, stake out a spot along Congress Avenue, and watch the show as it passes you by. Be sure to arrive early to snag a good seat. Bring along a toy to donate to Operation Blue Santa, to brighten the holidays for an Austin area child. At one point during the parade, the floats will stop and attendants will gather up the gifts from spectators. It is a sight to see the piles of the presents being donated. The parade will start at the Capitol at 11th and Congress, travel south on Congress to Cesar Chavez, and end just north of the bridge. It will last about an hour. FREE.
5. Girlstart's DeSTEMber Fest Extravaganza - Saturday, December 1, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Join Girlstart for a FREE, frosty DeSTEMber Fest Extravaganza! Explore snowflake chemistry, igloo engineering, gingerbread architecture and more hands- on fun. The whole family will discover the mysteries behind this magical time of year! DeSTEMber is FREE from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. and then head to the Museum from 2-6 p.m. for FREE admission to the exhibits as part of First Saturday. Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 N. Congress Avenue, Austin.
6. Bookpeople’s Practically Pos-i-tute-ly Phenomenal Puppet Show - Saturday, December 1 at 11:30 a.m. BookPeople's delightfully mad and hilarious puppeteers will be performing for you once again and hope that you’re ready to laugh. This time the performance will feature a story all about the loveliest of the magical guardians, The Tooth Fairy. Make sure to arrive a little bit early as space in the amphitheater fills up quickly! BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin.
7. Christmas at the Capitol - Saturday, December 1 at noon. Come see Austin Harmony perform with A Cappella Texas in the Capitol rotunda, where the acoustics are sure to be amazing. FREE. Texas State Capitol, 11th Street and Congress Avenue, Austin.
8. Holiday Sing-Along and Downtown Stroll - Saturday, December 1, from 6 - 9 p.m. The evening starts at 6 p.m. when crowds gather on the south steps of the Capitol to sing the songs of the season during John Aielli’s Holiday Sing-Along. At 7 p.m., the countdown to the lighting of the Capitol tree begins – this year featuring a new 40 foot tree with lights programmed to local Holiday music. From 7 to 9 p.m., stroll down Congress Avenue for holiday fun during the Downtown Stroll. Click here for the evening's entertainment and activities schedule. All events are FREE and open to the public, but donations of non-perishable food or cash contributions to support the Capital Area Food Bank are appreciated. Texas Capitol, 11th Street and Congress Avenue, Austin.
9. Merry Movie Night Under the Stars - Saturday, December 1, at 6:30 p.m. Soleil and ConnectPR will host FREE screenings of A Charlie Brown Christmas (6:30 p.m.) and A Christmas Story (7:30 p.m.). Admission is FREE, but attendees are invited to bring along a toy to donate to Toys for Tots. Seating begins at 6 p.m. Bring your own blanket to sit under the stars. Soleil (outdoor patio), 6550 Comanche Trail, Austin.
10. Zilker Tree Lighting - Sunday, December 2 at 6 p.m. Featuring local entertainment, food, novelties and live music. Austin Civic Wind Ensemble will perform and additional event music will be performed by the Barton Hills Choir. From December 3-31, 6 p.m. - midnight, the tree will be on display nightly. You can see the test run of turning on the Zilker Tree here. FREE. Zilker Park (map), Austin.

Bonus "Get out of town" Events:

1. Georgetown Christmas Stroll - Friday, November 30, from 6 - 9 p.m. and Saturday, December 1, from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Fun for everyone including a Snowzilla (FREE snow hill for tubing), live music, Bethlehem Village, food, and more! Visit 200 craft vendors, a parade at noon on Saturday and free entertainment on two stages featuring wonderful local acts adding holiday spirit to the day. Take the family to the The Williamson Museum from 6 - 8 p.m. on Saturday to have Cocoa and Cookies with Cowboys during the Stroll. Check out the Georgetown Holiday Events Line-Up to see the many holiday events planned. Historic Square, Downtown Georgetown.
2. Elgin Lighted Parade and Holiday by the Tracks - Friday, November 30 at 6 p.m., the parade will take place on Main Street. On Saturday, December 1 at 10 a.m., head to Veterans Memorial Park for Holiday by the Tracks which will feature: Pictures with Santa ($5), Arts and Crafts, food, River Valley Farmer's Market, and a Live Nativity. The kick off for FestiviTrees will also happen at Holiday by the Tracks. Decorate a tree with recycled materials or create a tree from recycled materials! FREE. Veterans Memorial Park, Elgin.
3. Dripping Springs' Christmas on Mercer Street - Saturday, December 1 at 10 a.m. The charming, historic downtown Dripping Springs will close to traffic and transform into a hometown holiday event featuring the jolly man in red, carolers, children’s activities, holiday shopping, arts and crafts booths, FREE music and live performances, and even a classic car show. Festivities will kick off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, with family activities including trackless train and pony rides, photos with Santa, and an old fashioned Christmas craft booth. The highlight of the evening will be the annual Lighting of the Tree, which will be held at the Triangle at 6:30 p.m. Downtown Dripping Springs.
4. Brushy Creek Holiday in the Park and Craft Fair - Saturday, December 1, from 2 - 5 p.m. Come enjoy a FREE fun-filled Family Holiday Festival and Craft Fair. There will be tons of fun and activities for all ages, including a visit from Santa and Rudolph (bring your camera!) and a snow machine. FREE hot chocolate, cookies and cotton candy. Cat Hollow Park, 8320 O'Connor Drive, Round Rock.
5. Budafest 2012 - Saturday, December 1 and Sunday, December 2, from 10 a.m. - dusk. Parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday, full carnival, over 125 craft vendors, local food vendors, live music, antiques, and of course Santa and Mrs. Claus. Admission is FREE, but parking at the park is a small fee benefiting Project Graduation. Buda City Park, 204 San Antonio St, Buda.
6. Leander Christmas Tree Lighting and Parade - Saturday, December 1 at 5 p.m. Choral performances, hay rides, vendors, photos with Santa, and more! Parade begins at 5 p.m. FREE. Old town Leander.
7. Holidays in Gruene - Saturday, December 1. 11th Annual Gruene Pony Express Ride at 10 a.m. Old Gruene Market Days from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Gruene Town Lighting, where Cowboy Kringle rides into town on horseback and lights Gruene for the Holidays, from 5 - 6:30 p.m. FREE. Downtown Gruene.

Here's your link to everything DOWNTOWN Austin for the HOLIDAYS

http://www.downtownaustinholidays.com/

Visa brings Growth to Austin

Visa to build global IT center in Austin, bringing 800 new jobs to Central Texas

By Arden Ward

11.26.12 | 01:25 pm

San Francisco-based Visa U.S.A. Inc will soon be joining the technology sector of Austin, bringing 800 new jobs over the next five years.

Governer Rick Perry announced last week that Visa will build a new global IT center in Austin, and in exchange for Visa's commitment to create new jobs, the state has offered $7.9 million to the company through the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF). In a press release, Perry stated:

Texas is competing nationally and internationally for jobs and we want companies who are looking to expand or relocate to consider the Lone Star State first and all we have to offer. Visa's decision to build a new global IT center in Austin is a great fit with our skilled workforce and Central Texas' reputation as a hub for high tech companies.

Visa spokesperson, Will Valentine, affirmed Austin's reputation as a national technology hub. "Visa is continually looking for opportunities to add world-class talent to our organization," he said. "Austin offers a vibrant technology community and business-friendly climate, and we are working closely with local officials to finalize an agreement."
As reported by the Austin Business Journal, the city of Austin "has proposed $1.6 million in economic development grant money if Visa meets investment and employment goals."
Austin City Council will discuss the deal at its November 28 meeting; City Council is slated to vote on the incentives offer on December 6.

The "Masterpiece" Real Estate Market

A quote I came across recently by Vincent van Gogh really struck home: “The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found those dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.” It got me thinking about current home prices and why we might be living in a “masterpiece market”:

Lowest Mortgage Rates in HISTORY!

In Freddie Mac's results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey®, the average fixed mortgage rates were largely unchanged helping to keep homebuyer affordability high for those in the market to purchase or looking to refinance. Both the 30-year fixed and 15-year fixed rate mortgages matched their all-time record lows.

30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.66 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending June 28, 2012, the same as last week. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.51 percent.

15-year FRM this week averaged 2.94 percent with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.95 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.69 percent.

5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 2.79 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.77. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.22 percent.

1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.74 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, the same as last week. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.97 percent. According to Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac: "Mortgage rates were virtually unchanged this week hovering at or near record lows and should further help to support a recovering housing market. Both the S&P/Case Shiller® 20-city composite and the Federal Housing Finance Agency's house price indexes showed over a 0.5 percent monthly increase in April. Meanwhile, pending existing home sales rebounded in May by 5.9 percent to match a two year high and new home sales jumped 7.6 percent to its fastest pace since April 2010."

It's Summer so Lets Go to the Coast!!! Texas Coast that is!

Vacation on the Beach... Rockport/Fulton & Port Aransas Beaches.


Rockport Beach is Texas' first Blue Wave Beach and one of only four on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Rockport Beach Information

There is a daily $5 or $15 annual vehicle parking fee. There is no charge to enter by foot, bicycle, or if you are towing a boat or boat trailer to go to the public boat ramp. No dogs allowed inside the beach since it is a bird sanctuary.

There are 61 individual picnic sites spread throughout the Rockport Beach. Each site has a covered picnic table with barbeque grill. These sites are first come/first serve.

No, overnight camping is not permitted in the Rockport Beach.

Fishing is permitted just about anywhere, including a popular 800 foot pier at the North end of the beach. Two off-limit fishing sites are the boat dock and the Saltwater pool.

Rockport Little Bay WATER SAFETY

All boats/personal watercraft pulling skiers within Little Bay must have an observer 13 years of age or older on board and facing rearward.

All traffic in the ski basin is one-way and must travel in a counterclockwise direction.

No motor vehicles or personal watercraft are allowed in restricted areas (shallow areas of Little Bay) marked by signs.

No sailing in the ski basin.

No airboats in the ski basin.
Port Aransas

Beach Parking Permit Information

1. The City of Port Aransas requires a $12.00 permit to park along the beaches. This includes the area from Marker (0) to Marker (62) except in the free parking area.

2. Free Parking areas include between the Jetties and Horace Caldwell Pier and between Markers 52-58
3. RV, tent and other types of camping are permitted on the beach.
4. There is a three (3) night limit for camping during any three (3) week period.
5. Small fires no larger than 3 ft. x 3 ft. are permitted on the beach.
BEACH SAFETY

• Check the beach at the water line for any marine life that has washed ashore, please DO NOT TOUCH! They can still be venomous even though they are not in the water.
• If there are Jelly Fish or Man -O- War washed ashore, be careful when getting into the water, and try not to make contact with them.

When walking in the water, shuffle your feet. This will frighten the stingray, causing it to move out of the way, and lessen your chance of stepping on them.

Jelly Fish
Their bodies are hemispherical in shape, that are tough and thick, white, milky, or bluish in color. Their tentacles are short and fused into a tight bundle that contains a poison that will also cause a stinging sensation.
Portuguese Man -O- War
Also called the bluebottle, can be found in the Gulf of Mexico. The Man -O- War has a gas-filled chamber that is used like a sail to propel it through the water. The Man -O- War is iridescent blue, with long tentacles that can reach up 180 ft in length. The tentacles contain a poison, which causes the stinging sensation.
TREATMENT

1. Immediately get away from the creature as they can sting many times.
2. Protecting your hands with a towel scrape the tentacles and/or slimy deposits from the skin.
3. Packing the area with wet sand, and then wash it away with water (repeat as needed) will also help remove the remnants of the jellyfish from your skin.
4. Make a paste from Unseasoned Meat Tenderizer and rubbing alcohol, and then apply the mixture to the affected area. Unless affected area is the genital area, then use water to make the paste instead of rubbing alcohol.

The meat tenderizer applied to the affected area detoxifies the effects of the venom. Once the pain has subsided, wash away the paste, and treat area, as you would sunburn.
...call 911 if there is an allergic reaction...


For more in information about Rockport Beach visit http://www.rockportbeach-texas.com/
Port Aransas Beach visit http://www.cityofportaransas.org/Port_Aransas_Beach.cfm