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City Cast Austin

Kelsey Bradshaw

Big news, festival people! We’ve got a new one to attend. Manor May Day Festival is on Saturday and I’ve got all the deets.

Manor May Day Festival, which is free to attend, kicks off at 10 a.m. and runs through 6 p.m. along Manor Road in East Austin on Saturday. Think of the festival as a big block party. You’ll be able to walk around, shop, listen, eat, and hang out with your neighbors.

two dozen local businesses will be featured

 on the day, including spots like Bar Toti, Hoover’s Cooking, and Patrizi’s.

Live music, aerial performance, face painting, line dancing, and more are all 

More Events Are Happening at the Same Time

I hope you’ve got a good pair of walking shoes, because there’s lots to do and see. The following events are happening in the area at the same time as the festival:

The Festival Is Based on an European Celebration

. Celebrations often include maypoles, floral garlands, wildflowers, and more. The holiday likely originated in Greece and Rome.

Who's ready for May?! (Kelsey Bradshaw/City Cast Austin)

Gather round, Garfields. I come bearing lasagna news.

, a New Jersey-style Italian restaurant, opened in Hyde Park 

 in the small building formerly occupied by Wok 'N Express.

I finally made my way to the counter-service spot last week and it was everything a girl who misses her hometown Italian spot could hope for. The portions are huge, the prices are not terrible, and the decor is so homey and fun. Oh, and they have the biggest piece of lasagna I’ve ever laid my eyes on.

The end piece lasagna is $24 and is what dreams are made of if you also prefer a crispy corner piece of any casserole or brownie pan. It’s crunchy in the right places, made with bolognese, and the layers are so soft they can barely stay in one place. And, the dish is served in a pool of arrabbiata tomato sauce that is a true highlight. It’ll give you something to write home about, that’s for sure. I highly recommend sharing this with a friend so you have room for other delights.

Take the calamari curly fries ($15). Thin pieces of fried calamari are mixed in with a mountain of curly fries that has horseradish mayo slathered on top. Eat a fry and a piece of calamari at the same time for best results.

Adding corn in unexpected places is one of the best things a restaurant can do. Ricotta dumplings ($18) are served in a bowl with just enough alfredo and corn sauce. The dumplings are small in size but dense enough for a real bite. Consider this a light dish before your lasagna arrives.

Umarell made me want to return as soon as possible by doing one thing: delivering food to tables. Every time a new dish passed by in the hands of a waiter, I turned into a 

. My eyes got wide and I’d ask my fellow diners what they ordered. Based on this alone, I’ll be ordering the gigantic chicken parm sandwich, chicken francese pasta, and the tiramisu next time I visit.

Hyde Park Now Home to a Huge Piece of Lasagna You Need To Try

The latest on the best and newest restaurants and bars in Austin. We'll help you find where to eat, drink, and socialize.

Austin Food & Drink

Food & Drink

We all have a lumpy bag full of unwanted clothes for donation living in our cars or in the corner of a room. I’ve got great news if getting to a donation center has been last on your to-do list for too long: The city will pick up those clothes for you.

can now schedule appointments for clothing and textile pick-up

. You can make an appointment by calling 311, in the Austin Recycles app, or 

. You’ll be required to put your items in one, 13-gallon bag and set them outside by 5:30 a.m. on pick-up day.

“This program helps keep clothing out of the landfill,” the city said.

You can put almost anything in your donation pile:

After your donation is picked up, it is taken to the city’s Recycle and Reuse Center. From there, Goodwill picks the items up for reuse or recycling, officials say.

“Usable items may be resold in stores, while others may be repurposed into materials like cleaning rags,” the city said.

Austin Resource Recovery customers can also schedule pick-ups for 

bulk items, brush, and hazardous waste materials

Austin Is Now Offering On-Demand Clothing Pickup

Get to know the natural side of Austin: the plants, animals, weather and more that make our city unique.

Austin Urban Almanac

Urban Almanac

It’s time to lock in for the mother in your life: Mother’s Day is just a couple weeks away on May 10! If you’re looking to get out into town this year, this is the guide for you:

Pecan Street Festival is back at Hill Country Galleria this year just in time for Mother’s Day. The festival, which includes rides, shopping, food, and music, runs May 9-10 and is free to attend.

Shakespeare Austin’s annual free production at Zilker Hillside Theatre starts May 7. This year’s play is “Much Ado About Nothing” and it will be running on May 9 and 10, perfect for Mother’s Day! Shows start at 8 p.m.

On May 9, “Steel Magnolias” will be screened for free at the Moody Amphitheater downtown. Get to the amphitheater between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. to hang out in the park before the movie starts at sunset.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s Mother’s Day event starts at 9 a.m. and includes live music, food trucks, flowers galore, and order-ahead picnic boxes. Boxes come with sandwiches and a side salad or chips for $22 — just make sure you 

. The event comes with a general admission ticket, which starts at $15 for adults.

The Blanton Museum of Art on the UT campus is hosting 

“Blanton All Day: Bring Mom to the Museum”

 on May 10 starting at 10 a.m. For $20, you can enjoy a day of art talks, live music, food, museum tours, and more.

Where To Celebrate Mother’s Day 2026 in Austin

Find the best of everything that Austin has to offer. 

Austin’s Best

Austin's Best

The Austin Independent School District school board 

 and will discuss the district’s 2026-2027 budget, which could end up with a deficit of $181 million.

Here’s what you need to know about the deficit before the meeting gets underway:

Low Enrollment Numbers Are Partly To Blame

The Austin school district has seen a somewhat steady decline in enrollment numbers over the last 10 to 15 years, 

, an education reporter at the Austin American-Statesman, explained 

during a recent discussion with City Cast Austin

Public school districts in Texas are funded based on how many students they have enrolled. That means they get more money per student from the state if enrollment numbers are higher.

. The dropping numbers can be attributed to a number of factors: The cost of living in Austin, immigration issues, and more choices being available for students, Heath said.

“We all know it's very expensive to live in Austin and has been for quite a while,” she said. “And if you are raising kids and want an affordable place to live, Austin may not be right.”

School districts surrounding AISD, like Hays and Bastrop, have seen enrollment numbers increase in recent years as people move out of Austin for more affordable housing options. Charter school enrollment has also increased in the last 10 years, as families are looking for more autonomy for what their student does in school.

New immigration policies have also led to families taking their kids out of AISD.

“You’re seeing this in districts all across the country where people are leaving, either by choice or by force, to go somewhere else,” Heath said.

Additionally, the state’s recapture program is likely hurting AISD. 

 takes tax dollars from districts with high property values like AISD, and redistributes the money to districts with lower property values.

Austin pays more into the recapture program than any other district in the state. In 2024, voters approved 

 that generated $171 million — $130 million of which went to the state’s program to fund other districts.

Proposed Budget Cuts Include Staff Layoffs

District officials must approve the budget for the upcoming school year in June, and some proposed changes include:

Reducing planning periods for secondary teachers

Reducing arts programming for elementary students

“Because nothing has been decided, and there's a lot of uncertainty, I think people are quite nervous,” Heath said.

Want to hear more on the issues AISD is facing? Listen to our episode with Keri! 👇

The district must approve a new budget in June.

Everything You Need To Know as AISD Stares Down a $181 Million Budget Deficit

What's being decided in Austin City Hall and why it matters. We monitor local elections, political news, and Austin City Council. 

Austin Election and City Hall News

Local Civics

Ruvani de Silva

Something very special is coming to Central Texas this weekend. Zwanze Day, a biennial, global celebration of the traditional Belgian gueuze and lambic beer styles put on by Belgium's Cantillon Brewing, is taking over Johnson City.

Zwanze Day, which is on Saturday, is at once a little nod to the importance of Belgian gueuze and lambic beers, and also a bit of fun. “Zwanze” is the local Brussels term for sarcastic humor. Cantillon is releasing a special experimental beer that playfully riffs on their classic styles, limiting its availability to a small selection of hand-picked locations worldwide where the beers will be tapped at the same time (2 p.m. for us) for maximum dramatic effect.

 is one of the participating locations for the 17th annual Zwanze Day. The event runs noon to midnight and 

. The day will include a vinyl DJ, themed cocktails, food pop-ups, and other treats.

Nestled into a beautifully restored 19th century building just off Johnson City square, Nice N Easy is the brainchild of couples Garret Crowell and Adrienne Ballou and Matt and Margot Piper, who met through previous roles at Jester King Brewery. The bar opened in 2021 after two years of renovations.

The team took great care in creating a drinking space with a “desert-adjacent” aesthetic, highlighting original details like handmade terra cotta architectural brick from D’Hanis Brick & Tile Company in San Antonio and thin brick from Texas-based Elgin Butler. Bullet holes from the building’s rough-and-ready history remain visible.

Nice N Easy’s emphasis on slow, relaxed quality has built up a steady following of locals, visitors, and savvy Austinites happy to make the trip out of town for their expertly curated drinks list, including Matt Piper’s bewitching bespoke cocktails and beers and wines from Crowell’s Yokefellow Beer and Ballou’s Lightsome Wines. As a true barperson’s bar exuding unfussed quality, Nice N Easy is a natural fit for Zwanze Day, one of the most famous and highly curated events in international beer.

As the last lambic brewery in Brussels and dating back to 1900, Cantillon take their role as lambic-gueuze ambassadors seriously with their own museum and guided tours and tastings to preserve the historic culture of Belgian spontaneously fermented and blended beers.

At Nice N Easy, the news that they were chosen as the only Texas venue included in the project is still sinking in.

“It honestly seemed a bit like a pipe dream until Cantillon officially announced 

 and we happily saw Nice N Easy listed in alphabetical order,” said co-owner Matt Piper.

Nice N Easy’s selection also reflects their collective ethos and combined experience, with the owners having been involved in hosting previous Zwanze Day events at Jester King and Crowell and Ballou gaining advice and inspiration from Cantillon’s Jean Van Roy while developing Jester King’s original Spon series, the Texas Hill Country’s version of spontaneous beer, back in the early 2010s.

“Hosting Zwanze Day was always a cool idea in the back of our minds, but we never realistically thought that dream would come to fruition. What a privilege,” Matt Piper said.

This year’s list of 70 venues across 22 countries reads like a who’s who of craft beer cool:

Wellington, New Zealand’s Garage Project Wild Workshop

Nice N Easy’s inclusion in Zwanze Day puts the little Hill Country bar on a very exclusive map, and for those who haven’t visited yet, offers a very exciting opportunity to take part in one heck of a party.

“We’re most excited about the camaraderie and enthusiasm of the event as a whole, especially since the beer industry seems to be experiencing a tough go of it right now. Beer is all about community and carving out time to enjoy it with friends. Zwanze Day facilitates this by bringing people together in a quirky way,” Matt Piper said.

Where To Celebrate Zwanze Day Just an Hour Outside of Austin

Looking for a guide to Earth Day in Austin? We’ve got you covered:

. That year, rallies were organized across the U.S. to raise awareness about environmental issues. The Environmental Protection Agency was formed the same year.

Earth Day is now celebrated around the world on April 22 and here in Austin all week long, through clean-up projects, tree plantings, and other events.

Volunteer on Barton Greek Greenbelt and Violet Crown Trail

Doesn’t a six-mile trash-pickup hike led by a drag queen sound incredible? On Wednesday, several Pride groups are hosting a hike to clean up trash along Barton Creek Greenbelt and Violet Crown Trail starting at 10 a.m. The hike, which is free to attend, will be led by drag queen Xtra. 

 at 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. You can pick up trash on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail or via a provided kayak or canoe on the lake. The cleanup is free to attend but you must register beforehand.

Celebrate at Texas Science & Natural History Museum

The Texas Science & Natural History Museum on The University of Texas at Austin campus is 

. Pop in to make fashion designs with plastic waste or to explore different rock types. The activities are included with museum admission. A free demonstration by the UT Physics Circus is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Don’t worry — you won’t miss out on fun events if you’re busy tomorrow! Earth Day ATX at Huston-Tillotson University is now being held on May 2. The event runs noon to 5 p.m. and is free to attend. Art, games, music, food, and more are all part of the festival.

Your Guide to Earth Day 2026 in Austin

Whether you’re finishing high school or college or whatever else, it’s graduation season in Austin. I hope you’re taking senior photos to commemorate the moment! If you need some ideas of where to start, here’s what I’m thinking:

♥️ The “I love you so much” mural

This is maybe the cutest option on the list. The green-and-red “I love you so much” mural scrawled on the side of 

 on South Congress Avenue is the perfect backdrop for a cap-and-gown photo. Even better, your parents will love it! You can always pick out another 

Taking photos at perhaps the most beautiful spot in Austin is a no-brainer. 

 near Zilker Park encapsulates the best of Austin – beautiful greenery, stunning blue water, and hippie swimmers galore. A photo here will remind you of home.

🦇 Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge

If a cityscape is more your vibe, post up at 

 downtown. You can get photos of the skyline and Lady Bird Lake in the background and go at sunset for a beautiful Texas sky. If you can somehow get the 

 that live under the bridge coming out at dusk in your photo, you’ll be my new hero.

This one is a trek but it’s worth it! Hike up the stairs at 

 to get an overlook of Lake Austin in your photos.

 in West Austin has some of the city’s most picturesque views and would look even better with a cap and gown!

🍽️ Bonus idea: Any taco or barbecue spot

Ok, this suggestion is for my out-of-staters. Not only can you brag about graduating from a school in Texas through your photos, but you can also brag about all the good food you got to eat while here. I’m envisioning a photo of a plate of brisket in front of you while you’re wearing your graduation cap. Eh? Thoughts?

Where To Take Your Senior Photos in Austin

The Cutest Spots To Take Your Senior Pictures in Austin

Red River Cultural District officials outlined a plan for the downtown street in the next five years, including a wish-list of safety improvements, new murals and signage, and greenery.

 comes just two weeks after the district 

 it contributed $2.3 billion to Austin’s economy over the last five years.

“This district has helped shape Austin’s cultural identity for decades, and protecting it will require real coordination, investment — both public and private — and a shared commitment to the venues, small businesses, artists, and community spaces that make it matter,” said Nicole Klepadlo, Executive Director of Red River Cultural District.

Part of the plan calls for making Red River Street more walkable and visually cohesive, officials say. Some of the 

Solar-powered lighting from 10th to 15th streets

Adding directional signage and district banners

Traffic-calming measures like decreasing speed limits

Exterior upgrades to venues like The 13th Floor and Elysium

Next, the district will have to secure funding to finance the upgrades. District officials did not say how much the upgrades may cost.

“We’re excited to see where this road goes next as the Red River team plan for meetings with city council, city commissions, and city staff and in the coming months, although so far, public feedback from our community has been very positive and supportive,” a statement from the district says.

While the renderings the organization released are not set in stone, they give a good idea of what the road downtown may look like in the future:

Upgrades include solar-powered lighting and new trees. 

Austin’s Red River Street May Be Getting a Makeover. Here’s What You Need To Know.

Everything to know about Austin neighborhoods: What to do, eat, shop, drink, and more.

Austin Neighborhood Guides

Neighborhood Guides

What To Know About Austin’s New Manor May Day Festival

Explainers

What Austinites have been wondering. We break down why things in Austin are they way they are and how they work.

Austin, Explained

Before it had a booming tech scene and a skyline full of towering buildings, Austin was a small college town full of weirdos. Yearly revelers intend to keep that spirit alive through one iconic, weird, hippie-forward event: Eeyore’s Birthday Party.

The party is held annually at Pease Park, and 2026 will be the event’s 61st iteration. Held on April 25 this year, Eeyore’s Birthday Party is free to attend, lasts all day, and includes drum circles, food, drinks, music, costumes, face painting, and so much more.

Lloyd Birdwell was a student at the University of Texas at Austin in 1964 

 the author behind Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne. To celebrate the end of that spring semester, Birdwell pitched a party to his fellow classmates and Eeyore’s Birthday Party was born. The first version of the party was held on May 8, 1964, at Eastwoods Neighborhood Park near campus.

Just 50 people attended that first party. But eventually the party needed a new space due to attendance and was moved to 

“There really was no impetus for it, and I had never read ‘Winnie the Pooh,’” Birdwell told 

To throw the first party, the students used English Professor James Ayres as a faculty sponsor. But more than 10 years later in 1979, Ayres said he didn’t want to hold the party in Austin anymore. He canceled the Austin event so it could be held on his newly acquired land in Round Top.

That’s when the Young Men’s Christian Association of The University of Texas at Austin stepped in and took over organizing the event. The YMCA of UT is now known as Friends of the Forest.

 because of the coronavirus pandemic and returned in 2022.

Today, the Party Is a Bastion of Old Austin

Austin looks different all the time, but Eeyore’s Birthday Party still keeps that old and weird Austin flair.

“The Winnie-the-Pooh-themed bash is one of those reliably weird things about Austin that no amount of venture capital has managed to disrupt,” 

Eeryore's Birthday Party is 100% volunteer-run and all the vendors are nonprofits.

The party is often lauded as a chaotic tribute to spring complete with funky outfits, the feeling of freedom, and time with your neighbors.

Eeryore's Birthday Party is on April 25 this year. 

61 Years of Eeyore’s Birthday Party: What Is The Iconic Austin Event?

Moving to San Marcos for college in 2012, I had no idea what awaited me. I’d grown up in the lanes of Krogers, Tom Thumbs, and the occasional Albertsons grocery stores in Dallas. I never considered what grocery stores could be.

Enter: H-E-B. This might appear to be a little too much for the lead-in to an article about a grocery store. But that’s what H-E-B does. Through freshly made butter tortillas, disaster response, and highly curated shelves, H-E-B has developed a cultlike following since its inception in South Texas 120 years ago.

“You know, it’s just a sweet little company, honestly. It really is,” Heidi Post, Senior Director of Public Affairs for Central Texas at H-E-B, 

Of course, Post acknowledged that “little” is the wrong word to describe H-E-B these days. H-E-B has sales of more than $50 billion and operates more than 440 stores across Texas and in Mexico. The company, which started operating in the 

, continues to expand with locations in Lubbock, and in Dallas-Fort Worth.

So, how does a grocery store that started in one room in 1905 become huge enough to have Jim Parsons, the “Big Bang Theory” actor who was born in Houston, voice a baby for 

It’s a combination of things, of course. 

The store manages to keep its prices low in this economy by staying humble, Post explained. The company keeps things modest in how it operates — not having the fanciest offices, for example — to keep costs down.

H-E-B has also found that being communicative with the communities it serves has been helpful. Nikki DaVaughn, the host of City Cast Austin’s podcast, may be why the H-E-B near the intersection of Springdale Road and U.S. 183 has hummus.

“I remember going in one day and they didn't have hummus. And I was like, ‘Why don't y'all have hummus? This is weird, right?’” DaVaughn told Post.

DaVaughn took it upon herself to send H-E-B an email about the missing hummus and the company actually responded. A year or so later, hummus was on the shelves.

Depending on what store you visit, different products may be available. An H-E-B in Northwest Austin near the Jewish Community Center has lots of Kosher products and is always packed with matzo around Passover, for example.

Austin, Explained

What To Know About Austin’s New Manor May Day Festival

Kelsey Bradshaw

The Festival Is Free

More Events Are Happening at the Same Time

The Festival Is Based on an European Celebration

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