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City Cast Austin

Find the best of everything that Austin has to offer. 

Kelsey Bradshaw

Happy, happy May! Live music, good food, fun festivals, and an election are all on the docket this month. Let’s get to it:

Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month With Good Food

Austin Asian Community Health Initiative’s 

 is back. Once you buy the passport, you can bring it to a number of Asian restaurants across the city to unlock deals 

 and proceeds go to connecting Asian Austinites with health care and other basic needs. Participating 

 Bar Peached, Komé Sushi Kitchen, Lau Lau, and Oseyo.

Set Your Alarm for the 2026 Austin City Limits Music Festival Lineup Announcement

The lineup for this year’s ACL Fest will be 

. Tickets for the festival, which returns to Zilker Park Oct. 2-4 and 9-11, go on sale the same day.

You Can Still Get Tickets to Austin Psych Fest

 runs May 8-10 at The Far Out Lounge & Stage in South Austin. The lineup includes The Flaming Lips, The Black Angels, and Thee Sacred Souls. 

 runs May 9-10 at Hill Country Galleria. The biannual event, which used to be held on Sixth Street downtown, is free to attend and includes live music, shopping, activities for kids, food, and more.

Temperatures are rising and you have a couple fun ways to find solace in air conditioning this month.

Cine Las Americas International Film Festival

 is May 13-17. Features, documentaries, shorts, and music videos rooted in Latine/x, Indigenous, Latin American, and Ibero-American communities will be shown at theaters throughout the city. 

 $13 for individual screenings and $60 for badges.

Paramount Theatre’s Summer Classic Film Series

 starts May 22 with a screening of “Casablanca.” Movies will be shown at the theater throughout the summer and tickets are $15.

We’ve Got a Primary Runoff Election This Month

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are 

facing off May 26 in the state’s runoff election

. The pair are competing for the Republican nomination for Cornyn’s Senate seat. Whoever wins will face Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in November.

Other runoff races include the Democratic nomination for Texas Lieutenant Governor, both party nominations for Texas Attorney General, and some local races.

 to find out what else will be on your ballot this month.

Your Guide to May 2026 in Austin

Austin’s Best

Austin's Best

Elissa Castles

Looking for places to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? We've got the guide for you.

Cinco de Mayo is not to be mistaken for Mexican Independence Day, but rather a day celebrating 

 in the 1862 Battle of Puebla. The holiday gained broader popularity in the U.S. during the Chicano Movement of the 1960s, when it was embraced as a way to celebrate Mexican-American identity and culture.

 is hosting a not-to-miss celebration that is free and family friendly. Head over to Republic Square on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and enjoy a variety of food vendors, an artisan market, interactive booths, and so much more.

Mariachi Classico brings traditional mariachi music to 

 in Southpark Meadows on Saturday. The event runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and also features a set from DJ Kenny Duet, face painting, a complimentary photo booth, drinks, and more.

 is giving away free tacos with a featured drink purchase on May 5 for their Cinco de Mayo Extravaganza. The party starts at 3 p.m. and goes until 2 a.m. with performances by The Latin Dukes, El Tule, and tons of DJs.

Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Güero's Taco Bar

What better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than with 

 that's been serving Austin for 40 years?! Güero's Taco Bar is throwing a birthday bash on May 5 with proceeds benefiting the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. Enjoy music, tacos, and margaritas from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Roy Lozano's Ballet Folklórico de Texas is performing at 

 on May 5 to present Mexican heritage through rhythm, colorful costumes, and dynamic movements. The free event runs 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will feature mariachi music, tequila tastings, and bites from EastVillage Market.

The Best Cinco de Mayo 2026 Events in Austin

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

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

One might imagine the house of a grocery store billionaire is filled with overflowing pots of rubies and emeralds, golden staircases, and spa-like bathrooms. And who knows, maybe Charles Butt’s house does look like that.

But amongst all the deluxe decor you’re envisioning is a very real and vast collection of incredible works of art. Butt, the chairman 

, has shared more than 80 artworks that hang in his home with the Blanton Museum of Art in 

“American Modernism from the Charles Butt Collection: From Edward Hopper to Alma Thomas.”

The exhibit is on display at the museum, which sits on The University of Texas at Austin’s campus, through Aug. 2 before it moves on to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio.

“Charles Butt’s vision as a collector reflects his deep belief in expanding access to art and education—a mission we share at the Blanton. We look forward to sharing these remarkable works, many of which have never been seen outside his private collection,” “said Simone Wicha, Director of the Blanton Museum of Art.

The first display you’ll see when you visit is a salon-style gallery wall that works as, “a nod to the personal, domestic spaces they normally enhance,” the museum says. Pieces by Mark Rothko, Marguerite Thompson Zorach, and Winslow Homer dot the exhibit entrance wall, letting you know you’re in for something cool inside.

You’ll be wowed with the names the collection drops — Georgia O’Keefe, Edward Hopper, Jackson Pollack — and it might make you jealous that Butt gets to fill his home with such great stuff.

Broken up into seven sections, the exhibit explores cubism, abstraction, precisionism, and more as it relates to the growth of the American modernism movement.

Pieces included in the show span from the late 19th century through the 1970s and feel distinctly American. You won’t find elaborately decorated, Catholic-inspired triptychs or old Greek sculptures here. Instead, you’ll get a collage Madonna and child made in a Black art collective in New York, and O’Keefe landscapes of her New Mexico backyard.

If you go, you’ll find portraits, sea-themed scenes, collages, and something you’ll wish you could take home. And that might be the mark of a great show.

New Blanton Exhibit Invites You Into the Living Room of H-E-B Chairman Charles Butt

“The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson” is out 

 and the documentary does what true crime media should: It actually centers the victim.

Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson was an accomplished, 25-year-old cyclist visiting a friend in Austin in 2022 when she was fatally shot by a local cyclist, Kaitlin Armstrong. Armstrong was found guilty of first-degree murder in November 2023 and sentenced to 90 years in prison, a ruling that was 

recently upheld by Texas Third Court of Appeals

The case has the trappings of a true crime podcast or splashy TV show. Armstrong was released from police custody, took her sister’s passport, and made her way to Costa Rica, where she got a nose job and started teaching yoga. After she was found and brought back to Texas, she managed to escape police and even got 1 mile away before being apprehended again.

But despite the bizarre story, Wilson’s murder remained largely untouched, save for local reporting as the case unfolded, until now.

Director Marina Zenovich and Producer Evan Hayes never made a true crime film before this one, and it shows. While the documentary includes details on the case told through police recordings and emotional interviews, you come away from watching with Wilson top of mind. That’s unusual in a world where true crime media seems to focus on things like the looks of a killer or the goriness of an incident.

Watch the Documentary Trailer

“I love that you mentioned that the crime is the subplot (of the documentary), because that's really what we were trying to do. We were showing who she was, what she worked to become, how she was on the cusp of becoming,” 

The documentary also shows how important Wilson became to Austinites as well as the people investigating her murder. Several Austin prosecutors, police detectives, and others who worked on the case attended the movie’s premiere during South by Southwest last month.

Zenovich said you could feel how invested everyone was in doing right by Wilson while making the documentary.

“I felt that (the movie) had to premiere in Austin,” she said.

SXSW was also the first time Wilson’s parents and brother were in Austin since Armstrong’s trial ended. Matt, Wilson’s brother, told the crowd at the movie’s second screening that showing the documentary felt like closure for him.

The film is equal parts sad and beautiful, as timelines switch from the shooting back to Wilson’s life. You may finish the movie and feel compelled to embrace the Wilsons and you wouldn’t be alone in that. A few viewers were lined up after a SXSW screening to give Matt Wilson a hug. Whether you followed the case or not, the documentary is worth a watch.

“At the end of the day, that's what this movie is about. It's about family and community. It's about perseverance,” Hayes said.

Listen to City Cast Austin's interview with Zenovich and Hayes. 👇

"The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson" is out now on Netflix.

Netflix’s True Crime Documentary on an Austin Homicide Bucks the Status Quo

It is unbelievable that March is not the busiest month in Austin. I know we just finished what felt like a never-ending month of festivals and live music, but April is going to be even bigger and fuller.

Urban Music & Cultural Fest is April 4 at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park. The festival celebrates Austin’s music, art, food, and community. Tickets start at $78.

Dozens and dozens of comics will be performing downtown April 7-18 for this year’s Moontower Comedy Festival. The lineup includes Leslie Jones, Marc Maron, Kathy Griffin, and so many more. Badges start at $175, and one-day wristbands are $85.

ABC Kite Fest starts at 10 a.m. on April 11 in Zilker Park. The annual event is free to attend and includes a mini market, an off-leash area for dogs, and dozens of kites.

Pease Park is hosting Squirrel Fest, a celebration of spring, on April 11 starting at 4 p.m. The event is free to attend and includes games, food, drinks, and music.

The Statesman Capitol 10,000 race is on April 12 this year. The 10k race goes through downtown and includes live music. You still have time to register, too.

Head out to Pease Park on April 25 for Eeyore’s Birthday Party, which is free to attend. 

 and celebrates our city’s free spirit with drum circles, face painting, costumes, and vendors.

Austin Reggae Fest runs April 17-19 at Auditorium Shores. The lineup includes Stephen Marley, Original Koffee, and Iration, among others. Tickets start at $53.

Austin Blues Festival is April 25-26 at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park. The lineup includes Jimmy Vaughn & Friends, Parliament Funkadelic, Eric Johnson, and George Clinton. Tickets start at $89.

Your Guide to April 2026 in Austin

South by Southwest 2026 has come and gone, and before the city completely reverts back to normal, we’re sharing our favorite moments from this year’s fest!

Charley Crockett’s Show at Stubb’s BBQ

“This was the main event for me, and the artist I was most excited to see at SXSW. Crockett played to a pretty packed crowd of fans on Wednesday night. He performed a mix of old and new songs and had some talented openers, including Presley Haile and Nicky Diamonds.”

Getting Stuck in an Elevator With Andrew Scott

“I made my way to the Omni Hotel downtown to see actor Andrew Scott (

) talk about the characters he's played so far in his career. After the talk, my friend and I hung around for a bit and then made our way to the same elevator Scott stepped into.

The attendant pressed the button for the ground level, and as the elevator made its way down, it suddenly stopped, midfloor. She announced we were stuck and quickly called for help. I'm not one for tight spaces with little air flow, so I focused on not spiraling and scanning the space to see if anyone else was feeling the panic. That's when someone said, "Isn't it Friday the 13th?" It was. Of course it was. So there we all were, trapped in an elevator between the second and third floor of the Omni Hotel with Scott, making small talk, cracking jokes, and pretending this was all normal.

There was something surreal and weirdly perfect about it all. After about 20 minutes, the elevator lurched back into motion again and everyone got off unscathed. Twenty minutes of low-grade horror and unexpected delight will probably go down in history as my favorite SXSW moment yet.”

“The best thing I saw at SXSW was unplanned, sponsored by Sam’s Club, and involved hot dogs. On Friday, I was about to bike home when I saw a notification on my SXSW Go app about a performance and Q&A with Ashe.

I ‘discovered’ Ashe myself at last year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival, when I stumbled upon her band The Favors with best friend Finneas. Ashe has a mesmerizing Marilyn Monroe-esque stage presence, silk gown wafting in the breeze and all.

At SXSW, Ashe performed solo, with a guitar accompaniment, in a small room of people enjoying 

. Her voice was so smooth, and she hit all the high notes despite suffering from allergies (who amongst us isn’t these days?). After she sang, Ashe did a short Q&A with Sam’s Club, but hung around long afterwards to talk to fans and take pictures. This is my favorite part — that festival-goers can interact like regular people with incredible musicians and stars like Ashe. I asked her what she loved about Austin.

‘Walking while I’m on tour is what grounds me,” she said. “I just love walking or running on the trail around the river.”

Laughing With Chris Fleming and Eric André

 this SXSW, my favorite event was the conversation between comedians Chris Fleming and Eric André on the second-to-last day of the festival. Laughing for an hour straight was the best way to close out SXSW. 

, the comedians could barely stay on topic, which was supposed to be a deep dive into Fleming’s work. No matter. I’d listen to these two literally read the phone book.

Iliza Shlesinger’s Hilarious Texas-Based Movie

When comedian Iliza Shlesinger said her movie “Chasing Summer” was a love letter to growing up in suburban Texas and millennial nostalgia, I knew I was in the right seat.

The next two-ish hours were perfectly awkward, cringey, and hilarious, just like Shlesinger’s comedy style. In the film, the protagonist is a disaster response guru who gets dumped by her boyfriend and moves back home with her parents. Things go very badly, and it’s a blast to watch.

Although the movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Shlesinger said it truly belonged at SXSW. There’s no release date yet, but fingers crossed it gets picked up soon.

The Best of SXSW 2026

It’s been days of squishing into cramped seats at Paramount Theatre and eating too many Alamo Drafthouse meals. But the work was worth it.

 movies at South by Southwest 2026, here’s the five you’ve absolutely got to see once they’re out in the world:

Wonderfully deranged and delightfully surreal is the best description for Boots Riley’s “I Love Boosters.” The movie stars the effervescent Keke Palmer as a booster, someone who steals high-end clothes to resell them. Whatever you think this movie is, I can promise you’re wrong. Riley said the movie is his best work and he’s not wrong. It’s got otherworldly characters (literally), delicious costumes, great wigs, Demi Moore, Naomi Ackie, and it’s an anti-capitalist flick, to boot. The soundtrack is killer, too. The movie 

What can go wrong when a couple convenes at their family cabin with a secret mission to kill the other? Everything, it turns out. “Over Your Dead Body” stars Samara Weaving and Jason Segel as a couple who are 

over each other that murder is the only option and what ensues is so gloriously gory and just plain fun. Support from Juliette Lewis and Timothy Olyphant, both the cherry on top of whatever they’re in, make this horror-comedy situation even more enjoyable. The movie 

I’ll admit it. I didn’t know too much about singer-songwriter Noah Kahan before seeing the premier of his documentary “Noah Kahan: Out of Body.” But it didn’t matter. The documentary captures you from the moment it starts. Kahan could have a career in comedy if the music thing somehow fizzles out — I was laughing from the start. The documentary lets viewers into his world, following his meteoric rise to fame as he works on a new album and moves home to Vermont. On the way, Kahan shares his challenges with depression and body image issues in a truly intimate way that made this writer a fan for life. The documentary streams 

Oh, did you say you were looking to belly laugh for 90 minutes straight? Try “Seekers of Infinite Love.” The movie follows siblings Zach, Kayla, and Wes, played by John Reynolds, Hannah Einbinder, and Griffin Gluck, respectively, as they drive across the U.S. to save their sister Scarlett, played by Justine Lupe, from a cult. Also on the drive is Rick, an emotional cult deprogrammer played by Justin Theroux. Every actor does line readings you never thought possible and are able to bounce between heartfelt and hilarious. 

 for a release date because there’s no way “Seekers of Infinite Love” won’t get picked up!

“Kill Me” keeps you guessing until its final moment…and then also on your walk to your car and on the drive home from the theater. The movie follows Jimmy, played by Charlie Day, who thinks someone tried to kill him and staged it as a suicide. Allison Williams is Margot, the 9-1-1 operator who answers Jimmy's call for help. The pair investigate the mystery as the movie asks viewers over and over who they believe. I loved seeing Day take on something more dramatic while keeping his comedic flair and Williams is lovely as Margot. This is another one to 