A List of 10 Things You Should Do in Austin, Texas

Summer is here and there is no greater place to be than in Austin. We know how lucky we are as Austinites to have an abundance of things to do and experience throughout our weird city. As you start pulling together your calendar for the next few months, check out some of the things you won’t want to miss with this list from Strand Brothers Service Experts.

• Who wants ice cream? – We do! And we’ll be heading to the Austin Ice Cream Festival on August 8 at the Fiesta Gardens. It runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the cost is $10 to get in, but you get free ice cream. Kids 8 and under get in free, too. There will be games, contests and live entertainment.
  
  
• Bullock Texas State History Museum – If you are ready for a little history lesson, this is a great place to go and get a feel for the “Story of Texas.” The IMAX theater will give you an unforgettable experience watching films like Inside Out or Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation.
  
  
• Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail – Hop on your bike or grab your walking shoes and head to Lady Bird Lake to hit the trails. We drive around Austin all the time, but it’s relaxing to slow down and enjoy a scenic view of our city!
  
  
• Broken Spoke – Put on your dancing shows and join us at the Broken Spoke for some traditional country music. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Not confident in your dancing skills? No problem, dance lessons occur every night at 8 p.m.
  
  
• Get patriotic at the Hill County Festival – Celebrate the Fourth of July at the festival, which runs from 4 to 10 p.m. It’s free (we love free)! There is live music, over 75 art vendors, barbecue and of course fireworks.
  
  
• Watch a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse– With five (soon to be six) locations in Austin, we all know it’s the best to place to have some food and drinks while watching a movie. There is kid camp in the mornings where guests 3 and up pick their own ticket price and all of the sales go towards local nonprofits. It’s a win-win!
  
  
• Barbecue – This almost doesn’t need to be said, but if you have a visitor in town, don’t let them leave without experiencing one of our many barbecue joints in Austin. Just start with Rudy’s and go from there.
  
  
• Visit our state capitol– We see it all the time and we know it’s there, but take advantage of the free tours to learn more about the Texas State Capitol. We should be proud of this landmark, which is recognized as “one of the nation’s most distinguished state capitols.” Check the calendar for a variety of events, like Art From The Streets on June 20.
  
  
• Enjoy the outdoors at McKinney Falls State Park – We like to be outside and a great place to experience the outdoors is at the McKinney Falls State Park! Pick from camping, hiking, biking, fishing or just checking out the wildlife, we could spend the whole day here. The summer calendar is full of events – everything from learning to cast a fishing pole to geocaching.
  
  
• Hot air balloons fly over – Grab your camera and head to Lake Austin on August 8! It’s the 25^th year that the Central Texas Ballooning Association will take their annual flight over Lake Travis. Come watch the colorful view as dozens of hot air balloons take flight in the morning.