Top 25 Things to Do in Austin this Summer ~ 2013

Happy Summer everyone! School is out and the kiddos are just itching to do some fun activities! There are so many fun & unique events happening in Austin and surrounding cities over the next three months!! Check these out!

Here are the Top 25 Things to do this Summer in Austin

1. Swim at a Water Hole - Why swim at a boring old pool when there are some gorgeous natural swimming holes and springs in the area? Check out Krause Springs, Hamilton Pool, Blue Hole in Wimberley, or Barton Springs. all summer long

2. Shipwrecked! by Penfold Theatre - Summer kicks off with a fun opportunity to see theater in the park up in Round Rock. Thursday, Friday, & Saturdays in June 8:00 pm

3. Don't just see the Bats this summer - Learn about our amazing bat colony that lives under the Congress Ave Bridge from the Austin Park Rangers. Each Friday night in June at 8pm

4. Austin Sound & Cinema - What could be more fun than a FREE concert & movie on the Long Center lawn?? Take a look at the summer schedule of movies here. Alternating Wednesdays in June 5 - August 21 at 7 pm

5. Blanton Summer Family Program - The Blanton Museum of Art offers Story Time Tours and Art Labs for children each Thursday & Friday this summer. Admission for children 12 and under is free. Thursdays & Fridays June 6 - August 9, 2013

6. National Lampoon's Vacation Quote-a-long - It's been 30 years since this iconic movie was released. Do you rememebr all the lines? No need, the words pop up along the bottom! The Alamo Drafthouse quote-a-longs are a must do event. June 11, June 13, June 18, & June 20, 2003

7. Children's Day Art Park - Each Wednesday morning in June & July, enjoy music, dancing, art, and more. Put on by the Austin Symphony, it is only 50 cents to participate and is one of the highlights of the summer! Wednesdays June 12-July 31 at 9:30 am

8. Austin Mural Photo Scavenger Hunt - Take your next visitors around our wonderful city and Find out more here. anytime

9. Father's Day Concert with the Austin Symphonic Band - Celebrate Dad in a fun way - spread out your blanket on the Zilker Hillside and listen to the band play familiar tunes at this FREE concert. Sunday, June 16, 2013 - 6:00pm - 8:00pm

10. Play a Round of Old-School Mini-Golf - Peter Pan Mini Golf takes you back in time with it's whimsical 18-hole golf courses (two of them!). There's not to many of them around the Austin area, so this is a fun treat for the kiddos - especially those who have never played mini-golf! anytime

11. 20th Anniversary Screening of The Sandlot - Come out to the ballpark and watch The Sandlot on the jumbotron while sitting on the Dell Diamond field!! How fun is that? June 25, 2013 7:05 pm

12. Austin Symphony July 4th Concert & Fireworks - This is the big way to celebrate July 4th here in Austin, on the lawn of Auditorium Shores. July 4, 2013 at 8:30 pm

13. Stargazing Parties - The Summer is a perfect time to get outdoors and observe the celestial skies! And the Austin Astronomical Society offers events each month to look at the stars (Public Star Parties) and the moon (Moonlighting Parties). Make reservations, as these parties fill up quickly! July 6

14. Geocaching - One of my families all time favorite things to do, this Free activity is always available. Check out our Geocaching 101 post here to get started. anytime

15. Watch a League of Their Own at Movies in the Park - A free movie in the park brought to you by Austin Park Foundation and Alamo Drafthouse. Bring lawn chairs or blankets and watch a movie under the stars. Thursday, July 11, 2013 at 8:30 pm

16. "Little Shop of Horrors" Zilker Summer Musical - We always look forward to the annual Zilker Summer Musical as we love the shows! These FREE performances are well attended, so make sure you plan appropriately - here are our tips from last year. Thursdays - Sundays July 12 - August 18 8 - 10 pm

17. Austin Park - This fun family park recently underwent a major rennovation and it looks great. It's a fun day of games, acing, water play, mini golf, and all the pizza you can eat! anytime

18. Bubblepalooza! - A fun day filled with bubbles, music, chalk art, and water fun on the Long Center Terrace. August 10, 2013

19. WWII Family Fun Day - Just a short drive out to Fredericksburg to see one of the best WWII museums west of the Mississippi - the National Museum of the Pacific War They are having a Family Fun Day in August, but a trip put there to see the museum is a great idea anytime. August 3, 2013

20. Austin Pet Expo - Bring your pet (dog, cat, bird, lizard) to see all sorts of fun displays, performances, pet adoptions, vaccinations and more! Free Admission at the Palmer Event Center. August 3, 2013

21. Round Rock Express Game - So many fun things going on up at the Dell Diamond from Kids Days (Sundays) to Dollar Dog Night (Mondays) to Fireworks Fridays. Check out their Full schedule seen here April 4 - September 2, 2013

22. 7th Annual Austin Ice Cream Festival - It's going to be hot in August, so why not cool down with the best treat? FREE Ice Cream plus games, activities, and more. August 17, 2013

23. Canopy Challenge at Natural Bridge Caverns - For a unique challenge after a fun morning at the Natural Bridge Caverns, climb up the Canopy Challenge and zip line down! anytime

24. 9th Annual Night of the Bat Fest - Celebrate one of the coolest things we have in Austin - our 2 million Mexican free-tailed bats. Arts & Crafts, Food, Vendors, Music, and a costume contest! August 24, 2013

25. Staycation! - Book a night (or two) away at one of our great local resorts for you & your spouse or the whole family! We have been to all of the following resorts and they are perfect get-aways for either type of mini-vacation!
Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa
Lakeway Resort & Spa
Barton Creek Resort & Spa
JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa

With lists like these, do you ever wonder why anyone would choose to live anywhere else? Have a wonderful Summer y'all.