Navigate Austin with ACVB's mobile website and app
Now visitors can navigate Austin with their phone or mobile device. Austin CVB's mobile website welcomes visitors to browse hotel, restaurant and attraction listings and get discounts by joining the Austin Insiders Club. By going to www.austintexas.org on any web-enabled smart phone, users can click to purchase Austin music, check a calendar of events and make accommodation and tour reservations.
In addition to the mobile website, the Austin iPhone application, the Austin Guide, is free from the iTunes app store. Users can download the program to search and find out where to stay, dine, tour, hear live music and more. Visitors can also book tours and accommodations and listen to Austin music.
It’s high-flying season for Austin's bats
Austin is home to North America's largest urban bat colony, and through October, it's high season for the viewing of their nightly flight. One of the best places for bat-watching is the Radisson Austin Hotel & Suites, located at the corner of Congress Avenue and Cesar Chavez streets. As the bats emerge from their roost underneath the Congress Avenue bridge each night at dusk, they head east, past the Radisson's expansive patio. It's a great spot to sip a cocktail and enjoy the city's most unique attraction. The hotel offers some wonderful travel packages as well – get 20% off, free parking and more when you book online at AustinTexas.org.
Classical Chinese dance company, Shen Yun, coming to Austin
This August, Austin will play host to Shen Yun Performing Arts, a classical Chinese dance company which brings the ancient Chinese culture to life. Shen Yun employs original music and choreography to tell the stories of history and today, through ethnic and folk dance as well as grand classical processionals. Shen Yun will be holding two shows at The Long Center for the Performing Arts on August 7. More information can be found at shenyunperformingarts.org.
Austin struts its stuff in the second annual Austin Fashion Week
The second annual Austin Fashion Week, a celebration of Austin style, takes place August 14-21 and features runway shows by the best of the local fashion community. Austin Fashion Week brings together the work of retailers, designers, photographers, makeup artists and more with each look sent down the 120-foot catwalk.
The week-long display will begin with the "Bright Lights Idea City" official kickoff event on August 14, with collections by Twelfth Street Cynthia Vincent and Robert Stock for Robert Graham, along with a special appearance by musical guest, Tiffany. From August 15-20, Fashion Week takes over retailers and salons throughout the city – just pick your district: glossy 2nd Street, eclectic South Congress or the upscale Domain. www.fashionweekaustin.com
Austin City Limits Music Festival brings The Eagles, Muse, The Strokes to Texas
The Austin City Limits Music Festival returns to Austin, October 8-10, and it's never been easier to navigate this three-day, eight-stage musical extravaganza. R&R Limousine and Bus Rentals now offers door-to-door shuttle service from area hotels to the festival site, Zilker Park. Shuttle passes are $38 for unlimited rides all weekend.
Visitors can also save money on your ACL Festival experience with special local business discounts from the Austin CVB. Visit www.austintexas.org/visitors/discounts_and_deals to join the Austin Insiders Club and save at bars, clubs and restaurants around town including Buffalo Billiards, Momo's Club, The Belmont and Waterloo Records.
This year's ACL Festival headliners include The Eagles, Muse, The Strokes, M.I.A. and nearly 120 other acts.
Roll camera on Austin film festivals
Through October, Austin hosts four film festivals, with movies across the genre spectrum. First up is the "Lights. Camera. Help." Film Festival, July 29-Aug. 2. At this new festival, cause-driven organizations share their mission through the art of cinema. www.lightscamerahelp.org
The Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival, the oldest and largest GLBTQI film festival in the Southwest, takes place from September 7-12 and features a wide range of gay and lesbian productions. www.agliff.org
Fans of sci-fi, horror, or fantasy should check out Fantastic Fest at the Alamo Drafthouse, September 23-30. This year's Fantastic Fest will also include the first Fantastic Arcade, a gaming festival where new indie products highlight the lineup. www.fantasticfest.com
The Austin Film Festival tops off the cinematic season with top-billed films from around the world alongside indie favorites. With a variety of features, shorts, premieres and advance screenings, the Austin Film Festival and Conference takes place throughout downtown, October 21-28. www.austinfilmfestival.com
Remembering the legacy: Walter Cronkite exhibit at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
"Cronkite: Eyewitness to a Century" explores the life and career of celebrated CBS newscaster Walter Cronkite, best-known for his time as lead anchor on the "CBS Evening News" during the second half of the twenty-first century. Cronkite broke nearly every memorable news story to the American public including D-Day, the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal and the U.S. space program.
The exhibit runs at the LBJ Library and Museum through January 3, 2011. More information can be found at http://cronkiteexhibit.com.
