5 Free Things To Do in Austin During the Summer

Sound and Cinema

I look forward to Sound & Cinema every year! They always have a great list of classic movies to watch, and it's free! If you come early, you get first choice of where you wanna lay your blanket down on the lawn you get to hear live music before the movie starts! It's always a different band playing before each movie, and they usually relate to the movie in some obscure way. It's the best! And who can beat that view of the city? (I blogged about my first time at S&C here if you're interested.)

Blues on the Green

Blues on the Green is like a mini ACL Fest held on a few Wednesdays throughout the summer. Oh, and again, it's free. There's only one stage though which everyone flocks to and suddenly the park becomes super crowded. But if you're not too concerned with getting a front row spot, it's nice to just come and chill with friends while listening to some live music. Check out the 2015 lineup here.

Zilker Musical in the Park

I actually went to this for the first time in 2013 where they put on Little Shop of Horrors, and it was so much fun! Need I say this again? It's free. So many free things going on during the summer in Austin, I love it. Anyway, last year my friend and I saw Oklahoma! while relaxing on the Zilker lawn and enjoying our snacks & trying to avoid mosquitoes. This year the musical will be Hairspray which I'm super stoked about. I'm a sucker for musicals, I must admit. I recommend getting their early to snag a good spot!

Congress Bat Bridge

Every summer evening, people gather around the Congress bridge near downtown to see the bats fly out and scatter across the sky. Apparently Austin is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America (1.5 million to be exact), and people come from all over to see one of our now weirdest attractions. Don't be scared though, the bats are harmless and aren't aiming for any people, just watch out for the bat poop (kidding)!

Symphony Concerts in the Park

This is actually the one thing on this list that I haven't done yet, but I'm hoping to go for the first time this year. All I know from reading about it and what I've heard from friends is that it's super chill, and people come to just hang out on blankets while listening to some classic live music. It's in the same place where Sound & Cinema is held because, again, ya can't beat that view of the skyline. :)
sources for images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5