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If you’re visiting Austin from out of town for this weekend’s Formula 1 events, don’t limit your experience to the racetrack. Here’s a handy guide to what to do, eat, drink, and see in Austin.
Before heading to the Circuit of the Americas, read this guide to the race schedule, where to park and how to buy tickets. Don’t forget to check out the race’s COVID-19 safety logs here this weekend.
After the race, enjoy all the sights and spots that the state capital has to offer.
More: Seven Austin BBQ Places That Made It On Texas Monthly’s Top 50 List.
Austin food
South Congress Avenue
This vibrant street that the SoCo neighborhood is on has enough popular local restaurants, trendy boutiques, and fancy shops to keep you entertained for hours. Pizza in the home slice, sushi in the Lucky Robot or ice cream in Jeni’s. Don’t forget to snap photos in front of the murals scattered around the area, including the famous “I love you so much” painting on the outside of Jo’s Coffee.
grill
To cross an Austin barbecue place off your list, stop by Terry Black’s Barbecue right at Barton Springs. If you’re looking for a newer restaurant, try Interstellar BBQ, which recently took second place in Texas Monthly’s Top 10 Best Grill Restaurants.
Tacos
To see the quirky sign known on social media for its snark, head to El Arroyo in downtown Austin, which serves huge Tex-Mex servings and famous margaritas. For a smaller joint, just north of the University of Texas campus is Vaquero Taquero, a walk-in taqueria with limited outdoor seating but some of the best tacos in town.
Austin’s best tacos:The full list
Vegan restaurants
Although Austin is known for its tacos and grills, the city still offers some of the best options for those looking for plant-based foods. Arlos Food Truck is reasonably priced, popular with omnivores and vegans alike, and their Bac’n Cheezeburger tastes pretty close to reality. Rebel Cheese specializes in a wide range of vegan cheeses and is currently offering weekend brunch on their terrace. If you miss your cheese after leaving Austin, sign up for their monthly cheese club that ships all over the continental US
Farmers markets
While the Texas Farmer’s Market in Mueller is a great place to shop locally and buy fresh farm produce, it also has amazing bites from a variety of cuisines, locally made jewelry, and housewares that make great gifts. The market is located in a pavilion in Mary Elizabeth Branch Park, which has a playground and an interactive water room with plenty of space for kids and dogs to play.
More: Where can you find Austin Farmers’ Markets (almost) every day of the week?
Outdoor activities in and around Austin
Zilker Park
Famous Zilker Park on Barton Springs Road offers breathtaking views of the Austin skyline, with plenty of lawn to set up a picnic, play an open sand volleyball court, read with friends, or go jogging. The park has a lot of green and is always the best place in town to take an Instagram post.
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Pumpkin patch
It’s getting colder in Texas, and you know what that means: it’s time to go to the pumpkin patch. A short drive from town, Georgetown’s Sweet Eats Fruit Farm has a pumpkin patch, corn maze, and petting zoo. Barton Hill Farms’ pumpkin garden on the Colorado River features live music on weekends, apple cannons, and a beer and cider orchard.
More:Pumpkin spots! Haunted houses! 10 fall things to do with kids in Austin
Lady Bird Lake
One of the city’s most revered gems, Lady Bird Lake, affectionately known as Town Lake, is a hotspot for tourists and locals alike. Join fellow hikers for a walk, run, or bike the 10-mile loop around Town Lake for some of the city’s most iconic views.
Barton Springs
Whatever the season, Austin’s iconic spring pool is well worth a visit. The grassy slopes are full of sunbathers on warm days and the blue-green water is perfect for a cold morning swim. Admission for non-resident adults is $ 9, but visitors can swim for free in a less-maintained section of the spring.
Go hiking. Not really.10 of Austin’s Best Hiking Trails to Experience the Beauty of Hill Country.
Austin bars
Sixth street
Don’t worry about getting bored on this strip of nightlife, restaurants, entertainment and bars in the heart of downtown Austin. Known as the “Dirty Sixth” section, it is notorious for wild nights. Cars are not allowed on this strip so visitors and bar-hoppers can stroll as they please. More to Explore: There are both trendy and historic bars on Sixth Street east of Interstate 35 and a few upscale options on the west end of the street behind Congress Avenue.
Rainey Street
Not a fan of the Sixth Street Chaos? Check out the street that is lined with historic houses that have been converted into a cluster of bars, breweries, and upscale restaurants. Rainey Street has a ton of food trucks and trendy restaurants, but its breweries and cocktail bars are what drive tourists and locals alike to stroll through this row of nightlife.
Places to have a beer in Austin
Head straight off the track to a local beer garden for a more relaxed evening on the town. Easy Tiger is a bakery and brewery in one. A great place for families, Austin Beer Garden Brewing Company has live music, pizza, and other goodies in their large, busy warehouse.
entertainment
Dance halls
If you’re new to Texas, learn how to take two steps at Broken Spoke, an old-fashioned honky-tonk hosted by legends Willie Nelson and The Chicks. Sam’s Town Point is a homely venue that has been open since the 80s and has live music in the evenings.
Record buying
The live music capital of the world has its share of popular and niche record stores. Attend a concert in the Waterloo Records store, arguably the most famous store on Lamar Boulevard. Antone’s Records on Guadalupe Street is just north of the UT campus and prides itself on its collection of Texan artists.
Live music venues
Austin is known for its live music, and eateries and bars across the city always feature local musicians or traveling headliners on weekends. Overwhelmed by the possibilities? Don’t worry, the Circuit of the America has live music all weekend, with acts performing at five locations around the venue at the end of each night. You can see the concert schedule here.
More:Do you fancy live music? The outdoor locations in Austin offer an oasis in a time of pandemic purgatory
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