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The best free and fun events in Austin, May 11 – May 14, include The Wiz, Affordable Art Fair, and more!
Austin turns up the energy long before the weekend hits, and this list rounds up the can’t-miss events keeping the city buzzing all week long. Explore what’s happening from May 11 to May 14 and keep your weekdays packed with Austin’s signature spirit and creativity!
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Free and Fun Events in Austin this Monday, May 11, 2026
Austin Jewish Film Festival: Ain’t No Back To A Merry Go Round
This inspiring documentary takes you back to 1960, when Black students and Jewish neighbors in the DC area stood side by side to challenge segregation. Their courage, solidarity, and shared commitment to justice helped spark a broader civil rights movement.
Their story is a powerful reminder of what becomes possible when people stand together across lines of difference.
Where: Galaxy Theater, 6700 Middle Fiskville Rd, Austin, TX 78752
When: Monday, May 11, 2026 | 7 pm
How Much: $15
Blue Genie Art Bazaar’s Annual May Market Returns to Austin
Image credit: Blue Genie Art Bazaar
Explore a vibrant local shopping experience at the sixth annual May Market by Blue Genie Art Bazaar. Held every weekend in May, this free, family-friendly event brings together nearly 200 regional artists and artisans under one roof.
Browse handcrafted gifts perfect for any occasion, and enjoy hands-on fun with DIY card printing every Saturday.
Where: Blue Genie Art Bazaar, 6100 Airport Blvd Ste C, Austin, TX 78752
When: Monday, May 11 – 31, 2026 | 10 am – 8 pm (Fridays – Sundays only)
How Much: Free
Free and Fun Events in Austin this Tuesday, May 12, 2026
11th Annual Water, Texas Film Festival
The Texas Water Foundation brings back the Water, Texas Film Festival for its 11th year, and this one is packed.
Emerging filmmakers from across the state take on a single, deceptively vast subject: water and Texas, through creative narratives, documentaries, and artistic works, all judged by award-winning Texas native director Richard Linklater.
This year also marks the premiere of Hope for the Guadalupe, a new film from the creators of Deep in the Heart, Ben Masters and Fin and Fur Films. It chronicles how Hill Country community members, nonprofits, scientists, and volunteers joined forces to restore a river’s ecology, followed by a Q&A with its creators.
Come for the films, stay for the drinks, and leave with a chance to win some serious door prizes.
This includes two general admission tickets to Jimmy Eat World at the Moody Amphitheater, a private Glass Bottom Boat Tour at The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, Chiso’s Handcrafted Cowhide Cowboy Boots, or Patagonia gear.
Where: Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701
When: Tuesday, May 12, 2026 | 6 pm – 9:30 pm
How Much: $15 | $10 for students
Broadway in Austin presents The Wiz
Image credit: Austin broadway
Forty years after its last pre-Broadway tour, The Wiz is back, and it’s bringing every bit of the soul, gospel, rock, and finger-snapping ’70s funk that made it a Tony Award-winning game-changer.
This all-new production puts a groundbreaking spin on The Wizard of Oz, following Dorothy’s journey to find her place in a contemporary world, set to a score packed with timeless hits like “Ease on Down the Road” and the classic “Home.”
Don’t miss your chance to catch a piece of Broadway history as it makes its return to the stage.
Where: Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Dr, Austin, TX 78712
When: Tuesday, May 12 – 17, 2026
How Much: Not stated
Free and Fun Events in Austin this Wednesday, May 13, 2026
2026 Austin Soundwaves Season Finale
Image credit: Austin Soundwaves
Austin Soundwaves closes out its season with a concert that brings students, staff, alumni, and the wider community together to make music and celebrate everything accomplished throughout the year.
The Season Finale puts on full display the range of Austin Soundwaves’ school and community programs, making it a one-of-a-kind opportunity for collaboration and a genuine, joyful sharing of music with the people who make the organization what it is.
Where: Bates Recital Hall, 2406 Robert Dedman Dr, Austin, TX 78712
When: Wednesday, May 13, 2026 | 6 pm
How Much: Free
28th Annual Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
Now in its 28th year, Cine Las Americas returns to amplify underrepresented voices from across the Americas, spotlighting Latinx, Indigenous, and Texas independent stories through screenings, panels, and parties over five days.
This year’s highlights include the opening night film American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez, Street Smart: Lessons from a TV Icon featuring Sesame Street’s Sonia Manzano, a Music Video Showcase and Party curated by Gina Chavez, and more.
With this much on the program, five days might just feel like not enough.
Where: AFS Cinema, 6259 Middle Fiskville Rd, Austin, TX 78752
When: Wednesday, May 13 – 17, 2026
How Much: Starts at $13
Free and Fun Events in Austin this Thursday, May 14, 2026
Affordable Art Fair
The Affordable Art Fair returns to the Palmer Events Center for its third year in Austin, and it’s bigger than ever, bringing together 22 local galleries alongside regional, national, and international galleries for a four-day showcase.
Over 500 works priced from $100 to $12,000, all by emerging and established living artists, will be available for purchase across paintings, prints, sculpture, and photography.
New this year, four artists will be live painting each evening of the fair. Donating to the fair’s charity partner, Dell Children’s Hospital, enters you to win one of those finished works.
Art duo ROXEHA also invites you to grab a pen and contribute directly to their booth walls, while the Smartist app offers an on-site activation that lets you see exactly how a piece would look hanging in your own home.
Where: Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704
When: Thursday, May 14 – 17, 2026
How Much: Starts at $24.22
Texas Burlesque Festival 2026!
Image Credit: texasburlesquefestival.com
The Texas Burlesque Festival is back in Austin for a multi-night celebration of tease, talent, and theatrical flair.
Thursday night opens with a showcase headlined by Eros Sea alongside a lineup of boundary-pushing performers setting the tone for what’s ahead.
Friday night’s headliner is Jessabelle Thunder of Los Angeles, internationally renowned, freshly crowned Miss Exotic World, Queen of Burlesque 2025 at the Burlesque Hall of Fame, and a performer whose résumé spans 11 countries and stages shared with icons like Lizzo and Dita Von Teese.
Closing the festival Saturday night is Madame E, a living legend who began her career in 1970 as Pearl Divine in Honolulu, performed across the Pacific, entertained U.S. troops during the Vietnam era, and earned her place in the Burlesque Hall of Fame.
Bold, body-positive, and equal parts glamour and grit, the 2026 Texas Burlesque Festival is three nights of unforgettable performances you won’t want to miss.
Where: The Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78704
When: Thursday, May 14 – 16, 2026
How Much: Starts at $25
Ilana Glazer Live!
Best known for co-creating and co-starring in the critically acclaimed series Broad City, Ilana Glazer brings her sharp comedic voice to the live stage. Her debut stand-up special, The Planet Is Burning, is streaming on Amazon Prime, her film False Positive is on Hulu, and she can most recently be seen in The Afterparty on Apple TV+.
Off-screen, Glazer co-founded Generator Collective, a non-profit that defines minimal civic engagement and works to humanize policy through people-powered stories on social media.
Catch her live for a night of comedy from one of the most distinctive voices working today.
Where: The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701
When: Thursday, May 14, 2026 | 7 pm and 9:30 pm
How Much: Not stated
Much Ado About Nothing — Austin Shakespeare
Catch Shakespeare’s most beloved comedy under the Austin night sky at Zilker Hillside Theatre.
Austin Shakespeare will transport Much Ado About Nothing to 1950s Italy, drawing on the cinematic world of Fellini with sun-drenched piazzas, effortless style, and lively music woven throughout.
Watch as sharp-tongued Beatrice and sworn bachelor Benedick spar their way through love denial while the romance around them lurches toward chaos. Bring a blanket, pack a picnic, and settle in for a night of wit and warmth.
Where: Zilker Hillside Theater, 2206 William Barton Dr, Austin, TX 78746
When: Thursday, May 14 – 24, 2026
How Much: Free (donations welcome)
Already planning for the weekend? Browse our latest picks for Friday through Sunday in Austin — concerts, food festivals, date ideas, and more await!
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