Austin Highlights: June 1 To June 4 – Food, Music, Arts & More

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The best free and fun events in Austin, June 1 – June 4, include UMLAUF After Dark: Pride!, the Moonlight Margarita Run, 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 June 1 to June 4, and keep your weekdays packed with Austin’s signature spirit and creativity!

Editor’s Note: We work hard to provide you with accurate and up-to-date information. However, all details are subject to change. Please verify information before heading out.

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Check out our recent updates to our guides: Date Ideas in Austin, Things To Do with Teens in Austin, and Best Summer Camps in Austin.

Free and Fun Events in Austin this Monday, June 1, 2026

It’s About Time

You can relax on the hillside with a blanket or low chair to enjoy pop favorites from Back to the Future, Star Trek, and Avengers: Endgame.

Musicians and friends of the Austin Civic Orchestra will present this open-air symphonic performance, which traditionally wraps up with a lucky audience member selected to conduct Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever.

Where: Zilker Hillside Theater, 2206 William Barton Dr, Austin, TX 78746
When: June 1 – 6, 2026 | 8:30 pm to 10:00 pm
How Much: Free

Touch the Art Experience

This is the one art show where touching everything is not just allowed, it’s encouraged — that’s the whole point!

Almost Real Things’ 4th annual Touch the Art Experience transforms the gallery into a fully immersive, all-senses installation featuring work from 83 artists, including collaborating students from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Visit the exhibit to explore tactile installations, discover artwork for sale, and experience what it feels like when art truly includes everyone.

Where: ART Gallery at Canopy, 916 Springdale Rd, Bldg 2 #101, Austin, TX 78702
When: Monday, June 1 – July 5, 2026
How Much: Starts at $20

Free and Fun Events in Austin this Tuesday, June 2, 2026

UMLAUF After Dark: Pride!

Image credit: UMLAUF Sculpture Garden and Museum

Explore the illuminated grounds during an evening filled with local business vendors, unique performances, and a complimentary specialty cocktail. You can even wander past the sculptures while sampling food from The King’s Butler and Butlerette at this monthly community gathering.

Where: Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum, 605 Azie Morton Rd, Austin, TX 78704
When: Tuesday, June 2, 2026 | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
How Much: $12

Ice Age in the Wild at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

The Wildflower Center is about to get prehistoric! Starting May 9, fifteen life-size, gigantic Ice Age mammals, including a 17,500-pound woolly mammoth, will take up residence throughout the gardens for a summer-long run.

Come face-to-face with a saber-toothed cat, a dire wolf, a woolly rhinoceros, and more as you wander the native plant gardens. New weekly Quest of the Week challenges keep every visit fresh, and a small general admission fee gets you through the door.

Where: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave, Austin, TX 78739
When: Tuesday, June 2, 2026 | runs through August 15
How Much: Included with general admission; free for members

Free and Fun Events in Austin this Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Austin’s Global Running Day

Image credit: Statesman Capitol 10, 000

Choose your distance of 1, 3, or 5 miles for this 12th annual social run co-hosted by the East Side Beer Runners and the Statesman Cap10K.

The evening at the brewery includes pizza specials, Yellowbird sauce samples, and a chance to test out demo shoes from PUMA, Mizuno, and HOKA.

Where: Wednesday, June 3, 2026 | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
When: Central Machine Works Brewery, 4824 E. Cesar Chavez St. Austin, TX 78702
How Much: Free

Ticketed Class: Painted Jenga Craft Night

Gather around the tables for a casual, social creative workshop hosted by ROW Craft Night inside the brewery taproom. All painting supplies are provided for you to decorate a custom set of wooden blocks with spaces strictly limited to 30 participants to keep things cozy.

Where: Meanwhile Brewing Co., 3901 Promontory Point Dr, Austin, TX 78744
When: Wednesday, June 3, 2026 | 8:00 pm
How Much: $16

Free and Fun Events in Austin this Thursday, June 4, 2026

Moonlight Margarita Run

Image credit: The Trail Conservancy

Lace up your running shoes for a scenic sunset trip along the shores of Lady Bird Lake during this 23-year local running tradition. Organized by The Trail Conservancy and presented by Maudie’s Tex-Mex, the moonlit miles conclude with a refreshing celebratory margarita against the backdrop of the city skyline.

Where: Auditorium Shores, 900 W Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78704
When: Thursday, June 4, 2026 | 8:00 pm
How Much: $50

Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!

Host Peter Sagal leads a fast-paced evening of comedy and improvisation as National Public Radio’s popular news quiz records live on stage. Watch a rotating panel of comedians, writers, and special guests dissect the week’s headlines while contestants play to win a custom voicemail greeting recorded by the cast.

Where: Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Dr, Austin, TX 78712
When: Thursday, June 4, 2026 | 7:30 pm
How Much: Starts at $80

Kung Fu Cowgirl presents Light (光)

This innovative one-woman performance combines deeply personal storytelling with original music and the visual poetry of traditional Chinese shadow puppetry.

The narrative traces a daughter’s emotional journey to understand her father across miles, memory, and profound loss.

Where: Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704
When: Thursday, June 4 – 6, 2026
How Much: Starts at $22

Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End

Image credit: Austin Playhouse

Enjoy a professional theatrical production charting the life and humor of the iconic American humorist on the main stage. The performance brings classic comedic observations to life, delivering an enriching evening of contemporary storytelling.

Where: Austin Playhouse, 405 W 22nd St, Austin, TX 78705
When: June 4 – 7, 2026 | 7:30 pm
How Much: $25

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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Lacey Morris

Lacey is a freelancer and Austin local who’s always on the hunt for new restaurants to try, fun activities to do, and local events to attend. She loves sharing her discoveries with others through her writing and hopes her work encourages both visitors and locals to be active in the community. When she’s not writing, you can find her exploring one of the city’s many hiking trails with her Blue Heeler, Oreo, getting lost in a good book, or dancing the night away to some house or techno beats at one of her favorite rave spots.