Guest Blogger, Author at The Austinot - Page 4 of 22

Live Music Meets Tubing at Float Fest 2017

August 7, 2017 by Guest Blogger 1 Comment

Float Fest 2017

Credit: Brandon Navarro

Guest article by Brandon Navarro

If there is one thing that immediately comes to mind when I think about the city of Austin, it’s the music. On any given night, you can go into coffee shops, hole in the wall bars, and restaurants, and there will be live music of every kind playing. Everything from live shows to music videos are celebrated here. Not only that, but Austin is home to music festivals that range from well-known to new: SXSW, ACL Fest, Levitation, Reggae Fest, and Austin Food + Wine Festival are just a few of the many that come to mind.

Many don’t realize it, but there’s a new kind of festival in the Austin area. In its short lifespan of four years, Float Fest has grown into something people have been and will keep talking about. When a river can cool you off and spit you out right where the good music starts, that’s where most of us want to be. [Read more…]

10 Austin Books Clubs at Independent Book Stores Cover Range of Genres

July 31, 2017 by Guest Blogger 13 Comments

Austin Book Clubs

Credit: Chris Lawton via Unsplash

Guest article by Archana Vemulapalli

Austin is a book lover’s paradise. With numerous independent book stores, a world-renowned poetry festival, book readings, and one of the nation’s premier annual literary events, the annual Texas Book Festival, there’s something for everyone. It’s no surprise, then, that there’s an abundance of Austin book clubs for the bibliophiles among us.

Book clubs have a long history in the United States, with groups like Benjamin Franklin’s literary society in Philadelphia, called the Junto, and Hannah Adam’s reading circle in the late 1760’s. More than two centuries later, book clubs have expanded beyond the genteel in society. They span every genre and style, with the central theme always being a shared love of the written word.

While I’m still compiling an exhaustive list of Austin book clubs, I did have time to check out a few of the book clubs hosted by or at Austin’s independent books stores. Here are 10 interesting, fun book clubs, organized by genre. Choose one that suits you and find a group of kindred spirits. [Read more…]

Make a Special Connection Doing Yoga With Your Dog at Austin Doga

July 14, 2017 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

Austin Doga Class

Austin Doga founder, Nicole Vykoukal (center), poses with her dog, Bonnie, and members of her class

Guest article by Sarah Snyder

For lovers of yoga who are invested in the tradition of keeping Austin weird, Austin Doga invites you and your dog to experience yoga together.

Appropriate for small, medium, and large dogs of all breeds, walking into an Austin Doga session is like walking into a room full of puppy love. Dogs are excited and people chat until founder Nicole Vykoukal begins [Read more…]

Tasting Innovation at The Austin Winery in South Austin

June 30, 2017 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

The Austin Winery Tasting Room

The Austin Winery at The Yard development in South Austin (Credit: Susannah Haddad)

Guest article by Susannah Haddad

Upon arriving at The Austin Winery, it’s clear that The Yard development in South Austin is going to be big. Currently home to businesses like St. Elmo Brewery, Vuka, Spokesman Coffee, and soon Still Austin Whiskey Co., the city’s first whiskey distillery, The Yard supports local while offering plenty to do.

Co-founders Ross McLauchlan and Cooper Anderson have been making wine since long before The Austin Winery had feet. With their balanced skill set and a gap in the Austin market, they enlisted the help of Matthew Smith, third co-founder and Chief of Operations, then opened their doors.

Walking in, you know these guys don’t mess around with innovation and efficiency. The open warehouse space not only houses a tasting room, [Read more…]

Get the Ultimate Austin Glamping Experience

May 31, 2017 by Guest Blogger 5 Comments

Austin glamping properties on AirBnB

Chris Sawey currently has three Austin glamping accommodations available through AirBnB

Guest article by Rebecca West

Camping is a lot of work. An escape to the great outdoors may seem like a breath of fresh air, but many are put off by the lack of facilities and the effort associated with camping, and return home disappointed and devoid of motivation to ever go back.

“Glamping” is the modern equivalent of traditional tent camping, combining yesterday’s amenities with today’s technology. With special accommodations, glamorous camping has opened up the outdoor experience to those who were dissatisfied before now. [Read more…]

Vannagram Operates Photo Booth on Wheels Using Vintage VW Bus

May 17, 2017 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

Vannagram Mobile Photo Booth Austin

Vannagram & Co. mobile photo booth in Austin (Credit: Sophie Epton Photography)

Guest article by Rebecca West

Nobody attends an event with hopes of not having fun. And today, no party is complete without a prop-filled photo booth. Not only do photo booths keep guests busy, but they’re also a great way to capture memories and create meaningful party favors.

Jared and Emily Shrode, founders of Vannagram & Co., a mobile photo booth company based here in Austin, have mastered the art of guest participation. With an impressive client list that includes South Congress Hotel, The Knot, Austin Way, and other notable national and local show stoppers, it’s clear Vannagram’s street cred runs high. [Read more…]

No Need to Peek Through the Blinds, Thanks to Austin Weird Homes Tour

April 19, 2017 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

Under the Sea Austin Weird Homes Tour

Under the Sea House, part of this year’s Weird Homes Tour

Guest article by Cris Mueller

Austin’s long-standing reputation for weird serves as the perfect stage for the annual Weird Homes Tour. The tour is a showcase of 10 select homes, and your chance to stop just peeking through the blinds. With your ticket, you are invited inside for a personal tour and opportunity to chat with the owners of some of the Bat City’s most creative and unique homes. [Read more…]

Restored Globe Theatre Preserves Old Pastime in Bertram, Texas

January 27, 2017 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

The Globe Theatre Bertram, Texas

Globe Theatre in nearby Bertram, Texas

Guest article by Judy Rae Merhar

The world was by no means perfect in 1935, but perhaps it was simpler. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced across screens, and the world was graced with the birth of two cultural icons: the Dali Lama and Elvis Presley. And lo and behold, Globe Theatre in Bertram, Texas, opened its doors for the first time.

Settle Down With Glass in Hand at Andalusia Whiskey Co. in Blanco

January 17, 2017 by Guest Blogger 1 Comment

Andalusia Whiskey Old Fashioned

Whiskey cocktail at Andalusia Whiskey Co. in nearby Blanco, TX

Guest article by Mathis Kennington

When you think of grain to glass whiskey, what comes to mind? It took me a minute, the first time I let that phrase sink in. It’s less familiar to me than, let’s say, farm to table food. Grain to glass whiskey hints at the same kind of untouched, unmessed with allure our favorite local restaurants offer: raw fruits and vegetables that must only travel a few miles from a local urban farm until they’re in the hands of a discerning chef. Locally and humanely finished beef and pork that didn’t get mixed into a big pile of neon pink mystery meat paste. We Austinites love to know where our food comes from and what our food ate.

It’s strange we don’t demand the same of our spirits.

Enter Andalusia Whiskey Co. This Blanco-based whiskey distillery startup is committed to producing world class whiskeys with integrity. [Read more…]

Lazarus Brewing Company Comes to Eastside With Pints, Pups and Tacos

December 30, 2016 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

Outside Lazarus Brewing Company

Credit: Lazarus Brewing Company

Guest article by Judy Rae Merhar

At the intersection of East Sixth Street and Chicon, you’ll notice a spruced-up teal structure with a navy crest logo reading Lazarus Brewing Company. A barrage of open garage doors allow melodies to drift onto the street. Next to me is a parked pickup with a friendly golden lab wagging its tail from the truck bed. The scene appears like an open invitation to explore this new Austin brewery, and so it is.