The best free and fun events in Austin, November 7 – 9, include the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, Wurstfest, and more!
I’ve rounded up the top events and activities happening across the city—from festivals and outdoor fun to live shows and family-friendly picks. Please scroll down for my picks or use the links above to skip to your favorite section!
Editor’s Note: Our staff works hard to bring you the latest information. However, all information mentioned in this article is subject to change. As always, please confirm before heading out.
Catch the world’s best new movies and mix with filmmakers at the Round Top Film Festival, a vibrant four-day event showcasing diverse voices of cinema. Join the audience for insightful panel discussions and fun pop-ups. When: November 6th to 9th Where: Round Top, Texas How Much: Single Day Pass starts at $125
Dive into fun as the Fall Carnival 2025 returns to Pinballz Lake Creek, offering three weeks of excitement from October 23rd through November 9th!
Experience fantastic amusement thrill rides, test your skills at classic carnival games to win big prizes, and enjoy all the traditional treats like funnel cakes and cotton candy.
You also get to play inside the massive arcade, challenge friends to go-karts and laser tag, or grab dinner and drinks from the scratch kitchen and two full bars at Pinballz Lake Creek.
Mark your calendar for the 2025 Texas Book Festival weekend, happening November 8–9, right in downtown Austin!
This annual literary event features a robust and diverse lineup of over 300 authors of the year’s best books, showcasing established, emerging, and debut literary talent for readers of every age!
Make sure you check the Texas Book Festival website for important updates and more information.
Join us for BRAVE Fest, a joyful and powerful celebration of belonging, inclusion, and community, where music, dance, and changemakers unite to #MakeATXBRAVE!
Expect amazing energy with inspiring music and dance, a Community Marketplace featuring local vendors and creatives, and a dedicated Children’s Corner with fun for the whole family!
Join hundreds of Austinites walking and pedaling towards sustainability and community health at Austin’s Cyclovia!
Beyond the cycling, you can engage in physical activities, attend sustainability workshops, participate in map-making and city navigation activities, enjoy arts and crafts, and see a variety of performances, including music, dance, and martial arts.
Non-profit and civic engagement booths, alongside other community and neighborhood partners, will also be there to further enrich the event.
Head to the Festival of Good 2025: Pawsitively Good Fall Fun, a wonderful celebration of the rich bounty of the Texas fall harvest alongside your beloved four-legged friends and community collaborators!
You can enjoy delicious food trucks, live music, and shop with local vendors while the little adventurers explore the Kids Play Zone, and everyone can get a cool giveaway.
The fun also includes a petting zoo, a kids’ crafts corner, sweet seasonal treats, and all aboard the Goodnight Express kiddie train!
Come celebrate the season at the festive Holiday Market inside Hyde Park Presbyterian Church! Shop for unique gifts, delicious treats, and beautiful local crafts to find the perfect presents for all your loved ones.
All proceeds from the market benefit important community outreach programs.
Celebrate Mehregan, the 6th Annual Persian Fall Festival, right here in Austin!
Since 2017, the festival has brought the incredible sights, sounds, and flavors of Persia to the heart of Texas, and this year will be bigger and better than ever.
The day will be filled with delicious food, live music, engaging cultural experiences, and community fun, making this one of the most vibrant and free, and fun events in Austin!
Join the Rhythms & Flavors: Cultural Festival 2025 this Saturday for a spectacular celebration! Following last year’s overwhelming success, this year promises even more captivating live performances, dazzling dances, and mouthwatering culinary experiences.
You can enjoy hands-on fun at the “Experience Clay” table for kids, watch fascinating live pottery demos, get beautiful henna designs, attend relaxing yoga sessions, and explore a vibrant marketplace of vendors and activities for the whole family.
Get ready for an incredible shopping opportunity at the 50th Annual Garage & Estate Sale! The Settlement Home for Children’s massive annual sale gives you the chance to purchase thousands of items at bargain prices.
You’ll find a massive selection ranging from jewelry, tools, and vintage collectibles to children’s clothing. The festivities will begin with a special preview party on November 5th, before the public days run from November 7th through 9th.
Get ready to laugh non-stop at the beloved, Austin-grown Out of Bounds Comedy Festival (OOB), one of the best Austin events happening this weekend!
After a six-year hiatus, the festival is back, featuring a packed schedule of hilarity. You can look forward to seeing incredible performances by talented local Austin acts and troupes from around the country.
Plus, the festival will also bring in special guest Dropout.TV all-stars, including Ify Nwadiwe, Kimia Behpoornia, and Ross Bryant!
Where: Various locations in Austin When: Friday, November 7 – 9, 2025 How Much: Varies
You are invited to the Austin Polish Film Festival (APFF)! Over the years, this event has contributed to the vibrant Austin film scene by screening over 400 films and hosting numerous filmmakers.
This year’s festival will present a diverse and carefully selected lineup from among the latest award-winning features, documentaries, and animations. This unique platform gives Polish filmmakers a fantastic opportunity to share their work with a diverse audience.
Head to Wurstfest for a truly unique annual celebration rich in German culture and absolutely full of Texas fun!
You will enjoy incredible food, lively music, energetic dancing, exciting carnival rides and games, and plenty of German, Texan, and domestic beer! There will also be plenty of special events and the finest in Alpine and Bavarian-style entertainment.
See the beloved holiday classic, A Charlie Brown Christmas, come magically to life on stage!
Follow the wonderful journey of Charlie Brown as he searches for the true meaning of Christmas. The entire Peanuts gang, including Snoopy and Linus, will be joining him on his quest.
Prepare to have your reality bent at The Surreal Luck, a dimension-bending neon art experience ready to electrify the Texas Hill Country this fall!
For two full weeks, culture connoisseurs can experience a western wonder that brings larger-than-life Ion Art installations, unique music, and incredible culinary moments to this mostly private town.
All aboard for the Hill Country Flyer, your ticket to a full-day adventure through the gorgeous Texas Hill Country!
Your journey begins at the Austin Steam Train Association’s Cedar Park Depot. Then, you’ll go on a 66-mile round trip aboard a beautifully restored vintage train pulled by a diesel locomotive.
Along the way, you’ll cross the scenic trestle bridge over the South San Gabriel River and wind through Short Creek Canyon, all from the comfort of a historic railcar!
Mid-trip, you get a two-hour layover in the charming town of Burnet, where you can explore the historic square, browse local shops, and grab lunch at a local restaurant before settling in for a relaxed ride back.
Discover your new secret hideout at Fortlandia, an exciting interactive exhibit waiting for you this fall at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center! Connect directly with the environment by climbing upon, crawling through, and exploring a brand-new lineup of unique forts designed by local artists.
Step into the magical world of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Austin is one of only two cities in the entire country to host this innovative, walk-through experience, giving you a rare chance to see beloved characters like Jack Skellington, Sally, and Zero brought to life right here in Texas.
Catch the world’s best new movies and mix with filmmakers at the Round Top Film Festival, a vibrant four-day event showcasing diverse voices of cinema. Join the audience for insightful panel discussions and fun pop-ups. When: November 6th to 9th Where: Round Top, Texas How Much: Single Day Pass starts at $125
Journey to the beautiful Pioneer Farms in North Austin for the 30th Annual Austin Celtic Festival, where you can explore multiple stages celebrating all things Celtic!
You can enjoy international stars of Celtic music, including Altan and the Tannahill Weavers, plus The Prodigals, local bagpipers, exciting Irish and Scottish dance troupes, engaging workshops, the thrilling Highland Games, captivating storytelling, and even encounters with unique Celtic Animals.
Head over to the Honky Tonk Fest, a massive love letter to the vibrant culture that defines Austin nightlife and beyond!
The festival boasts an incredible lineup of 9 artists on 2 different stages, offering fantastic music from acts like Chaparelle, Emily Nenni, Aaron McDonnell & the Neon Eagles, and The Mellows.
You can also sprawl out on blankets, spin around a dance floor under the Texas stars, and feast on award-winning food from Jester King, KG BBQ, and JABS (this year’s Burger Bash winner)!
Additionally, you can learn the moves with two-step dance lessons, enjoy live dance performances, try your luck at chicken sh!t bingo, and shop for art and vintage fashion.
You are cordially invited to step into a world of magic, music, and merriment at the Mosswood Renaissance Faire! You can explore incredible artisan vendors, browse mystical curiosities, and witness unforgettable performances.
Blaggards will also be bringing their high-energy Celtic rock to the faire, guaranteeing a great time.
Attend the 7th annual Outside the City Limits Music Festival, a fantastic boutique festival set on Vista Brewing’s beautiful, tree-filled 21-acre ranch!
You can relax on the ranch beneath the shady oaks while enjoying an outstanding lineup of local musicians playing all day on two stages! Expect artists like Pedal Steel Noah, The Animeros, Texas String Assembly, and the West Texas Exiles.
While you listen, sample a wide variety of Vista brews, Texas wines & ciders, and fresh, local food, shop the artisan market, play fun yard games in the Game Zone, and connect with community non-profits like Divine Canines and the Driftwood Historical Conservation Society.
Get ready for the 2nd Annual Austin Chicken Wing Festival, the largest all-you-can-eat wing festival in Texas, for a seriously finger-lickin’ good time!
Vote for the most delicious wing as you consume unlimited chicken wings dished out by a variety of Austin’s top wing restaurants and food trucks.
After years of war, you can step into an idyllic Italian town that is finally back in bloom for this performance.
Watch as the young lovers Claudio and Hero, along with the sparring singletons Beatrice and Benedick, discover that all is not as it seems in their beautiful surroundings. This classic comedy entangles them all in a series of mischievous games, pranks, and cunning plots.
Gear up for an unforgettable night with three terrifying haunted attractions at the House of Torment. Brace yourself for an evening of thrilling scares as you make your way through Torment ’99, The Arrival, and The Abandoned.
If you’re seeking even more action, test your skills at the mini escape games or try your hand at axe throwing. You can also team up with friends for a zombie shooting experience. Once you’re done, grab a drink at the Neon Coffin Secret Bar, exclusively for guests 21 and older.
Head to Wurstfest for a truly unique annual celebration rich in German culture and absolutely full of Texas fun!
You will enjoy incredible food, lively music, energetic dancing, exciting carnival rides and games, and plenty of German, Texan, and domestic beer! There will also be plenty of special events and the finest in Alpine and Bavarian-style entertainment.
See the beloved holiday classic, A Charlie Brown Christmas, come magically to life on stage!
Follow the wonderful journey of Charlie Brown as he searches for the true meaning of Christmas. The entire Peanuts gang, including Snoopy and Linus, will be joining him on his quest.
All aboard for the Hill Country Flyer, your ticket to a full-day adventure through the gorgeous Texas Hill Country!
Your journey begins at the Austin Steam Train Association’s Cedar Park Depot. Then, you’ll go on a 66-mile round trip aboard a beautifully restored vintage train pulled by a diesel locomotive.
Along the way, you’ll cross the scenic trestle bridge over the South San Gabriel River and wind through Short Creek Canyon, all from the comfort of a historic railcar!
Mid-trip, you get a two-hour layover in the charming town of Burnet, where you can explore the historic square, browse local shops, and grab lunch at a local restaurant before settling in for a relaxed ride back.
Dive into the fun as the Fall Carnival 2025 returns to Pinballz Lake Creek, offering three weeks of excitement from October 23rd through November 9th!
Experience fantastic amusement thrill rides and family favorites, test your skills at classic carnival games to win big prizes, and enjoy all the traditional treats like funnel cakes and cotton candy.
You also get to play inside the Massive Arcade, challenge friends to go-karts and laser tag, or grab dinner and drinks from the scratch kitchen and two full bars at Pinballz Lake Creek.
Discover your new secret hideout at Fortlandia, an exciting interactive exhibit waiting for you this fall at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center! Connect directly with the environment by climbing upon, crawling through, and exploring a brand-new lineup of unique forts designed by local artists.
Step into the magical world of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Austin is one of only two cities in the entire country to host this innovative, walk-through experience, giving you a rare chance to see beloved characters like Jack Skellington, Sally, and Zero brought to life right here in Texas.
Get ready to explore a massive 4.5-acre corn maze and wander through a Texas-sized pumpkin patch with over 40 unique varieties of pumpkins. Your general admission ticket gives you full access to a petting zoo, pony rides, wagon rides, and over 30 other fun, farm-themed activities.
The fun doesn’t stop there! Enjoy daily pig races and try your aim at the apple cannons. On Friday and Saturday nights throughout October, you can stick around for thrilling fireworks displays. The Saturday and Sunday in October also feature special shows, including Floki Fire, Sky Kings Falconry, and Zoofari.
Journey to the beautiful Pioneer Farms in North Austin for the 30th Annual Austin Celtic Festival, where you can explore multiple stages celebrating all things Celtic!
You can enjoy international stars of Celtic music, including Altan and the Tannahill Weavers, plus The Prodigals, local bagpipers, exciting Irish and Scottish dance troupes, engaging workshops, the thrilling Highland Games, captivating storytelling, and even encounters with unique Celtic Animals.
Mark your calendar for the 2025 Texas Book Festival weekend, happening November 8–9, right in downtown Austin!
This annual literary event features a robust and diverse lineup of over 300 authors of the year’s best books, showcasing established, emerging, and debut literary talent for readers of every age!
Make sure you check the Texas Book Festival website for important updates and more information.
Join us for BRAVE Fest, a joyful and powerful celebration of belonging, inclusion, and community, where music, dance, and changemakers unite to #MakeATXBRAVE!
Expect amazing energy with inspiring music and dance, a Community Marketplace featuring local vendors and creatives, and a dedicated Children’s Corner with fun for the whole family!
Head to the Festival of Good 2025: Pawsitively Good Fall Fun, a wonderful celebration of the rich bounty of the Texas fall harvest alongside your beloved four-legged friends and community collaborators!
You can enjoy delicious food trucks, live music, and shop with local vendors while the little adventurers explore the Kids Play Zone, and everyone can get a cool giveaway.
The fun also includes a petting zoo, a kids’ crafts corner, sweet seasonal treats, and all aboard the Goodnight Express kiddie train!
Head over to the Honky Tonk Fest, a massive love letter to the vibrant culture that defines Austin nightlife and beyond!
The festival boasts an incredible lineup of 9 artists on 2 different stages, offering fantastic music from acts like Chaparelle, Emily Nenni, Aaron McDonnell & the Neon Eagles, and The Mellows.
You can also sprawl out on blankets, spin around a dance floor under the Texas stars, and feast on award-winning food from Jester King, KG BBQ, and JABS (this year’s Burger Bash winner)!
Additionally, you can learn the moves with two-step dance lessons, enjoy live dance performances, try your luck at chicken sh!t bingo, and shop for art and vintage fashion.
You are cordially invited to step into a world of magic, music, and merriment at the Mosswood Renaissance Faire! You can explore incredible artisan vendors, browse mystical curiosities, and witness unforgettable performances.
Blaggards will also be bringing their high-energy Celtic rock to the faire, guaranteeing a great time.
Attend the 7th annual Outside the City Limits Music Festival, a fantastic boutique festival set on Vista Brewing’s beautiful, tree-filled 21-acre ranch!
You can relax on the ranch beneath the shady oaks while enjoying an outstanding lineup of local musicians playing all day on two stages! Expect artists like Pedal Steel Noah, The Animeros, Texas String Assembly, and the West Texas Exiles.
While you listen, sample a wide variety of Vista brews, Texas wines & ciders, and fresh, local food, shop the artisan market, play fun yard games in the Game Zone, and connect with community non-profits like Divine Canines and the Driftwood Historical Conservation Society.
Celebrate Mehregan, the 6th Annual Persian Fall Festival, right here in Austin!
Since 2017, the festival has brought the incredible sights, sounds, and flavors of Persia to the heart of Texas, and this year will be bigger and better than ever!
The day will be filled with delicious food, live music, engaging cultural experiences, and community fun, making this one of the most vibrant and free, and fun events in Austin!
Join the Rhythms & Flavors: Cultural Festival 2025 this Saturday for a spectacular celebration! Following last year’s overwhelming success, this year promises even more captivating live performances, dazzling dances, and mouthwatering culinary experiences.
You can enjoy hands-on fun at the “Experience Clay” table for kids, watch fascinating live pottery demos, get beautiful henna designs, attend relaxing yoga sessions, and explore a vibrant marketplace of vendors and activities for the whole family.
Get ready for the 2nd Annual Austin Chicken Wing Festival, the largest All You Can Eat Wing Festival in Texas for a seriously finger-lickin’ good time!
Get to vote for the most delicious wing as you consume unlimited chicken wings dished out by a variety of Austin’s top wing restaurants and food trucks.
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.
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