KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter for the Austin area |
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Sat, May 16: Meet 12-Yr-Old USA Today Bestselling Author Bella Olson + YouTube Stars Anna & Erin | Book Signing & Storytime in Austin
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May 23: Kids on Bikes in Parks
Sat, Jun 6: 5th Annual Midsummer Festival
Sun, Jun 14: Family Day: Garden of Rainbows
Sun, Jun 14: Summer Kickoff Party @ Indigo Play!!
Fri, Jun 19: Juneteeth Celebration in Manor
Sat, Jun 20: Juneteenth Festival Round Rock
Sun, Jun 21: Austin Symphonic Band: Father's Day Concert
Thu, Jun 25: Western Days Festival
Sun, Jun 28: Sesame Street Live
Sat, Jul 11: Dinosaur Day
Sun, Jul 19: Under the Sea
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
For 25 years, one of my core missions with KidsOutAndAbout has been to make invisible things visible, to celebrate what local communities offer families. Everyone is busy, and local treasures are easy to miss. Our job is to point, spotlight, nudge, and say Look here. Try this. Bring the kids. But there’s another kind of invisibility worth fixing:
The people who create these experiences rarely get to see their full impact. They track tickets sold and kids enrolled, but may never hear that your child talked about their field trip for six months, found courage on their stage, or simply felt welcome exactly when they needed it. That’s why our annual Top 20 Places to Take Kids survey matters. Each summer, we ask readers to vote for their favorite local places to take kids.
The results help families see what other families love. The ranking and comments help local organizations see that their work matters. So your three minutes becomes both a recommendation and a thank-you. The survey is simple: Click on your three favorite local destinations. Then also, optionally, nominate favorites in special categories—like arts, sports, and STEM education—and leave comments that we’ll pass along to the people who make these experiences
happen. This year, we are excited to partner with Texas Lifestyle Magazine and DFW Motherhood on the survey... We'll all be shouting about the winners for 2026, so please make your voice heard all over Texas! Click here to vote in the 2026 edition of the survey. Help families find the places they’ll love, and help the people behind those places know they’re making a difference. The survey will be open until June 20.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
P.S. You can check out the 2025 list here to see who won last year. |
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes
from Deb" section of our site. |
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Sunday, May 17 at 2pm: Meet 11-year-old author Bella Olson at Barnes & Noble Southpark Meadows, Austin, as she celebrates the release of her debut adventure novel, TRAPPED and its recent addition to USA TODAY’s BESTSELLERS LIST! Bella will share how she came up with the story, read a short passage, answer questions from young readers, and meet fans during a book signing.
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Our summer class schedule is designed for children who are out of school for the summer and need a daily swim lesson. Swimmers can enroll in classes for one week (Monday – Friday, 1 lesson per day, 5 lessons per week) or into multiple weeks. Our summer class swim students meet Monday through Friday at the same time every day. Lessons run from early June through mid-August. While the core of our program is still perpetual lessons that let swimmers swim year-round, summer lessons have their place too. These classes are a nice way to get your swimmer out to burn off some energy and are also beneficial to the learning process.
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For over 15 years, Liberty Hill Fair and Rodeo has entertained thousands of spectators at their Annual Rodeo event. Since 2020, the Rodeo, now the Liberty Hill Pro Rodeo, became a PRCA-sanctioned rodeo attracting National and World Champion athletes to the arena for 3 nights of entertainment! Buy your tickets today, sign up for a vendor booth, or sponsor an event. See you at the Rodeo!
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Spring is here, and so are the little caterpillars. This week we will create our own little friends that won't be morphing into butterflies. Can't wait to see you here in the Wondershop.
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Party in Your Park takes place four times each year from 5-8 PM. We bring the party to you by visiting various neighborhood parks. Each free event features family-friendly fun, including yard games, music, refreshments and more!
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Please join us to celebrate Pioneer Day 2026! Please join us in celebrating 171 years of Pound House Farmstead history and America’s 250th year anniversary! You can expect children’s games, wagon rides, historic demonstrations including quilt making, leather working, blacksmithing, candle dipping and needlework.
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Come explore big trucks and working vehicles up close! A fun, hands-on event for preschoolers and their families.
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At Whimsy & Wonder, expect the unexpected, as Liberty Hill’s Main Street is transformed into an eclectic fusion of everything whimsical and wonderful, with surprise elements at every turn! Seven live bands, eclectic live art demonstrations, wine tastings, artisan vendors, street performers, and a Children’s Imagination Garden will allow visitors to interact with artists, while being dazzled with magical opportunities to create, enjoy, and be entertained.
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Settle in for a magical movie adventure as we journey to Oz and discover the untold story of Elphaba & Glinda. Enjoy dinner, snacks, dancing, and the full length movie.
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Join us for our annual Dirt Dauber Festival! Over 50 clay artists will be vending their amazing work in this fun-filled weekend. There will be free refreshments, demos, contests of skill, and music all weekend long! Make sure to bring a friend and carpool as parking is limited.
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Bring the whole gang out to #DellDiamond! Come cheer on the home team!
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In Messina, everyone is an expert on love and a complete disaster at it. Austin Shakespeare brings William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing to Zilker Hillside Theatre from May 7–24, 2026. Admission is free, although donations will be accepted.
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The Rodeo Killeen rides back into town May 14–16, 2026! Join us for three action-packed nights of PRCA Pro Rodeo featuring the best cowboys and cowgirls in the business. Bring the whole family for top-notch rodeo action, great food, and hometown fun under the Texas stars!
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Explore the iconic festivals that bring Texans together, from kolaches to art cars and roses to sandcastles, discover how community celebrations reflect Texan identity.
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Janel Nansenn, MA, is an educational therapist and the founder of Read-A-Rific®, a reading comprehension program and Texas PDSES vendor. Nansenn's work has transformed the lives of struggling readers. Over the course of her career, she has helped thousands
of struggling learners achieve success both academically and personally.
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- Much Ado About Nothing - Zilker Park, Austin, TX, Friday, May 15 to Sunday, May 17, 2026, 8:00pm
- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - Austin - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, Friday, May 15 to Sunday, May 17, 2026, See link for times
- Live Music on Lake Travis - Garcia and Kopriva - Volente Beach Resort & Waterpark, Farm to Market Road 2769, Leander, TX, Friday, May 15, 2026, 6:30PM - 9:30PM
- Party in Your Park - City of San Marcos, 630 E. Hopkins, San Marcos, TX, Friday, May 15, 2026, 5-8 pm
- Cantera Montessori's Touch A Truck - Cantera Montessori School of Silicon Valley, West State Highway 29, Georgetown, TX, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 9AM-11AM
- Whimsy & Wonder Art Festival - 1000 Main St, Liberty Hill, TX, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 6 – 10pm
- Dirt Dauber Festival - Eye of the Dog Art Center, 405 Valley View West Rd, San Marcos, TX, Saturday, May 16 to Sunday, May 17, 2026, Saturday
10 am-6 pm, Sunday 12-5pm
- Lives Remembered: Black History in Pease Park - Pease District Park, Kingsbury Street, Austin, TX, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 10:00
- Meet 12-Yr-Old USA Today Bestselling Author Bella Olson + YouTube Stars Anna & Erin | Book Signing & Storytime in Austin - Barnes & Noble, 9600 S I-35 Frontage Rd SUITE R, Slaughter Creek, Austin, TX, Sunday, May 17, 2026, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Austin area is back! You can search by date, age, or categories like day/overnight, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, & more. Our
guide puts summer fun right at your fingertips!
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Enjoy the weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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