Featured Events:
Pachanga Dance Party – Friday, February 8, from 5 – 7:30 p.m. Becker Elementary, the oldest elementary school in South Austin, will welcome families to the second annual Pachanga Dance Party. FREE and open to the public, Pachanga will showcase the unique community of the free dual language school with the DJ skills of El John Selector and a dance performance by students of Flamencura Music & Dance. Parents and children of all ages will get their groove on in the Becker gymnasium, while those who need to rest their feet can enjoy kid-friendly food, a Valentine’s Day themed craft area sponsored by Livemom.com (come say hi!) and capture the night in a photo booth from Fun Loving Photos. Becker Elementary, 906 West Milton St., Austin.
Stargazing at the Roughs: Stories in the Stars – Friday, February 8, from 9 – 10:30 p.m. No registration Required. FREE, All ages. Don’t miss this opportunity for the whole family to explore the galaxy together as our astronomer takes you on a tour of the Milky Way that’s truly out of this world! Behold the wonder of the cosmos through our Dobsonian telescopes and venture beyond the boundaries of our planet. Learn about the constellations and marvel at the beauty and mystery of the universe in this spectacular free program for the whole family. Bring lawn chairs, refreshments and blankets for comfort and enjoy this family event. Program will be canceled in the event of inclement weather. McKinney Roughs, 1884 Texas 71, Cedar Creek.
Goodnight Moon– Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 11:00am and 2:00pm. Step into the Great Green Room as one of the most iconic children’s books of all time is brought to life. In this lively musical, Bunny’s room magically comes alive with stunning puppetry, tap dancing bears, and even a trip through the night sky with a constellation light show. For ages 3 and up. Tickets starting at $16. ZACH Theater, 202 S. Lamar.
Hands on History– Saturday, February 9th from 10:00am- 2:00pm. Black History Month- Join in the celebrations of Black History Month by making a Unity Wreath, and learn about the African American leaders in our community. The Williamson Museum, 716 S. Austin Avenue, Georgetown.
Daddy Daughter Dance- Saturday, Febrary 9, 2013. Dads and daughters infant through 7 is from 5::30- 7:30pm and ages 8 and up is from 8:00- 10:30pm. The 10th annual Daddy Daughter Dance will be a fun and special night full of dancing and a HOPing great time! Light refreshments will be served at each dance. Dad’s and daughters of all ages are welcome. Dad’s with daughter’s in each category may pick to bring both daughters to the dance of their choice. Enjoy dancing to all types of music, a dance contest, refreshments, activities and professional photography onsite. Tickets are pre-sale only; while supplies last. Cost is $10 per ticket. Clay Madsen Recreation Center, 1600 Gattis School Road, Round Rock.
Valentine’s Day Doll Tea Party– Saturday, February 9, at 3:00 and 4:00pm. Join us for a special teatime for children to share with their favorite doll or teddy bear. Each child will enjoy refreshments, listen to a story time, and make a deluxe wand to take home. Space is extremely limited and pre-payment is required to RSVP. Cost: $10 per child. Pottery Barn, Barton Creek Square Mall, 2901 S Capital of Texas Hwy.
Seton’s 22nd Annual Mock Surgery & More – Saturday, February 9, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Seton Healthcare Family presents the event at the Clinical Education Center (CEC) at Brackenridge. From 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. (or beginning at 8 a.m. for school groups), Mock Surgery & More gives visitors the opportunity to learn what happens during surgical procedures and about many health care professionals and organizations that support surgical care. This is a FREE, family friendly event. The self-guided program takes about 2 hours, and includes: several operating rooms with mock set-ups of a variety of surgical procedures, hands-on demonstrations and learning experiences with surgical equipment and other medical procedures, and Seton associates, physicians and surgeons assuming their roles and explaining procedures. No reservations required. Clinical Education Center (CEC) at Brackenridge, 1400 N IH-35, Austin.
Second Saturdays are for Families: Splashy Watercolors– Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 11:00am- 3:00pm. We’re taking rainy day art to the next level! Artist Bethany Johnson will show how to use water to make colorful, one-of-a-kind drawings. Then check out the galleries of the Driscoll Villa to see how Johnson used rain in new ways to create her own art. Cost: $10 per family, $5 for member family. Saturday, Noon- 3:00pm. Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria, 3809 West 35th Street.
FUMP Family Music Festival– Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 10:00am- 1:00pm. The FUMP Family Music Festival is an annual half-day festival that gives young Austinites and their families a chance to enjoy Austin’s best live music together. The festival features the coolest kid-friendly live music, arts and crafts and much more. This year, come celebrate the 10th annual festival with great new bands like Adam and the Bull Shark and the Hey Lollies. And rumor has it, if you show up early you may get to see Elmo and Cookie Monster play songs by the Ramones?!?! You may also to practice your coolest rockstar looks for the new rockstar photobooth by austin’s iconic photographer, Annie Ray. You can also create great arts and crafts like maracas, guitars and more. Visit the musical instrument petting zoo and find out what instrument your little virtuoso loves. There’s even a silent auction for the grown-ups, where you can find deals from all the best local businesses. Tickets: $10. FUMCs Family Life Center, 1300 Lavaca Street.
Austin Flea – Saturday, February 9, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Flea features all local handmade items and vintage wares from some of Austin’s most amazing and talented vendors. Find one-of-a-kind gifts for your honey or yourself for Valentine’s or any occasion, including jewelry, glasswork, clothing, artwork, paper goods, textiles and so much more! Plus, food provided by Blue Ox BBQ & Colibri Cuisine! The Valentine’s Flea will benefit MDA Austin with a silent auction, Kids’ Art Center and more. Entrance to the event is FREE and open to all ages! Emo’s East on Riverside, 2015 E. Riverside (just off IH-35), Austin.
Folk Tales from Africa – Saturday, February 9 at 11:00 a.m. Elizabeth Kahura will share folktales from different parts of Africa, motivational poems both in English and Swahili, proverbs, riddles and tongue twisters, jokes and mimes, music and games. FREE! No registration necessary. Wells Branch Community Library, 15001 Wells Port Drive, Austin.
Kite Making Workshop – Saturday, February 9, from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. The City of Austin Parks and Recreation and The Exchange Club of Austin invite the public to attend a FREE kite workshop. Organizers will help adults and children make kites and materials will be provided. The series of workshops will continue every Saturday in February at recreation centers throughout Austin. Organizers encourage participants to fly the kites at the annual Zilker Park Kite Festival on March 3. Dove Springs Recreation Center, 5801 Ainez Drive, Austin.
Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinic: Valentine’s Day- Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 10:00am. A FREE do-it-yourself clinic for kids! Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! Bring your child to Lowe’s and they can build a Wheel of Love! All participating Lowe’s locations. Must pre-register.
Darwin Day – Sunday, February 10, from 1 – 4:45 p.m. Join Texas Natural Science Center (TNSC) for Darwin Day—a FREE, family-friendly event celebrating the 204th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 154th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species. Travel on your own voyage of discovery as you explore specimens from the TNSC collections similar to those that Darwin saw during his journey while aboard the HMS Beagle, investigate how Darwin’s observations led him to develop fundamental theories of evolution, and learn more about Darwin’s influence on modern day science. FREE activities for the whole-family include: arts and crafts, digging in the Fossil Dig Pit, and exploration of booths hosted by University of Texas at Austin scientists. Texas Memorial Museum, 2400 Trinity Street, Austin.
Make a Valentine at Terra Toys – Sunday, February 10, from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Terra Toys invites you to make a Valentine! Decorate to your heart’s content with paper, glitter, stickers and all other supplies provided by Terra Toys, including their signature hand cut wooden heart! Like all Terra Toys events, this is a FREE event! (The store kindly asks that all children are accompanied by an adult; each adult may bring a maximum of three children.) For any questions, call Terra Toys at (512) 445-4489 or email info@terratoys.com. Terra Toys, 2438 West Anderson Lane, Austin.
Family Dance Workshop: Snow White– Sunday, February 10 from 2:30- 4:00pm. Family Dance Workshops engage children and adults of all ages and levels of dance experience with excerpts from the latest Ballet Austin production. Ballet Austin dancers lead groups in movement exercises to learn short pieces of choreography that build understanding of and appreciation for techniques essential to the production. Participants learn new skills and put it all together with the help of the dancers to demonstrate what they’ve learned during the workshop. There’s fun for everyone involved! See excerpts from the whimsical world premiere of Ballet Austin’s Snow White, and play movement games with Ballet Austin dancers. Recommended for children ages 3 to 10 years old and their family members. Cost: $10 per person, Kids Series season ticket holders** and their families – $5 per person. Ballet Austin’s AustinVentures StudioTheater, 501 W. 3rd Street.
Texas Rollergirls Season Kick Off- Sunday, February 10, 2013. Doors open at 5:00pm with the first bout taking place at 6:00pm. Bring the entire family out for the season opener with two bouts: The Hell Marys vs. Hotrod Honeys and Hustlers vs. Honky Tonk Heartbreakers. Tickets: $12 in advance, $15 at the door and $10 for students. Kids 12 and under are FREE. The Austin Convention Center, entrance at 4th and Red River.
Recurring Events:
Friday Night Storytime- Enjoy a FREE storytime with the kids on Fridays at 7:30pm. Barnes and Noble, La Frontera Village, 2701 Parker Road Bldg A Suite 700, Round Rock.
Central Market North Lamar– Live music and dancing, oh my! This is a great spot for parents to enjoy music while letting their kids burn some energy on the playground. There are also ducks to feed in the nearby pond. Fridays and Saturdays from 6:30- 9:00pm. Central Market, North Lamar Blvd.
Craft Time for Kids– Bring the kids to get crafty. The crafts change weekly and usually are themed for particular holidays or seasons. FREE!! Saturday, 11:00am- 3:00pm. Lakeshore Learning Center, 9828 Great Hills Trail.
Food-Free Family Storytime-The Round Rock Public Library presents Food-Free Family Storytime, a reading activity that welcomes families with children of all ages to a fun environment that’s safe for individuals affected by food allergies.This interactive program includes a variety of activities such as books, fingerplays, music, movies, and puppets. FREE!! Saturday, 10:30. The Round Rock Public Library, 216 E. Main Street, Round Rock.
BookKids Storytime– Join the wonderful staff at BookPeople as they entertain your kiddos with stories, crafts, guest storytellers, and sometimes even puppets! Saturday mornings at 11:30am. FREE!! BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd.
What’s the Story Steve?– Move Your Tale and ColdTowne Theater collaborate to present this fully improvised theatrical journey through a story of the audience’s making. Featuring Steve the improvising poodle, a portion of the show follows Steve through an original tale. Pay what you wish. Appropriate for audiences of all ages. A return to MYT’s classic event structure, kids will join us on the stage for the entire event, providing sound effects, characters and settings for for every story. This is a chance to create original tales, and to perform them right away! Saturday at 10 a.m. ColdTowne Theater, 4803 Airport Blvd.
Storytime- A weekend storytime for families with kids of all ages. (Circus Chickendog performs on January 19th) FREE!! Saturday, 11:00am. Wells Branch Community Library, 15001 Wells Port Drive.
Flying Theater Machine: Snowball Fight- Sundays at the Hideout, Flying Theater Machine presents kid-oriented improv right here in Austin. The audience will help us with suggestions and sound effects, and a few lucky kids will even get to join us on stage. Sunday, 2:00pm.Tickets: $8. The Hideout Theater, 617 Congress Ave.
Whole Foods Kids’ Club – Hey kids, stop by and check out what’s going on at Kid’s Club. Each week we have an exciting activity that will let you play with your food plus learn a couple things along the way. FREE!! Sunday, 1:00pm. Whole Foods Market, 525 N. Lamar.
Cherrywood Kid’s Show– Bring the kids out to see a FREE show while mom and dad sip on a hot cup of coffee! Groundwork Music will be performing on 2/10. Sunday, 10:30am. Cherrywood Coffeehouse, 1400 E. 381/2 Street.
All Ages Storytime– Head downtown to hear an all ages storytime at the library! Sunday, 1:00pm. FREE!! Faulk Central Library, 800 Guadalupe Street.
