May is when Austin starts feeling like summer is already here.

The calendar might say spring, but anyone who has spent a May afternoon walking downtown knows better. Temperatures are climbing, patios are packed, pools are becoming the place to be, and Austin’s restaurants and bars are moving their entire social lives outside.

After the festivals and craziness of March and April, May has a different energy. There is still plenty happening, but the city feels less frantic. Instead of chasing one giant event after another, May is about finding somewhere fun to spend the afternoon and letting the day turn into the evening.

And this year, there is one obvious theme:

Get in the water.

Memorial Day weekend is approaching, summer is around the corner, and Austin’s legendary swimming-hole culture is coming back to life.

For anyone visiting Austin—or anyone who has somehow lived here for years without taking advantage of it—May is the month to start exploring the city’s pools.

The most famous is obviously Barton Springs Pool.

The three-acre spring-fed pool in Zilker Park remains one of the most recognizable places in Austin. The water stays around 68 degrees year-round, which sounds refreshing until you actually jump in.

In May, though, that cold water starts making considerably more sense.

After spending an afternoon in the Texas heat, jumping into Barton Springs is less of a shock and more of a reset button.

And the best part is that you don’t need a fancy pool club to enjoy it.

Bring a towel.

Bring sunscreen.

Bring some water.

Find a place to sit.

Swim.

Then spend the rest of the afternoon around Zilker Park.

That can easily become an entire Austin day.

But Barton Springs isn’t the only way to spend a warm afternoon.

Deep Eddy Pool is another Austin classic and one of the city’s oldest swimming pools.

Located just west of downtown, Deep Eddy has a completely different feel from Barton Springs. It is smaller, more neighborhood-oriented and deeply connected to Austin’s history.

The pool dates back to the early 1900s and has become one of those places that longtime Austinites tend to take for granted.

Don’t.

If you’ve never spent an afternoon there, May is the perfect time.

And if you’re looking for something even more casual, Austin’s lake culture starts becoming more important as the temperature rises.

Lady Bird Lake is already busy with kayakers, paddleboarders, runners and people walking the trail, but May is when the lake really starts feeling like part of the city’s social calendar.

You don’t have to own a paddleboard.

There are rental operations around the lake that make it easy to get on the water for an afternoon.

For a group of friends, renting kayaks or paddleboards can be a much better summer activity than sitting inside a bar for four hours.

And afterward?

Go get a drink.

That’s the beauty of Austin.

You can spend the afternoon outside and still end up at a bar before dinner.

May is also when Austin’s rooftop and patio bar scene starts becoming a major part of nightlife.

The weather is warm, but the evenings can still be comfortable.

That means people are staying out later.

Downtown rooftops become busy.

East Austin patios fill up.

South Congress gets crowded.

Rainey Street becomes one giant outdoor party.

And neighborhood bars start opening their doors and windows to take advantage of the weather.

If you are planning a night out in May, don’t automatically head to the biggest bar district.

Some of the best nights happen at smaller neighborhood spots.

Find a patio.

Order a cold beer.

Get some food.

Listen to music.

Let the evening develop naturally.

That is a much more Austin way to spend a Saturday than planning every minute.

Food is another major part of May.

As the temperatures rise, Austin restaurants begin leaning heavily into lighter summer menus, frozen drinks, outdoor dining and food events.

This is when tacos become especially dangerous.

Not because tacos are bad.

Because you can eat them at almost any hour.

Breakfast tacos in the morning.

Tacos for lunch.

Tacos after the pool.

Tacos after the bar.

There is always a taco truck somewhere.

And May is a great month to explore them.

Instead of automatically going to the most famous taco restaurant in town, try something you’ve never visited.

East Austin is an obvious place to start.

So is South Austin.

And if you’re willing to drive a little farther, some of the city’s best food discoveries can be found outside the downtown core.

May is also a good time to explore Austin’s food truck parks.

They are particularly useful for groups because everyone can order something different.

One person wants tacos.

Someone else wants pizza.

Someone wants barbecue.

Someone wants something vegan.

Nobody has to compromise.

And everyone can sit outside.

That’s essentially the perfect Austin meal.

Music remains part of the city’s identity too.

The biggest difference in May is that you don’t have to wait for a major festival to hear good music.

Austin’s smaller venues are busy throughout the month.

Red River remains one of the easiest places to catch multiple bands in one night.

East Austin has its own collection of venues and bars with live music.

And South Austin continues to provide plenty of smaller shows.

This is the month to stop chasing famous names and start paying attention to local bands.

You might discover somebody before they get booked for the next big festival.

And unlike SXSW, you can actually watch the entire set.

May also means graduation season.

The University of Texas is wrapping up another school year, which means Austin starts seeing a temporary change in its population.

Students leave.

Families arrive.

Hotels get busy.

Restaurants fill up.

And downtown can feel noticeably different.

If you own a restaurant or bar, graduation weekend is an important business period.

If you’re simply trying to go out, it means you may want to plan accordingly.

The same restaurant that usually has open tables might suddenly be packed.

The same downtown bar might have a completely different crowd.

That is part of Austin’s seasonal rhythm.

May is also when people start planning their summer visitors.

Friends are coming into town.

Family is visiting.

People are asking the inevitable question:

“What should we do while we’re in Austin?”

The answer in May is easy.

Don’t put them in a car and spend the entire day driving around.

Show them Austin outside.

Take them to Barton Springs.

Walk around Zilker.

Get tacos.

Go to a brewery.

Find a patio.

See live music.

Take them downtown at night.

That is the Austin experience.

And if they are visiting around Memorial Day weekend, start making plans early.

Memorial Day is essentially the unofficial beginning of summer.

Pools get busy.

Lakes get busy.

Bars get busy.

Restaurants get busy.

And everyone starts thinking about the next few months.

May also marks the beginning of one of Austin’s most important summer traditions:

pool parties.

Hotel pools, rooftop pools and private pool parties begin filling the calendar.

Some are expensive.

Some are free.

Some are family-friendly.

Some definitely are not.

But the common theme is that Austin’s social life starts moving toward the water.

That means you should probably get your summer gear ready.

Sunscreen.

Sunglasses.

Hat.

Swimsuit.

Comfortable shoes.

And, most importantly, a plan for getting home if you are drinking.

The worst summer decision is thinking you can drive because the bar is “only a few minutes away.”

It isn’t worth it.

Take a rideshare.

Get a designated driver.

Walk if you’re close enough.

The point of summer in Austin is to have fun, not make a bad decision at midnight.

And if you’re planning a weekend around swimming, remember that May weather can change quickly.

Texas weather does whatever it wants.

Check the forecast.

Bring water.

And don’t assume that because it was 90 degrees yesterday, today will be the same.

One thing you can count on, though, is that the city will keep getting busier.

The outdoor calendar is filling up.

Restaurants are expanding patios.

Bars are promoting summer events.

Music venues are announcing shows.

And Austinites are preparing for another long, hot summer.

That’s why May is one of the best months to enjoy the city before the heat becomes overwhelming.

June, July and August can be brutally hot.

May is the sweet spot.

You can spend an afternoon outside without feeling like you’re being punished.

You can walk around.

You can swim.

You can sit on a patio.

You can eat outside.

And you can still wear jeans at night without immediately regretting the decision.

So if you’re looking for the perfect May Austin day, keep it simple.

Start with breakfast tacos.

Head to Barton Springs.

Spend the afternoon swimming and relaxing around Zilker.

Grab a cold drink.

Go somewhere for dinner.

Find a patio.

Listen to live music.

Then finish the night somewhere with a good bar scene.

You don’t need a major festival.

You don’t need an expensive ticket.

You don’t need to schedule every minute.

May is about enjoying Austin while the weather is still on your side.

The city is getting ready for summer.

The pools are open.

The patios are full.

The lake is busy.

The food trucks are cooking.

The bands are playing.

And the bars are getting ready for another long season of outdoor drinking.

Summer is coming.

In Austin, that means one thing:

Get outside while you still can.