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.

December in Austin is when the city completely changes its personality.

The patios are still open, but now they’re covered in Christmas lights. Restaurants begin rolling out holiday menus. Downtown becomes brighter. Bars that normally look nothing alike suddenly have one thing in common: they are covered in lights, tinsel, ornaments and Christmas decorations.

And in 2022, Austin’s holiday bar scene is bigger than ever.

This isn’t simply a city where you can find a Christmas-themed drink.

Austin has developed a full-blown holiday bar culture, with temporary pop-ups turning ordinary bars into completely different places for several weeks.

For anyone looking for something to do this month, December is essentially one giant bar crawl.

One of the biggest holiday traditions returning this year is Miracle on Fifth Street, the Christmas cocktail pop-up at the Eleanor next to the Roosevelt Room.

Miracle has become one of Austin’s most recognizable holiday drinking experiences, and the 2022 edition is returning with the over-the-top Christmas décor and specialty cocktails that have made the concept popular around the country.

But Austin has another holiday tradition that is just as important: Sippin’ Santa at Nickel City.

Instead of traditional Christmas décor, Sippin’ Santa mixes the holidays with a tropical tiki-bar theme.

Santa.

Palm trees.

Rum.

Christmas cocktails.

It shouldn’t work.

But somehow it does.

Eater Austin confirmed in November that both Miracle on Fifth and Sippin’ Santa were returning to their Austin locations for the 2022 holiday season.

And that tells you something about Austin’s holiday bar scene.

Christmas doesn’t have to mean sitting in a quiet room drinking eggnog.

It can mean a tiki drink with Santa.

It can mean a rooftop covered in Christmas lights.

It can mean a dive bar decorated like your grandmother’s living room.

It can mean a cocktail menu where every drink comes in a ridiculous Christmas glass.

That is exactly what Austin has turned December into.

Of course, if you want the original Austin Christmas-bar experience, there is still Lala’s Little Nugget.

Unlike the temporary pop-ups, Lala’s doesn’t need to install Christmas decorations every December.

Christmas is essentially part of the bar’s identity.

The North Austin institution is famous for keeping its Christmas decorations up year-round, which means you can get the holiday experience without waiting for December.

But December is when Lala’s really makes sense.

The lights are glowing.

The ornaments are everywhere.

Christmas music fills the room.

And the bar has the kind of old-school Austin personality that many newer holiday pop-ups are trying to recreate.

That contrast is worth noticing.

Miracle is polished.

Sippin’ Santa is playful.

Lala’s is authentic Austin weirdness.

All three offer completely different versions of the same idea.

And that’s what makes Austin’s December nightlife so much fun.

Another thing to watch this month is the growing popularity of holiday bar hopping.

Instead of picking one Christmas bar and staying there all night, people are making entire itineraries around them.

Start at one holiday pop-up.

Walk or rideshare to another.

Stop for dinner.

Find a regular bar.

Then finish at a late-night spot.

The holiday bar has become a destination in itself.

For groups of friends, coworkers and couples, it gives everyone a reason to get together.

It is also extremely photogenic.

And in 2022, that matters.

The holiday bar experience isn’t just about the drink.

It’s about the decorations.

The costumes.

The glassware.

The lights.

The giant Christmas trees.

The photographs.

The memories.

The experience is designed to be shared.

But December isn’t only about drinking.

Austin’s holiday food scene is also busy.

Restaurants are offering special holiday dinners, seasonal desserts, festive cocktails and limited-time menus.

The city’s breweries are getting into the holiday spirit as well, with seasonal beers and special events.

And coffee shops are bringing out hot chocolate, peppermint drinks and other winter specials.

The weather can still be unpredictable, but December is one of the few months when Austinites can actually enjoy sitting around a fire pit without sweating.

That makes outdoor patios surprisingly popular.

A heated patio.

A cocktail.

Christmas lights.

Good food.

That’s a pretty good December night in Austin.

Another major attraction is Trail of Lights at Zilker Park.

The annual holiday light display is one of Austin’s biggest December traditions, bringing enormous numbers of people to Zilker for a walk through illuminated displays and holiday installations.

For families, it remains one of the must-do events of the season.

But it also works as part of a larger night out.

Go see the lights.

Grab dinner.

Stop for drinks.

Head downtown.

Austin’s December entertainment calendar makes it easy to turn one event into an entire evening.

And if you haven’t been to Trail of Lights in a few years, 2022 is a good year to return.

The event continues evolving, with new displays and attractions added over time while maintaining the familiar Austin traditions that have made it popular.

Then, almost immediately after Christmas, attention shifts toward the biggest party of the month:

New Year’s Eve.

And Austin is ready.

The city’s official New Year’s Eve celebration at Auditorium Shores is scheduled for December 31 and will be free and family-friendly.

The event will feature live performances from El Combo Oscuro, Taméca Jones, the Texas Gentlemen and Extragrams, along with 10 food trucks.

And for the first time, a designated beer hall will allow attendees to purchase beer, wine and champagne.

At midnight, the celebration will finish with fireworks welcoming 2023.

That is a major change for people who want to celebrate downtown without spending hundreds of dollars on a nightclub package.

You can bring a blanket.

Bring friends.

Get food.

Listen to music.

Have a drink.

And watch fireworks over the city.

It is one of the easiest ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve without committing to a formal party.

But Austin’s nightlife scene is offering plenty of alternatives.

If you want something much louder, Hotel Vegas and Volstead are hosting Hotel Vegas Glitters Eve, a trash-disco and glam-rock celebration featuring music from David Bowie, the Sex Pistols and performances from Austin bands.

The event begins at 8 p.m. and is designed for people who want to spend New Year’s Eve dancing rather than sitting through a formal dinner.

Over at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters, the New Year’s celebration is taking a completely different approach.

Mozart’s is hosting a New Year’s Eve Silent Disco Party, allowing guests to dance while surrounded by the famous holiday lights.

The event runs from 9:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. and includes access to the holiday light show, warm drinks and baked treats.

For people who don’t want the traditional nightclub experience, it is an interesting alternative.

And then there is the Coconut Club.

The club’s New Year’s Eve event is particularly significant because the Fourth Street entertainment complex has been sold to developers for a planned high-rise project.

The 2022 event is therefore being promoted as “The Last Dance”, giving the celebration an additional layer of significance.

The party will feature Peligrosa, the Brothers Groove, Cyber Queen, Rue and Soullareal across the complex.

That is a perfect example of what made Austin nightlife in 2022 so interesting.

It isn’t just about partying.

The city is changing quickly.

Some of the places that defined Austin’s nightlife are disappearing or being redeveloped, while new bars, restaurants and entertainment districts are taking their place.

New Year’s Eve becomes an opportunity to celebrate what is coming while also saying goodbye to what is leaving.

For people looking for something more traditional, Esther’s Follies is offering its annual year-in-review celebration.

The show will look back at the people, events and stories that defined 2022 before counting down to 2023.

That makes it particularly appropriate for an Austin audience.

This city produces enough strange news, political drama, celebrities, musicians and local personalities to fill an entire comedy show every year.

And 2022 certainly provided plenty of material.

For something more glamorous, Austin’s New Year’s calendar also includes events such as the Gatsby Penthouse Party, complete with burlesque performances and a champagne toast.

There are also silent discos, drag parties, hotel parties, rooftop celebrations and nightclub events throughout downtown.

The options range from completely free to extremely expensive.

That’s another defining characteristic of Austin’s New Year’s Eve.

You can spend almost nothing.

Or you can spend thousands.

The city has something for both.

One of the most interesting options is actually the Hotel San José New Year’s celebration.

The South Congress hotel is hosting a disco-themed party with DJ Just Jim and a balloon drop at midnight.

It’s a much more intimate alternative to the massive downtown celebrations.

And then there are the holiday bars that continue operating after Christmas.

This is something Austin has embraced particularly well.

Christmas doesn’t immediately disappear on December 26.

People still want to go out.

Visitors are still in town.

Bars still have their decorations.

And holiday parties continue through the final week of the year.

That creates an interesting period between Christmas and New Year’s.

People are off work.

College students are home.

Families have finished their Christmas gatherings.

And everyone starts looking for something to do.

Austin’s bars are ready.

The city’s dive bars remain open.

Holiday pop-ups continue.

Restaurants are serving.

Live music continues.

And New Year’s Eve is approaching.

For Baller ATX readers, that final week may actually be one of the best times to explore Austin.

The crowds can be different from the normal weekend crowd.

The city feels more relaxed during the day.

And the Christmas decorations make even familiar places feel different.

If you haven’t visited Lala’s in years, go.

If you haven’t tried Sippin’ Santa, go.

If Miracle on Fifth is on your list, make your plans early.

If you want to see Trail of Lights, pick a night.

And if you’re planning New Year’s Eve, don’t wait until December 30 to decide.

The best events will already be sold out.

December is ultimately about two things in Austin:

celebrating the holidays and getting ready for the next year.

The city spends the first three weeks covered in Christmas lights, holiday cocktails and festive events.

Then, almost overnight, the mood changes.

The decorations stay up.

The champagne comes out.

The DJs turn up the music.

And everyone starts counting down.

At midnight on December 31, Austin will say goodbye to 2022.

Some people will be downtown watching fireworks.

Some will be dancing at Hotel Vegas.

Some will be drinking cocktails at a rooftop.

Some will be at a dive bar.

Some will be at a silent disco.

And some will be standing in a living room with friends waiting for the clock to hit midnight.

There isn’t one right way to celebrate.

That’s the beauty of Austin.

For one final month, the city gets to be festive, weird, loud, colorful and completely itself.

So grab a holiday cocktail.

Find a bar covered in lights.

Eat something great.

See the Trail of Lights.

Make your New Year’s plans.

And get ready.

Because 2023 is only a few weeks away.

November is different in Austin.

The weather finally starts cooperating, the patios become comfortable again, Thanksgiving is approaching, and the city begins settling into its favorite fall routine. But for one month, there is one thing that dominates Austin weekends more than anything else:

Texas Longhorn football.

November is when football season gets serious, and in Austin, that means game day becomes much more than what happens inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The entire city gets involved.

Bars fill with burnt-orange shirts.

Restaurants start opening early.

Parking lots become gathering places.

Tailgates turn into all-day parties.

Friends meet hours before kickoff.

And by the time the Longhorns take the field, thousands of people have already spent most of the day celebrating.

The 2022 Longhorn schedule gives Austin plenty to get excited about. Texas travels to Kansas State on November 5, hosts TCU on November 12, travels to Kansas on November 19 and finishes the regular season at home against Baylor on November 25.

For Austin, the home games are particularly important.

There is something about walking around campus on a Saturday morning when Texas is playing at home.

The city feels different.

The streets around the University of Texas fill with fans wearing burnt orange. Restaurants and bars prepare for crowds, and parking lots begin filling hours before kickoff.

And then there are the tailgates.

Tailgating in Austin isn’t simply about standing next to a truck with a cooler.

It can become an entire production.

Grills come out.

Speakers get turned up.

Tables get covered with food.

People bring tents.

Friends bring friends.

Someone inevitably has a television running the early games.

Someone else has a giant Texas flag.

And before long, people who weren’t planning on staying for the entire afternoon have somehow spent six hours at the same tailgate.

That’s part of what makes college football different from professional sports.

The game is only one part of the experience.

The other part is everything that happens beforehand.

For Longhorn fans, November is the perfect time for it because the weather is finally comfortable enough to spend several hours outside.

September can still be brutally hot.

October can be unpredictable.

But November brings cooler mornings and comfortable afternoons, making it ideal for grilling, drinking and hanging out before kickoff.

The best tailgates don’t necessarily require a fancy setup either.

Some of the best ones are simple.

A grill.

A cooler.

A folding table.

Some breakfast tacos.

A few cases of beer.

A portable speaker.

And a group of people who are ready to talk football.

Austin has plenty of places where that kind of gathering happens.

The area surrounding the University of Texas becomes the center of the action, but football fans can be found throughout the city.

Bars that normally open later suddenly have people lining up before noon.

Restaurants advertise game-day specials.

Sports bars put up additional televisions.

And breweries create viewing areas for people who don’t have tickets to the game.

That is important because not everyone is going to make it inside the stadium.

In fact, one of the best things about Austin football culture is that you don’t need a ticket to participate.

You can watch the game at a bar surrounded by hundreds of other fans.

You can attend a tailgate.

You can hang out around campus.

Or you can find a restaurant with a big screen and make an afternoon out of it.

The atmosphere can be almost as exciting as being inside the stadium.

One of the biggest November games is the matchup against TCU on November 12.

TCU arrives in Austin ranked among the nation’s top teams, making the game one of the most important contests on the Longhorn schedule.

The matchup is especially significant because both teams are competing near the top of the Big 12.

For Austin bars, that means another huge Saturday.

Expect restaurants around campus and downtown to fill early.

Expect sports bars to be crowded.

Expect tailgates to start long before kickoff.

And expect fans to stay out well after the final whistle.

That is what a big college football game does to Austin.

It turns Saturday into an all-day event.

And the football doesn’t have to stop when the game ends.

Austin’s live-music scene continues late into the night, giving fans plenty of opportunities to keep the evening going.

You can start with a tailgate, watch the game, grab dinner and then head downtown for live music.

That combination is one of the things that makes Austin such a good football city.

There is always somewhere to go afterward.

The city’s bar scene also benefits enormously from football season.

Sports bars become destinations, but so do neighborhood bars.

A dive bar with one or two televisions can suddenly be packed with Longhorn fans.

A normally quiet patio becomes a game-day gathering.

And bars that don’t necessarily identify themselves as sports bars may put the game on simply because they know customers want to watch.

For anyone who wants to experience Austin’s nightlife without spending a fortune, November football Saturdays are a great opportunity.

You don’t need to go to the most expensive bar in town.

Find a neighborhood spot.

Order a beer.

Get some food.

Watch the game.

Talk to strangers.

That’s often more fun than sitting somewhere polished and expensive.

Food is another major part of the experience.

Tailgates around Austin can look like outdoor restaurants.

Brisket is an obvious choice.

So are sausages, burgers, wings, queso, chips and breakfast tacos.

And because this is Austin, someone will inevitably bring something much more ambitious than expected.

A giant brisket.

Homemade salsa.

Smoked queso.

A giant griddle full of breakfast tacos.

Someone will have a smoker running before sunrise.

That’s the kind of dedication that November football brings out.

Restaurants get into the spirit too.

Game-day brunch becomes a major opportunity for restaurants and bars.

Breakfast tacos and Bloody Marys appear early.

Lunch turns into beer.

Beer turns into football.

And football turns into dinner.

It is one long Saturday.

Austin’s food scene also gives football fans plenty of options beyond the traditional game-day menu.

November is an especially good time to explore barbecue, Mexican food, burgers and other comfort foods because the cooler weather makes heavier meals much more enjoyable.

This is the season for brisket.

The season for chili.

The season for queso.

The season for burgers and fries.

The season for a cold beer after spending the afternoon outside.

And if you’re looking for something different, Austin’s growing international food scene offers plenty of alternatives.

The city isn’t just a barbecue town anymore.

New restaurants continue opening, and Austin’s dining scene is increasingly influenced by cuisines from around the world.

That makes football weekends an opportunity to try somewhere new.

Instead of going to the same sports bar every weekend, grab dinner at a restaurant you’ve been meaning to visit and then find somewhere nearby to watch the game.

That is especially easy in neighborhoods such as East Austin, where restaurants, bars and entertainment venues are close together.

November also brings one of Austin’s biggest food weekends: the Austin Food + Wine Festival, which takes place November 4–6.

The festival brings chefs, restaurants, wineries, breweries and food producers together for a weekend of tastings, demonstrations and special events. More than 50 Austin restaurants and at least 30 wine, beer and spirits producers are involved.

That gives food lovers another reason to come downtown during an already busy month.

The timing is perfect.

Austin’s weather is getting better.

The football season is in full swing.

Restaurants are busy.

And the city’s food culture is getting ready for the holiday season.

The Texas Book Festival also returns downtown in November, bringing authors, food vendors and thousands of visitors around the State Capitol and Congress Avenue.

But even with all of those events happening, football remains the defining Austin weekend experience.

And then comes Thanksgiving weekend.

The Longhorns finish the regular season at home against Baylor on Friday, November 25. Texas wins the matchup 38–27, finishing the regular season 8–4.

A Friday-after-Thanksgiving football game creates a completely different atmosphere.

Families are already in town.

College students are home.

People have leftover Thanksgiving food.

And suddenly there is a football game providing an excuse for everyone to get together again.

For tailgaters, it is one final opportunity to bring out the grill before the regular season ends.

And for restaurants and bars, it is another busy holiday weekend.

November therefore becomes a month where Austin’s different cultures collide.

Football.

Food.

Bars.

Music.

Tailgates.

Family gatherings.

College culture.

And local traditions.

That’s what makes November special.

You can spend a Saturday morning at a tailgate, walk around campus, watch the Longhorns, grab barbecue, listen to live music and finish the night at a dive bar.

You don’t have to plan every minute.

Austin takes care of the rest.

And if you haven’t experienced a Texas football tailgate in Austin, November is the month to do it.

You don’t necessarily need a ticket.

You don’t need to know the players.

You don’t even have to be a die-hard football fan.

Just find a group of people who are willing to let you join the party.

Bring something to eat.

Bring something to drink.

Wear burnt orange.

And be prepared to talk about football.

Because in November, football isn’t simply a sport in Austin.

It’s a social event.

It’s an excuse to get together.

It’s an excuse to eat.

It’s an excuse to drink.

It’s an excuse to listen to music.

And it’s an excuse to spend an entire Saturday outside with friends.

That is why November remains one of the best months on the Austin calendar.

The temperatures are finally right.

The food is getting better.

The bars are busy.

The patios are comfortable.

And the Longhorns give the city something to rally around.

For one month, Austin belongs to college football.

And on a Saturday in November, there may not be a better place in Texas to spend the day.

October is about to become one of the busiest months of the year in Austin.

The weather is finally starting to cooperate, Austin City Limits is bringing enormous crowds into town, Formula 1 is right around the corner, and then Halloween takes over the final week of the month. For anyone looking for something to do, October is basically one long excuse to get out of the house.

But Halloween in Austin has changed.

It isn’t just about taking the kids trick-or-treating anymore.

Halloween has become a major part of Austin’s nightlife, restaurant and entertainment scene. Bars are creating elaborate decorations, DJs are planning costume parties, haunted attractions are getting bigger, restaurants are adding seasonal specials and people are already thinking about what they’re going to wear.

And based on what is happening around Austin in 2022, this year’s Halloween is shaping up to be less about one giant party and more about an entire month of spooky-season events.

One of the biggest trends to watch this year is the Halloween pop-up bar.

Austin’s bar scene has increasingly embraced themed experiences, and Halloween is the perfect excuse to take that idea even further. Instead of simply putting up a few fake cobwebs and calling it a Halloween party, bars are turning themselves into complete environments.

Expect themed cocktails.

Over-the-top decorations.

Costume contests.

DJs.

Special menus.

Photo opportunities.

And plenty of reasons to stay for another drink.

This is part of a larger trend in Austin nightlife where people aren’t just looking for somewhere to drink.

They’re looking for something to do.

A bar that gives customers an experience has an advantage over a bar that simply serves drinks.

And Halloween gives Austin bars an opportunity to completely transform themselves for a few weeks.

For people who want something genuinely scary, House of Torment remains one of the biggest Halloween attractions in the Austin area.

The haunted house is returning with multiple attractions and new themes, elaborate sets, monsters and special effects. In 2022, House of Torment is scheduled to run through November 5, giving people multiple weekends to get scared.

That extended schedule is important because Halloween in Austin is no longer limited to October 31.

People want to celebrate all month.

You can go to a haunted house on a Friday night.

Attend a costume party Saturday.

Visit a pumpkin patch Sunday.

Then do another Halloween event the following weekend.

The season has become an entire entertainment category.

Another major haunted attraction is Bat City Scaregrounds, which is bringing haunted houses, live music, performances and seasonal food to more than 15 acres just south of Austin in Buda. The attraction runs October 27–31.

The combination of horror and live entertainment is particularly representative of where Halloween events are going.

People don’t necessarily want to spend an hour walking through a haunted house and then go home.

They want the night to continue.

They want music.

Food.

Drinks.

Entertainment.

And somewhere to hang out afterward.

That’s why Halloween is becoming increasingly important to Austin’s bar and entertainment economy.

The same trend can be seen in the city’s music scene.

October is already one of the busiest music months because of Austin City Limits Music Festival, which returns to Zilker Park for two weekends.

ACL brings enormous crowds into Austin, and Halloween follows almost immediately afterward.

That creates an unusual situation for local bars and restaurants.

They get a huge influx of visitors for ACL.

Then they get another wave of people looking for Halloween entertainment.

For businesses, October is one of the months where it makes sense to go all out.

And Austin does.

One of the biggest Halloween trends among younger crowds in 2022 is likely to be the return of the big group costume.

After years of disrupted social events, people are ready to go out together again.

That means expect groups dressed around a common theme.

Television shows.

Movies.

Pop culture moments.

Sports teams.

Internet personalities.

And nostalgic costumes from the 1990s and early 2000s.

The nostalgic angle is especially strong.

For many Austin adults, Halloween in 2022 is an opportunity to dress up as something they grew up with.

That could mean a classic horror character, a childhood cartoon, a favorite movie or something associated with early-2000s pop culture.

The other major trend is going to be couples costumes.

Austin’s nightlife scene is filled with young couples and friend groups looking for costumes that can be recognized immediately in photographs.

That means recognizable characters and pop-culture references are likely to dominate.

And yes, there will be plenty of people who decide what they’re wearing the night before.

That’s part of Halloween.

Another trend that is becoming increasingly important is the pet costume.

Austin loves its dogs.

So naturally Austin loves dressing its dogs for Halloween.

Restaurants and patios are increasingly dog-friendly, and Halloween gives people an excuse to bring their pets along.

Expect plenty of dog costume contests, patio parties and photographs of dogs dressed as superheroes, pumpkins, dinosaurs and other characters.

For families, Halloween looks very different.

Austin has several events designed to give children a safer and more structured Halloween experience.

One of the most recognizable is Boo at the Zoo, which returns to the Austin Zoo on multiple October dates.

Children can dress in costume, ride the train, enjoy entertainment and experience the zoo after dark, including haunted-house attractions.

That makes it one of the city’s better options for families who want Halloween without taking young children into a crowded downtown bar district.

Another family-friendly option is the Austin Symphony Halloween Children’s Concert, scheduled for October 23.

The concert is designed for children ages 2–10 and encourages kids to come dressed in costume for a Halloween-themed afternoon of music.

That illustrates just how broad Halloween has become in Austin.

You can experience Halloween through music.

Food.

Bars.

Haunted houses.

Family events.

Movies.

Costume contests.

Or simply walking around neighborhoods looking at decorations.

And then there are the neighborhood Halloween parties.

Austin’s residential neighborhoods have developed their own Halloween traditions, with decorated houses, block parties and trick-or-treating events.

Some neighborhoods go extremely far with decorations.

Others keep it simple.

Either way, October is a good month to get outside and see what different parts of Austin are doing.

For adults, however, the biggest action is likely to be in the bars.

Sixth Street will obviously be busy, but it isn’t the only place to celebrate.

East Austin is expected to have a particularly strong Halloween nightlife scene.

Bars along East Sixth, East Seventh, Cesar Chavez and surrounding neighborhoods are close enough together to create a natural Halloween bar crawl.

The advantage is that you can move around instead of spending the entire night at one location.

That fits Austin’s nightlife culture.

Start with dinner.

Have a drink.

Go somewhere with music.

Check out another bar.

Find the Halloween party.

Then grab tacos.

That’s a very Austin Halloween.

And food is going to play a bigger role than many people realize.

Austin restaurants are increasingly using seasonal events as a way to attract customers, and Halloween provides an easy theme.

Expect fall cocktails.

Pumpkin desserts.

Seasonal beers.

Spooky brunches.

Halloween-themed dinners.

And restaurants turning their patios into Halloween destinations.

Austin’s breweries are also perfectly positioned for Halloween.

A brewery already has most of the ingredients needed for a good fall event.

Outdoor space.

Beer.

Food trucks.

Music.

And plenty of room for costumes.

Expect breweries to host costume contests, themed releases and Halloween parties throughout the month.

For people who don’t want the downtown bar scene, this may actually be one of the better options.

You can wear a costume without feeling ridiculous.

Bring friends.

Order a beer.

Eat from a food truck.

Listen to music.

And still be home before midnight.

October is also a strong month for horror movies and spooky entertainment.

Austin’s independent movie culture makes Halloween particularly interesting because theaters and film venues can screen classic horror films, cult movies and newer releases.

The city’s love of weird cinema fits perfectly with Halloween.

And that means Halloween doesn’t have to be a loud party.

It can be sitting in a dark theater watching a horror movie you’ve never seen.

Or watching a classic you’ve seen twenty times.

Another trend worth watching this year is the continued growth of immersive Halloween experiences.

Instead of simply watching something happen, people want to participate.

Walk through a haunted attraction.

Solve something.

Interact with actors.

Take photographs.

Dress up.

Move from room to room.

The experience becomes part entertainment and part social media content.

That’s particularly important in Austin because people love discovering experiences that look good in photographs.

A spectacular Halloween bar or haunted attraction can become a destination simply because people want to see it for themselves.

But underneath all of the new trends, Austin’s Halloween traditions remain.

Costumes.

Candy.

Haunted houses.

House parties.

Bar crawls.

Music.

And a lot of people trying to decide whether their costume is actually good enough.

The biggest difference in 2022 is that people are ready to go out again.

Halloween feels social again.

People are planning group costumes.

Friends are making reservations.

Bars are announcing parties.

And businesses are investing more heavily in decorations and entertainment.

That means Halloween weekend is likely to be extremely busy.

If you’re planning to go downtown, make a plan.

If you’re going to a popular haunted house, buy tickets early.

If you’re going to a restaurant, make a reservation.

If you’re planning to wear a complicated costume, don’t wait until October 30 to put it together.

And if you’re driving, have a plan for getting home.

The city is going to be crowded.

But that’s part of the fun.

October is one of the rare months when Austin can be simultaneously a music city, a sports city, a food city and a Halloween city.

ACL brings the music.

Formula 1 brings the racing crowds.

Football brings the Longhorn fans.

And Halloween brings everyone together for one giant excuse to dress up.

For Baller ATX readers, the best strategy this year is not to wait for October 31.

Start early.

Find a haunted house.

Check out a Halloween-themed bar.

Go to a brewery costume party.

Take the kids to Boo at the Zoo.

Find a neighborhood Halloween event.

See a horror movie.

Try a seasonal cocktail.

And then save Halloween weekend for the big party.

Because Austin Halloween is no longer just one night.

It is an entire month.

And in 2022, it looks like the city is ready to make it bigger, stranger and more entertaining than ever.