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Downtown Austin Hotel Will Open Three New Restaurants as Part of Renovations

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Downtown Austin Hotel Will Open Three New Restaurants as Part of Renovations


Downtown Austin hotel the W has been undergoing renovations for quite some time, and these changes include three new restaurants and bars for the 200 Lavaca Street hotel. There’s the all-day American-French-Texan restaurant Serenade, presumably taking over what was previously the Trace restaurant. It’ll have a patio bar (aka courtyard) and two private dining rooms (one dubbed the Serenade Wine Room); expect beer, wine and cocktails from the Serenade Bar. Then there’s the new Blue Room, a reservations-only cocktail bar, taking over what was previously the hotel’s secret bar. Finally, there will be a cafe with French-ish vibes, 2nd & Roast, with coffee made with beans from Austin roasteries, bites, and pastries, along with espresso-based cocktails in the evenings. Remaining will be the Living Room Lounge, a bar that exists in all W hotels. The revamped Austin one will include an actually gold-colored bar, fireplace, and more. Everything is supposed to be completed and open/reopen in October 2024.

Tracking Austin food and drink events, pop-up edition

Hot dog pop-up Zee’s Wiener System’s got a couple dates this mid-summer on deck. First is a pop-up at Chestnut neighborhood Mexican restaurant Nixta Taqueria starting at 6 p.m on Wednesday, July 31; then it’ll be slinging franks at East Austin bar Kitty Cohen’s from 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday, August 2; and it’ll participate in creative space Canopy Austin’s Open Canopy event on Saturday, August 3 from 1 to 4 p.m. And then, it’ll cook up at West Austin cafe Better Half’s Sloppee Sunday event on August 4 starting at 3 p.m. where chef Zak Drummond will make something that is not a hot dog.

Paczki pop-up Custard Prison is hosting its next event on Saturday, August 3 at the downtown location of coffee shop and bakery Manana Dos. It’ll start at 10:30 a.m. The Polish doughnut menu includes strawberries and cream, fig leaf custard, apricot cobbler, and a take on Cinnabons.

Barbecue restaurant vacation

Central East Austin restaurant Franklin Barbecue’s annual summer vacation is happening right now. The 11th Street barbecue restaurant is closed from Monday, July 29 through Thursday, August 8, and it’ll reopen on Friday, August 9.

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Chef changes

Brentwood pizza and wine restaurant Bufalina Due’s executive chef Eli Rodriguez is now the head chef of both that location and its East Austin location Bufalina.

Food truck relocations

Jamaican food truck Mr Pimento moved from its East Riverside location into McKinney neighborhood brewery Austin Craft Brewing as of July 28 at 4700 Burleson Road. Its hours are from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

Nyam Sunshine Cuisine moved from its St. Elmo area location at Vacancy Brewing into nearby volleyball court Wooly’s Beach Volleyball at 514 East St. Elmo Road as of July 30.

Tracking Austin food events, guest chef series edition

Austin pitmaster Aaron Franklin and his restaurant Uptown Sports Club are collaborating with McKinney brewery Meanwhile Brewing for a summer barbecue series on Fridays from 6:30 to 9 p.m. each day rotating between Uptown Sports Club in East Austin or Meanwhile on Promontory Point Drive. August 2 will feature barbecue restaurant LeRoy & Lewis’s Evan LeRoy; August 23 will feature seafood truck Huckleberry’s Davis Turner at Uptown; and September 20 with Italian restaurant L’Oca d’Oro and pizzeria Bambino’s Fiore Tedesco at Uptown. On-site ice cream truck Besame and bakery Tiny Pies will serve desserts. The brewery is also releasing a special lager made for Uptown. All-event tickets are $165, which come with two drinks, dessert, and two dishes at each event; individual date tickets are $39 (though Franklin’s one on September 6th is sold out already). There’s also related merchandise for sale.





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Austin, TX

7 Juneteenth celebrations happening in Austin this weekend

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7 Juneteenth celebrations happening in Austin this weekend


Juneteenth celebrations are happening across the city this weekend. The events will mark the 161st anniversary of the day Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay to announce that more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free. The announcement on June 19, 1865, came more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. June 19 — known as Juneteenth — became a federal holiday in 2021.

From historical bike rides to Austin’s annual parade, here are seven events taking place in Austin.

Annual Juneteenth FunRun, June 19

The city of Austin’s African American Cultural and Heritage Facility will host a fun run starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday at East Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Leona Street, and concluding at Hargrave Street near the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex. Participants will have one hour to complete the course. The route is the same as the parade through the African American Historical Cultural District that will start later that morning. Runners and walkers of all ages and levels can participate.

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Central Texas Juneteenth Parade & Festival, June 19

The annual Juneteenth parade will take place Friday and begin at 10 a.m. at East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Leona Street and will travel down to Chicon Street before turning on Rosewood Avenue. The parade will feature floats, live music and performers.

A Very Juneteenth Comedy Jam, June 19

The Velveeta Room, Austin’s longest-running comedy club, will have shows highlighting Black voices Friday night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The 18+ event will feature comedians like Freddy Do Less and Roderick McDaniel. Tickets for both shows are around $23.

Sistas Walk And Talk: Juneteenth Edition, June 20

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Texas Sistas Society will host a 3-mile walk and talk Saturday at 515 S. Pleasant Valley Road starting at 7:45 a.m. Texas Sistas Society is an Austin-based community created for Black women and women of color. Attendees are encouraged to wear Juneteenth colors: red, yellow, green or black, and to RSVP ahead of time.

The Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition, June 20

The George Washington Carver Museum in Austin is dedicated to creating a “space where the global contributions of all Black people are celebrated.” The museum is hosting a free celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with barbecue plates, live music, vendors and activities for all ages.

Black Auteur Film Festival, June 20

The Black Auteur Film Festival, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Black filmmakers in Texas, is hosting its third annual film festival to showcase short films directed by Black Texans at AFS Cinema on Saturday. One filmmaker will win the $1,000 “Best of Fest” award, and attendees can enter a raffle for a chance to win Austin Film Society memberships and movie tickets. The festival runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $14.

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Juneteenth Social Ride, June 21

Black History Bike Ride, an Austin nonprofit teaching people about the city’s Black history through cycling, is hosting its seventh annual Juneteenth ride starting at the Haskell House on Saturday at 10 a.m. Austin-based historian Harrison Eppright will serve as the ride’s guide. Registration is required for all attendees. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.





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Everything you need to know about Austin run clubs

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Everything you need to know about Austin run clubs


AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data analyst Corey Yeung created the ATX Running Guide to help runners find community across Central Texas. What started as a personal project has become one of Austin’s most comprehensive running resources.

Looking for a Run Club? There’s a Map for That

When Corey Yeung moved to Austin three years ago, he had a simple question:
“How many run clubs are actually out there?” The answer wasn’t easy to find. While several websites listed local groups, Yeung felt none offered a complete picture. So, he decided to build one himself. What started as a spreadsheet evolved into ATX Running Guide, a website and social media platform that helps runners discover clubs throughout the Austin area.

“The list would be more useful if it were a map and search tool,” Yeung said. “The Instagram page was simply a way to communicate those free resources to the community.”

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Today, the guide covers running groups from San Marcos to Hutto and serves as a one-stop resource for runners looking to connect. In this episode of KXAN’S Plus Simple Health, Corey Yeung walks us through everything you need to know about the 200-plus running clubs in Austin.





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Texas Volts begin first home slate Thursday at Dell Diamond

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Texas Volts begin first home slate Thursday at Dell Diamond


AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Volts are off to a rough start in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, but maybe a little home cooking can help them get right.

After playing their first five games on the road, the Volts open play at Dell Diamond in Round Rock at 6 p.m. Thursday against the Utah Talons, kicking off an 8-game homestand.

Texas Volts Logo (Courtesy Athletes Unlimited Softball League)

It’s the first season the Volts will call Dell Diamond home. In the league’s inaugural season last year, the original four teams competed with a touring schedule that included a stop at Dell Diamond. This is the first year that the AUSL, now a 6-team league, will play in home markets.

They have a roster peppered with local stars, including 2-time NCAA national champion middle infielder Leighann Goode from the Texas Longhorns. Aliyah Binford, a New Braunfels native, played collegiately for Ole Miss and former Texas State pitcher Jessica Mullins made an appearance in the Volts’ previous series against the Carolina Blaze.

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Goode said there’s been a bit of a learning curve, but she credits her teammates for helping her adjust to the league.

“This group has brought me in and taught me stuff, taken me under their wings,” she said. “They’ve done an awesome job.”

Legendary Texas pitcher Cat Osterman is the team’s general manager, and the head coach is Texas State’s Ricci Woodard.

“We’re ready to rock and roll at home,” Woodard said. “I’m anxious to see what happens now that we get to play in our own place.”

Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 draft, joined the team last weekend after a brief contract holdout.

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The Volts are 1-4 this season, picking up their lone win over the Oklahoma City Spark on June 10. They’ll face the Talons in a 3-game series, the Chicago Bandits for a pair June 23-24, and finish the homestand with a 3-game set against the expansion Portland Cascade on June 26-28.

Ryan Sanders Baseball, the organization that owns and operates the Round Rock Express, is an operating partner with the Volts and an investor with the AUSL.



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