Austin, TX
Where to Watch the Solar Eclipse in Central Texas With Food, Beers, and Wines
Earth — and Texans, in particular — will experience a rare total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. The big, bright sun will be blocked by the little moon during the daytime, darkening our skies. And luckily for us, the total eclipse path includes Austin the Hill Country, and generally Central Texas.
This solar eclipse is an epic event: it encompasses a larger swatch of totality than the one from 2017, and lasts longer (over four minutes). The next one doesn’t happen until 2045, so don’t miss out.
To celebrate the giant astronomical occurrence, many Central Texas restaurants, bars, breweries, and wineries are hosting watch parties with foods, drinks, camping, science lessons (!), and much more. We’re rounding up the best of these, broken down by cities and towns along the eclipse path in chronological order based on either totality or partial totality timing. Everything below takes place on Monday, April 8, unless otherwise noted.
Fredericksburg, around 1:32 p.m.
Events
Arch Ray Resort
Arch Ray’s Amphitheater, 4160 East Highway 290, Fredericksburg
The huge resort is hosting a two-day concert event for the eclipse with headliners the Goo Goo Dolls, along with Fastball and Switchfoot. There’s access to Paul Bee Distillery, Ogle Brewery, Arch Ray Winery, and the 1894 restaurant, as well as space for RV camping.
When: Sunday, April 7 through Monday, April 8, starting at noon each day with the headlining bands playing at 9 p.m each evening
How to Attend: Early tickets are $200; club members will get 40 percent off; general admission tickets will be $300; parking passes are $40.
Grapetown Vineyard
8142 Old San Antonio Road, Fredericksburg
This is perhaps one of the most epic ways to experience the eclipse: from a hot air balloon. The winery’s VIP access to the event comes with the hot air balloon rides (including one timed to the eclipse), a dinner, wine tasting, and live music. General admission tickets offer entry to the grounds for eclipse viewing and/or the balloon ride. People can also book campsites.
When: noon to 8 p.m.
How to Attend: Tickets can be bought online. General admission tickets to the grounds are $75, hot air balloon rides are $75, VIP is $195, tent camping passes are $75, RV camping passes are $450.
Guides
Stonewall, around 1:33 p.m.
Events
Kuhlman Cellars
18421 East 290 Highway, Stonewall
The Hill Country winery’s eclipse party includes a breakfast buffet, hot Italian food lunch (think lasagnas and cheesy garlic bread), two glasses of wine in a keepsake glass, blind wine tastings, tastings of 2023 vintages, and tours of the vineyards. There are glasses, a special sticker, and more activities.
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
How to Attend: Tickets are $200 for wine club members, $225 for non-members, $50 for children between the ages of two to 20; parking passes are $25.
Burnet, around 1:34 p.m.
Events
Uplift Vineyard
1411 County Road 119, Burnet
William Chris Vineyard’s Burnet winery is tagging Austin chef Jesse Griffiths for its eclipse event. The Dai Due chef will live-fire cook a brunch and dinner, plus tickets come with two bottles of the winery’s eclipse red wine, more food, and a blending session.
When: It starts at 8:30 a.m.
How to Attend: Tickets are $925; members can buy two tickets at special $775 pricing each; RV parking is $125.
Driftwood, around 1:34 p.m.
Events
Vista Brewing
13551 Farm-to-Market Road 150, Driftwood
The sprawling Hill Country brewery-restaurant-ranch is hosting a multi-day eclipse event with live music, wildflowers, glasses, beer and food specials such as the Dark Skies black pilsner and the Texas wagyu burger.
When: Wednesday, April 3 through Thursday, April 4, 4 to 9 p.m. each day; Friday, April 5, 2 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, April 6, noon to 9 p.m.; Sunday, April 7, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Monday, April 8, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How to Attend: Tickets are $15 for adults and free for children.
Dripping Springs, around 1:34 p.m.
Events
Ghost Note Brewing
23663 Ranch Road 12, Dripping Springs
The Hill Country brewery’s eclipse party includes a special beer for the event, food trucks, purchasable glasses, and live music.
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How to Attend: Book either RV camping reservations for $150 or parking passes for $25.
Guides
Kerrville, around 1:34 p.m.
Events
Kerrclipse Music Festival
Quiet Valley Ranch, 3876 Medina Highway, Kerrville
The annual Kerrville Folk Festival happens to coincide with the eclipse this year, and the organizers are using that to their advantage. The renamed event will feature live music, art, camping, and science presentations about eclipses. There will be food and drinks to be announced, but expect goodies from sponsors like Pint & Plow Brewing and Trailhead Beer Garden, and food/drinks from Central Provisions.
When: Saturday, April 5 through Monday, April 8
How to Attend: Currently, the festival is only offering multi-day passes. It will see if there is space to sell Monday day passes in mid-March. Advanced passes for nonmembers are $350, kids between the ages of five through 12 are $75, and anyone younger is free; there is also member pricing for foundation members. Then there are a la carte parking passes and RV spots.
San Antonio, around 1:34 p.m.
Events
The Moon’s Daughter
115 Lexington Ave, San Antonio
The Thompson San Antonio Greek-ish hotel restaurant is hosting a Monday brunch for a glimpse of the partial totality of the eclipse from its rooftop lounge. There will be themed drinks, glasses, and live entertainment.
When: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
How to Attend: Tickets are $99.
Guides
Hye, around 1:35 p.m.
Events
Ron Yates Wines
6676 Highway 290 West, Hye
The Hill Country winery’s eclipse party is a jam-packed one. All tickets come with access to a breakfast taco bar, a wine bar showing the history of the winery, and even paella. Then there’s a free wine glass, glasses, and one free glass of wine, plus lawn games, live music, and viewing areas. VIP tickets come with a special bar, access to a bathroom trailer, a pig roast, and a special breakfast buffet. There’s also room for RV camping.
When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How to Attend: Early tickets are $125 for general admission, $250 for VIP, and $675 for RV camping; regular tickets will be $150 for general admission, $300 for VIP, and $750 for RVs.
William Chris Vineyards
10352 Highway 290, Hye
The lauded Hill Country winery is teaming up with the Austin-based restaurant group behind Southern restaurant Olamaie for its eclipse event. On deck are wine barrel tastings, astronomy sessions, live country music concerts, and breakfast and lunch courtesy of MaieB’s forthcoming Fredericksburg spot the Albert Hotel. The latter includes Little Ola’s biscuits, pork chops, and Texas chocolate sheet cake. The tickets come with parking, glasses, a poster, a picnic blanket, and a bag with two bottles of its special eclipse wines.
When: TBA
How to Attend: Tickets are $375 for adults and $100 for kids.
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Johnson City, around 1:35 p.m.
Guides
Lampasas and Kempner, around 1:35 p.m.
Events
Pillar Bluff Vineyards
300 County Road 111, Lampasas
The Hill Country winery is hosting an RV camping event for the eclipse. Camping passes come with access to two barbecue dinners, live music, and a special cabernet sauvignon made for the eclipse.
When: Sunday, April 7 through Monday, April 8
How to Attend: Tickets are $500
Thunderwolf Ranch
1079 County Road 4630, Kempner
The Texas horse rescue ranch and event space is hosting a four-day, two-night camping festival for the eclipse. There’s tent and car camping passes with access to live music, karaoke, and loads of food vendors such as pizza spot Slice Society, Yaya’s Southeast Asian Cuisine, and a tea lounge.
When: Friday, April 5 through Monday, April 8
How to Attend: Camping passes are $157 for two people
Austin, around 1:36 p.m.
Events
Jester King Brewery
13187 Fitzhugh Road, Far West Austin
The Hill Country brewery is hosting a huge total solar eclipse party. There will be a special beer release for the event, alongside other beers and food, Figure 8 coffee, mimosas, and more. For non-food activities, expect live psychedelic rock performances and the Austin Witches Market.
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How to Attend: It’s free to attend, but there are $20 parking passes for people who want to drive themselves.
Meanwhile Brewing Co.
3901 Promontory Point Drive, Austin
This McKinney neighborhood brewery is one of several Austin locations that are participating in private science- and math-geared Simons Foundation’s special nationwide initiative timed to the eclipse, where the breweries will brew up a special beer for the celestial event, In the Path of Totality.Meanwhile’s event includes its new 01:36pm beer, a black IPA, as well as a special pint glass and glasses giveaways. There will be a live string quartet, too.
When: 1 to 3 p.m.
How to Attend: Free to attend, there are RSVPs.
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Otopia
1901 San Antonio Street, Suite 1100, Austin
The Otis Hotel’s rooftop bar will be a prime eclipse viewing spot, especially when it will serve cocktails benefitting the University of Texas at Austin’s astronomy department. Plus, there will be a live DJ and free eclipse glasses.
When: noon to 5 p.m.
How to Attend: Tickets are $20.
Pioneer Farms
10621 Pioneer Farms Drive, Austin
The historic space and venue is hosting a two-day eclipse event. The first day includes seminars and activities, plus food truck Coco East and Sweet. The second includes its Citizen Scientist Sun Party with a live band, food from Ice Cream Peddler and Carla’s with chicken tenders, burgers, and fries.
When: Sunday, April 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Monday, April 8
How to Attend: Tickets are $12 for each day or $20 for both days.
The Long Center
701 West Riverside Drive, Austin
The Long Center and Simons Foundation are hosting this free eclipse event on the venue’s lawn. Food-wise, there will be vendors; and drinks-wise, Austin breweries will be at hand to offer special eclipse-themed brews. There’s also a Radiolab live-recording session, a visual storytelling experience led by authors Roxane Gay and Debbie Millman, and free tote bags for the first 1,000 guests. Everyone attending will get free eclipse glasses.
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
How to Attend: Free.
Austin Beerworks
3001 Industrial Terrace, Austin
The North Burnet brewery is also participating in the Simons Foundation’s In the Path of Totality beer event, though further details aren’t available at this time.
When: TBA
How to Attend: TBA
Zilker Brewing Company
1701 East Sixth Street, Austin
The East Austin brewery is also participating in the Simons Foundation’s In the Path of Totality beer event, though further details aren’t available at this time.
When: TBA
How to Attend: TBA
Guides
San Marcos, around 1:36 p.m.
Events
Middleton Brewing
101 Oakwood Loop, San Marcos
The brewpub is hosting a very chill partial-totality eclipse-viewing party with beer specials and glasses.
When: It starts at noon.
How to Attend: Free to attend.
Guides
Round Rock, around 1:37 p.m.
Guides
Temple, around 1:40 p.m.
Moose & Goose Winery
6300 Middle Road, Suite B, Temple
The Bell County fruit winery’s eclipse viewing party comes with a hummus snack lunch, bottle of wine, keepsake glass, and glasses.
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
How to Attend: Tickets are $80.
General Central Texas and Hill Country Guides
AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin-based improv troupe is celebrating a major milestone with performances in Texas and on a national stage.
Jane Austin Improv celebrates third anniversary with Texas shows & a national NYC stage
Jane Austin Improv is marking its third anniversary with a series of shows, including a headlining performance at the Long Center’s Rollins Studio Theatre on June 6.
The award-winning group is known for blending Regency-era storytelling with improv comedy, bringing Jane Austen-inspired characters, costumes and courtship drama to life with quick wit and audience-driven humor.
MORE | #TBT: ‘Jane Austin Improv’ brings 18th-century romance and modern humor to world stages
Following their Austin shows, the troupe will perform in New York City at the Del Close Marathon, one of the country’s premier improv comedy festivals.
Jane Austin Improv celebrates third anniversary with Texas shows & a national NYC stage
Jane Austin Improv has grown from local stages to performances across the U.S. and internationally, earning multiple nominations from the B. Iden Payne Awards, winning the 2023 Ethel Hinkley Award for Outstanding New Improv Troupe, and being named a “Best of Austin” finalist by the Austin Chronicle in 2025.
Organizers say the anniversary performances celebrate both the group’s growth and its mission to connect audiences through creative, accessible comedy.
Tickets for the June 6 performance at the Long Center can be found here: https://thelongcenter.org/events/janeaustinimprov/
After ranking as the third-best large U.S. city for starting a business last year, Austin took a surprising tumble into the 24th spot nationally for 2026.
WalletHub’s annual report, “Best Large Cities to Start a Business (2026)” compared 100 U.S. cities based on 19 relevant metrics across three key dimensions: business environment, access to resources, and costs. Factors that were analyzed include five-year business survival rates, job growth comparisons from 2020 and 2024, population growth of working-age individuals aged 16-64, office space affordability, and more.
Florida cities locked other states out of the top five best places in America for starting a new business: Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Hialeah, and St. Petersburg.
Austin’s business environment ranked 11th best in the country, and the city ranked ninth in the “access to resources” category. The city also tied with Boise, Idaho, and Fresno, California, for the highest average growth in the number of small businesses nationally.
Austin lagged behind in the “business costs” ranking, coming in at No. 80 overall. This category examined metrics such as the city’s working-age population growth, the share of college-educated individuals, financing accessibility, the prevalence of investors, venture investment amounts per capita, and more.
Earlier this year, WalletHub declared Texas the third-best state for starting a business in 2026, and several Houston-area cities have seen robust growth after being recognized among the best career hotspots in the U.S. WalletHub also ranked Austin on its top-10 list of the best U.S. cities to find a job. Entrepreneurial praise has also been extended to 15 Austin-based innovators that made Inc Magazine’s 2026 Female Founders 500 list.
Texas cities with strong environments for new businesses
Multiple cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex can claim bragging rights as the best Texas locales for starting a new business. Dallas ranked highest overall — appearing 11th nationally — and Irving landed a few spots behind in the 16th spot. Arlington (No. 23), Fort Worth (No. 30), Plano, (No. 35), and Garland (No. 65) followed behind.
Only six other Texas cities earned spots in the report: Houston (No. 26), Lubbock (No. 36), Corpus Christi (No. 39), San Antonio (No. 64), El Paso (No. 67), and Laredo (No. 76). Corpus Christi and Laredo also topped WalletHub’s list of the U.S. cities with the most accessible financing.
“From the Gold Rush and the Industrial Revolution to the Internet Age, periods of innovation have shaped our economy and driven major societal progress,” the report’s author wrote. “However, the past few years have been particularly challenging for business owners in the U.S., due to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Great Resignation and high inflation.”
Austin, TX
‘I want to be louder’: Austin Drag King Bobby Pudrido refuses to be deterred by Texas ban
Jay Thomas grew up like any kid, laughing at silly things and making up funny names.
So in the ’90s, when Tejano superstar Bobby Pulido’s songs played on the radio, young Jay and his peers couldn’t help but rhyme his last name with the Spanish word pudrido (which means rotten in English).
“We grew up calling him that just because it was funny,” he told Austin Signal host Jerry Quijano.
When he was thinking of a name for his drag persona, Thomas created a list.
“I was thinking of some queer icons and some not queer icons,” he said. “This one just resonated because he is a Tejano star. And in the ’90s he was this really big heartthrob that everybody wanted to be or be with.”
And three years ago, Thomas became Drag King Bobby Pudrido.
He thought it would be fun to impersonate a masculine figure from the Latino community and perform for an audience attracted to that type of energy. He also wanted to bring his culture into his drag.
Pudrido’s name has new recognition these days: Tejano singer Pulido decided to retire from music and go into politics. He’s running for Congress in South Texas’ District 15 against incumbent Republican Monica De La Cruz.
Both in an out of drag, Pudrido is also politically vocal. He advocates for trans rights and against the drag ban that went into effect statewide in March. The law prohibits drag performances in public properties or in front of children. Venues that host these performances can be fined up to $10,000.
“As a drag artist, one of the things we need to do is get booked so we can pay our bills,” Pudrido said.
Even though it’s unclear whether the ban affects some venues, he said, he thinks certain business owners won’t book drag performers because of the risk of being fined.
But as a working-class artist, he doesn’t have the luxury to dwell on it.
“You have to go to work, because you need to pay your bills,” he said.
The law has taken an emotional toll on him, too.
“The way it chips away at a queer person to hear any type of anti-queer legislation pass is something that is really big for me,“ he said. “We are constantly — just as human beings — trying to maintain our mental health. “
But that doesn’t mean his love for performing has been diminished. In fact, quite the opposite is true.
“It has fueled me,” Pudrido said. “Right now I’m in the angry phase where I want to be louder.”
As a performer and producer, the drag king has put on shows in the Austin area and recently traveled back to his hometown in Laredo for a show.
“It’s hard for drag kings to get booked sometimes, so we are still far away from the perfect ideal world for [them],” he said. “But the fact that I have a platform at all is huge.”
Pudrido’s passion for performing comes from his drag ancestors, “who started the art form as a way of being political and of being against the systems that were oppressing queer people.”
Drag King Bobby Prudido is currently producing his second queer quinceañera, “Con Mucho Amor,” with an anticipated show date in the fall.
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