You are no April fool if you want to spend April in Austin. There are an abundance of festivals, food and wine events, outdoor gardening symposiums and, of course, more music!
1. The weather is just about perfect and the bluebonnets, our state flower, paint hillsides and roadways blue along with a bouquet of other Texas native wildflowers. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has their Spring Plant Sale and Gardening Festival along with workshops about growing native plants and conservation, a sculpture event and Earth Day activities. April 11-12
2. Austinities love their dogs and a challenge of any kind! Dog walking is at its best with the Mighty Texas Dog Walk, a fundraiser where dog owners compete for the Guinness World Record for most dogs walked. Dogs of all shapes and sizes, along with their owners, compete to raise money for service dogs in the Austin area. Walk til your dogs bark for a good cause! April 11
3. Easter in Austin is always special from the sunrise service at St. Luke's on the Lake at Lake Travis to the flowering of the cross at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Tarrytown. When we were little girls we took Daddy's finest flowers to the service and stuck them in the appropriate sized holes on the wooden crosses. After service, the crosses were placed on the Church grounds to herald He had risen! Did I mention that my grandparents were founding members of Good Shepherd? April 12th
4. Music festivals celebrate Spring all over the area. Take in the Old Settler's Music Festival on any of the four days that you can camp out and enjoy bluegrass, roots and American bands out by the Salt Lick in Driftwood. If reggae is more your thing, chekc out the Austin Reggae Festival on the shores of Lady Bird Lake and help raise 12 tons of food for the Capital Area Food Bank. The Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival features events showcasing 100 restaurants and 60 wineries in their four day festival, a traditional passage to Spring. April 16-19th
5. The Umlauf Gardens are some of the prettiest in Austin and celebrate the sculpture of Charles Umlauf in a natural setting close to Zilker Park. Enjoy it all while strolling through the gardens sipping a glass of wine and enjoying tasty noches and music at the annual fundraiser, the Umlauf Garden Party. April 23
6. Poetry is a staple in Austin, from the international poetry slams to private poetry readings; Austinites are poets. The Austin International Poetry Festival is the largest nonjuried poetry festival in the world! For four days, in many venues, you can hear poetry of all kinds from locals and international participants alike. It will amaze you! April 23-26
7. Barton Springs Pool comes alive with visitors sunbathing on the hillside and dipping into the spring-fed waters of Austin's most famous swimming hole. Kids chase pigeons and ride the train around Zilker Park and everyone loves to worship the sun as spring melts into summer! Every day in April
8. One of the funniest events in April is the Dragon Boat Festival and Race. Yes, it is nutty because Austinites build their 40 foot watercraft, decorate them like dragoss and race them on Lady Bird Lake's Festival Beach. Others get into the act too! It is not to be missed! April 25th
9. Take in the works of over 200 professional artists selected from applicants from all over the country as they showcase their art at Art City Austin. There is always lots of local music, food and fun. Bring your sunscreen! April 25th
10. April is birthday month! Yes, Willie Nelson, Eeyore and I all share the same birthday on April 30th. This year Willie and I will be celebrating privately, but everyone can attend Eeyore's birthday at the Austin traditional party in Pease Park. Come dressed for the party in costume and celebrate Eeyore's 46th! April 25th
The Austin housing market is heating up and all things real estate seem to be seasonally normal. As always, if you know someone who wants to buy or sell a home, please let me know! Referrals are the heart of our business.
Submitted by Laura Duggan, West Austin Properties, Austin, Texas on April 9, 2009. Visit our website at www.westaustin.com to find your next home!
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