Go Ice Skating in Austin
We may not get much real winter weather, but that doesn't mean Austinites can't indulge in the joys of ice skating. Every year, the downtown Whole Foods hosts Ice Skating on the Plaza.
The rink opened on November 27th and will be open every day through January 17th except for Christmas. You can't buy tickets in advance; you have to buy them at Whole Foods the day you want to skate. It costs $10 per person, and the price includes skate rentals.
The rink is open from 10 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.; the last skating session begins at 9 p.m. Each skating session begins on the hour and lasts 50 minutes (the last 10 minutes are for maintenance).
Have you ever ice skated at Whole Foods?
Win Free Burgers for a Year!
If you enjoy ingesting massive quantities of food, you will enjoy Elevation Burger's first eating competition. The competition will involve eating their Vertigo Burger, a ten-patty burger made of organic, grass-fed beef along with aged cheddar. On top of that, each contestant must also down a basket of Elevation Burger's olive-oil fried French fries. The first person to finish the behemoth meal will receive free Elevation Burgers for a year (up to two burgers a week).
The contest will take place on December 3 and 7 p.m. at Elevation Burger (9828 Great Hills Trail). To enter, email your name, age and contact info to ebarboretum@gmail.com and you will receive confirmation of their entry via email.
Exciting December Events in Austin
It may not feel too chilly outside yet, but December is almost here. Regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, the month is full of holiday cheer in Austin. Be sure to check out my December events calendar to find out about all the exciting things happening in Austin.
Some of December's highlights include "The Nutcracker" performed by the Austin Ballet, which is the longest-running Nutcracker performance in Texas. As always, there will be plenty live music in Austin, ranging from KISS at the Erwin Center to many holiday-themed performances, such as Handel's "Messiah" by the Austin Symphony. You can watch the Zilker Tree Lighting Ceremony, attend a holiday party for dogs at the Driskill, and go shopping at Keep Austin Bizarre. The possibilities are nearly endless!
What December events in Austin are you most excited about?
Expansion Continues on The Domain
The Domain is mixed-use facility in North Austin that features an outdoor shopping mall, apartments, and restaurants. Its first phase has been open for several years, and its second phase is currently under expansion in what is the largest ongoing retail construction in the city.
According to the Statesman, the new section of The Domain will feature 600,000 square feet of apartments, a luxury movie theater, several small retailers, and a Dillard's department store (the first new one in Austin in over 10 years). Most of the existing Domain retailers are luxury and designer shops, but the new stores will be more affordable options, such as Payless Shoes and Bath and Body Works. The movie theater will be like a fancy Alamo Drafthouse, with reclining chairs in small theaters and the ability to order food and drinks (tickets will be $20 a pop, according to the Statesman).
A Dick's Sporting Goods store recently opened in the new section of The Domain. Dillard's is set to open in Feb. of 2010, and there will also be a Westin Hotel opening in the new section of The Domain in the spring of 2010.
Austin Ranked Top City for Job Performance
Austin is yet again at the top of a list for cities performing well in a crummy economy. The Milken Institute recently released a report of the cities that performed best at creating and sustaining jobs in 2009. Texas metro areas took three of the top 10 spots.
The Austin-Round Rock metro was ranked No. 4 last year, but came in at No. 1. This year. The Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood area rose from 13th place to second. The Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metro went from up from 16th to 5th place this year.
The Milken Institute says regional economic factors were major influencers, and the industries with most stability were technology, alternative energy, and the oil and gas industry.
Austin's strong tech industry is what boosted it to first place. It is also the first time a metro has been ranked No. 1 twice on this index (we were No. 1 in 2000). According to the Institute, "Another factor helping Texas metros move up in the rankings is that state's favorable business climate and its ability to attract jobs and corporations away from higher-cost states."
The index was calculated based on employment and salary growth both in the short term and long term. Additionally, they measured technology output growth "because of technology's crucial role in creating good jobs and driving regional economies."
Live From 'La Boheme' at Intermission
As I mentioned in the last post, I'm blogging live at Austin Lyric Opera's 2009-2010 season opener, La Boheme. We are currently in the first intermission of the four-act opera.
The talent on the stage is incredible, in addition to that of the orchestra below. The set design is also top-notch; the second act takes place in the Latin Quarter of Paris. The set was colorful and full of suspended old Parisian paintings in the style of Toulouse-Lautrec. A real marching band came out and the second act ended with a stage full of colorfully-dressed characters, dancing children, and sky-high musical notes from the excellent cast. Right now, all of the audience is mingling over a free glass of champagne provided by Austin Lyric Opera in celebration of the season opening. Once intermission is over, there are two more acts to go. The tone and lyrics have been very humorous and playful so far, but as we all know, it will get darker toward the end. I'm looking forward to the rest.
Have you ever seen La Boheme performed? For those of you who don't know, the Broadway musical (and the movie) "Rent" were based off this opera.
Austin Lyric Opera Presents 'La Boheme'
Austin Lyric Opera is kicking off its 2009-2010 season with La Boheme tonight. There will be shows on Nov. 7, 11, 13, and 15 at the Long Center for the Performing Arts.
I'm currently blogging from the orchestra level of the Long Center's Lobby. The theme of tonight's season-opening gala is "An Evening in Paris." The opera takes place in Paris in around 1830. A large replica of the Arc de Triomphe sits above the top of the Long Center's grand stairs, so each patron walks through it as they arrive. Outside on the Pavillion, there is a roped off area for patrons only, which features a large replica of the Eiffel Tower in addition to old-style lamplights, and even painters. As you can imagine, those mingling in that area are dressed to the nines! I'm seeing many gowns, gorgeous updos, some fur despite the warm weather, and even a top hat and a tiara.
They just rang the bell -- it's time to get seated! More later.
Fun Fun Fun Fest This Weekend
The fourth annual Fun Fun Fun Fest takes place in Austin this Saturday and Sunday. Put on by Transmission Entertainment, this increasingly popular festival features progressive and underground music in the genres of punk/hardcore, indie rock, and hip hop/DJ. There will also be some comedy shows.
The event will be held at Waterloo Park in downtown Austin and will feature four main stages, one for each genre. While most of the bands are emerging and lesser-known, there will be a few big names there, such as Ratatat, Danzig, Of Montreal, and Pharcyde. Several local food vendors will be there, including Frank, Woodland, Tiff's Treats, and Boomerang's.
Will you be attending Fun Fun Fun Fest? Which act are you most excited about?
Holiday Shopping Starts Early with Shop787
Launch 787, the events company behind Austin's Fashion Week, is featuring a new event this Sunday called Shop787. It is a way to do some holiday shopping before the crowds and chaos begin, and it is also fundraiser and book drive for the Dell Children's Medical Center.
More than 50 local shops, designers, and artists will be at Shop787 selling goods. There will be a food court with vendors including Malaga, Judges' Hill Restaurant, Sushi A Go Go, and The Cupcake Bar.
"While there have been many shopping events in the Austin area, we felt there was a void that really celebrates local business in a unique environment," said Matt Swinney, Founder of Launch787. "It's a great opportunity to keep holiday shopping dollars in the local economy while also supporting a more-than-worthy charity in Dell Children's Medical Center."
Advance tickets are $5 through Shop787.com. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $10 (or $5 with the donation of a book for the medical center). Tickets include all beverages (alcohol from Tito's Vodka and Brown Distributing and non-alcoholic beverages from Sweet Leaf Tea).
Shop 787 takes place Nov. 8 from noon to 6 p.m. It will be held in the courtyards at the Mosaic at Mueller, an apartment community near I-35 and 51st Street.
Austin Ghosthunters Take on the Driskill Hotel
Austinites Alexandra Parrish, David J. Neff and Aaron Bramley have been hunting ghosts for the last six months with their show Ghosthunting and Milkshakes, the only Central Texas paranormal TV show. It airs on Facebook, YouTube, iTunes and Time Warner Ch. 16.
Alex believes in ghosts and Dave doesn't. On each show they investigate supposed hauntings in Texas, and at the end, determine a winner based on the amount of evidence obtained. The loser buys the winner a milkshake. In their first-ever Halloween episode, the team investigates downtown Austin's notorious Driskill Hotel.
The opulent hotel opened in Austin in 1886 by Colonel Jesse Driskill, but closed just six months later. After several more openings and closings, in 1999 it was fully restored to its original grandeur.
One of the ghosts at the Driskill is said to be Colonel Driskill himself, who is accompanied by the smell of cigar smoke. Smoking is not allowed in the hotel, and in the video, a staff member says she and most of the other staffers have all smelled cigar smoke at least once and in various areas.
Another ghost is the Texas ladies' man, who haunts guest rooms of beautiful women and supposedly lays out the clothes that he wants them to wear that night. Another spirit often seen is a young girl bouncing a ball. It is thought that she is the ghost of a Senator's daughter who fell to her death down the hotel's grand staircase while chasing a ball.
Have you ever encountered a ghost at the Driskill?