A local favorite, The Austin Variety Show welcomed the start of their second season Saturday, Jan. 28 with a special preview party for fans at their new studio in Highland Mall. The audience was packed with die-hard fans and local business owners, some of whom were involved with the show, as host Troy Dillinger gave a sneak peak of "Entervention," the first of a two-part season premiere episode.
While the chilly breeze outside keeps everyone bundled up and reminds us that the holidays are near, remember that going green on gifts and decorations can not only lessen our impact on the environment but on our wallets, as well. It's no secret that the U.S. has a tendency to spend a pretty penny on commercialized products around this time of year, but it shouldn't be an excuse to create mountains of waste and junk. Use your financial powers for good this season, and try your hand at recycling, upcycling and repurposing things for all of your holiday needs.
Vintage style fest attracts fashion-savvy shoppers, vendors to Austin boutiques
The clicking and clacking of hangers on clothing racks rang through vintage shops all over town Nov. 26-27 for the first ever biannual Austin Vintage Style Fest. Locals armed with wristbands parlayed and gazed at frilly frocks, strapping pearl snaps, bold boots and kicks, nostalgic looks, retro jewelry and exquisite mustaches at participating boutiques.
The Austin Convention Center was crawling with creatures and costumes from all sorts of cult classic comics, movies and TV shows Nov. 11-13 for Austin's second annual Wizard World Comic Con. The disguises alone were enough of a reason to regret missing out on this year's ultimate nerd gathering.
Over 80 exhibitors and retailers sold comics, costuming supplies, toys, autographed memorabilia and more. Several artists and celebrities were on hand at booths all over the convention center ready to sign autographs, take photos, present artwork and even draw custom requests.
Fun Fun Fun Fest dusty, but thrilling with musicians, comedians, celebrities, more
A giant mass of what looked like hipster-gangsters and train robbers kicked around dirt and dust Nov. 4-6 at this year's Fun Fun Fun Fest (FFFF).
Over 150 diverse and engaging bands performed for the bandana-clad concertgoers at FFFF's sixth annual gathering, located at Auditorium Shores this year. The festival showcased musicians from a manifold of genres and styles.
Thrive Austin Festival entertains, encourages green living, social responsibility among community me
Live music, sustainability workshops and environmentally-themed carnival games put an entertaining spin on green living during the Nov. 11 Thrive Austin Festival held at the Pine Street Station in downtown Austin.
The festival, which was a collaboration among the Amala Foundation, the Sustainable Living Roadshow (SLR) and Go Local Austin, raised $3,000 for the Amala foundation, event organizers said. Amala is an international humanitarian service organization which runs youth summer camps and assists immigrant and refugee youth in Austin.
According to Amala Executive Director Ryan Jordan, as many as 3,000 refugees are relocated to Austin each year. Organizations such as Refugee Services of Texas refer many of the displaced youth to Amala.
"Amala endeavors to create a safe space for youth that have suffered abuse, war, neglect and religious persecution among other injustices," Jordan said.
The House of Torment, a large-scale haunted house, has opened its doors again to frighten patrons in the Austin area for the ninth year since its inception.
Lady Gaga-themed variety show Gagarazzi to be held at The Highball, raise awareness of mistreatment
Lovers of Lady Gaga now have a chance to ‘just dance' all night while supporting LGBT equality rights.
SXSW 2011 is almost here, and for the first time since the Accent has covered SXSW, we will be covering all three portions of the conference: music, film, and interactive. All three editors will document their experiences with video cameras and update blogs on the Accent's website at theaccent.
Fashion aficionados braved cold temperatures to see vintage fashion shine on the catwalk on Feb. 4 at the Mohawk for Fashion Freakout 4. The models showcased custom collections from local vintage shops, Prototype Vintage Design, New Bohemia, and Laced with Romance.
Best places to visit around town that support city slogan
All it took was a phone call to a local radio station to start a phrase that Austinites would grab a hold of and turn "Keep Austin Weird" into an unofficial slogan of the city. That's exactly what happened when Red Wassenich, an Austin Community College librarian at the Rio Grande Campus, called community radio KOOP to make a donation.
That time of year is upon us where, once again, we are faced with the dilemma of what to get people for the holidays.
Comic fans show up in costume at first ever Austin event
Austinites of all ages entered the Austin Convention Center to be greeted by iconic celebrities like the original Hulk, Lou Ferrigno, Billy Dee Williams who played Lando Calrissian in Star Wars Episode V and VI, and Ernie Hudson who played Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters movies.
Over 300,000 attend celebration of old school Austin on new school Sixth Street
Pecan Street Festival, one of Austin's most traditional festivals took place on Sept. 25 and 26, bringing a wide array of activities for all to enjoy. There were vendors, food carts, artists, shopkeepers, magic shows, and much more. Not even a very disappointing loss from the Longhorns football team was able to deter the electric vibe that surrounded the festival.
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