There’s so many great things happening for kids during spring break, from South by Southwest events or inspired-events to inexpensive movies to special museum happenings. Check out our list of things to do and if you have another event, email me at nvillalpando@statesman.com.
Events
Rodeo Austin. 10 a.m.-midnight Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday through March 26. Fairgrounds admission $8 adult, $5 kids, free children 2 and younger; $10 parking. Travis County Expo Center, 7311 Decker Lane. rodeoaustin.com
Mother-Son Adventure. Go kayaking on Lady Bird Lake. 10 a.m. Saturday. $15. Camacho Activity Center, 34 Robert T. Martinez Jr. St. RSVP at barbara.garcia@austintexas.gov
Under the Springs. Meet a mermaid, see a new exhibit, “One Square Foot of Barton Springs,” and enjoy kid-friendly activities. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. March 16. The Splash Exhibit, 2201 Barton Springs Road. austintexas.gov/splash
Flashlight Friday. Explore the Wildflower Garden at night and learn about nocturnal animals. For kids 5-12, 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m. March 18. $10 adults, $5 child. Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave. wildflower.org
Easter Eggstravaganza. 10-1 p.m. March 19 Dove Springs Recreation Center, 5801 Ainez Drive.
Search for Lost Eggs. Crafts and egg hunt. Noon March 19. Dittmar Recreation Center, 1009 W. Dittmar Road.
South by Southwest
Billy Bishop, with Obselete Industries, hands Nolin Flaherty, 6, a screen printed poster at Sx Create last year. DEBORAH CANNON / AMERICAN-STATESMAN
SXSW Create. Make things and learn about the makers’ spirit. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Free. Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road. sxsw.com/exhibitions/sx-create
Family Music Meltdown. Hear Strumero, Gina Chavez, Red Yarn, Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, Mister G, Sugar Free Allstars, the Deedle Deedle Dees, El Tule, Gina Chavez, plus science with the Thinkery and trampolines. Free. 3-7 p.m. March 16, Pan Am Park’s Hillside Theater, 2100 E. Third St.
SXSW Gaming Expo. This is one free event where you can try out all kids of games and watch people play games. Noon-8 p.m. March 17-19. Free. Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez St. sxsw.com/exhibitions/gaming-expo
All The Children Boogie: A Tribute to David Bowie. Family radio show Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, LiveMom, and the Austin Scottish Rite Theater are presenting this show, which includes musicians Jon Langford, David Wax Museum, Riders Against the Storm, Nakia, Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, The Deedle Deedle Dees, Rockaroni & Cheese, Joe McDermott, Groundwork Music Orchestra, Hey Lolly Band and more. 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. March 18. Free. Scottish Rite Theater, 207 W. 18th St. scottishritetheater.org
Amazon Music’s Kid’s Day. Lisa Loeb, The Pop Ups, The Not-Its! and more play all day at the Thinkery. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. The Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. RSVP: facebook.com/events/1056104811099225/
Mark Anthony, 13, plays a virtual reality light saber simulator made by Sixense at South by Southwest Gaming last year.
Efren Salinas/ AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Rock + Read. At this book/music fest. Hear Lucky Diaz & the Family Jam band, Mister G, The Que Pastas, Big Don, The Not-Its!, Red Yarn, and the Deedle Deedle Dees. See Rob Harrell, Dianne Hutts Aston, Don Tate, Chris Barton, Emma Virján and Jan Bozarth read their books in the BookPeople Storytime Tent. Free. 1-5:30 p.m. March 20, on the lawn at Domain II.
Theatre
“James & the Giant Peach.” The Roald Dahl book comes to life in musical form. 11 a.m. Saturday, Sunday, March 19, 26; April 2, 9. 2 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, March 19, 20, 26, 27; April 2, 3, 9; and 4:30 p.m. April 10. $29 adults, $26 children. Zach Theatre’s Kleberg Stage, 1421 W. Riverside Drive. zachtheatre.org
Circus Chickendog’s “1001 Tricks in 1 Hour!” See the animals work their magic. 1 p.m. March 14-18, 10:30 a.m. March 19. $15. The Institution Theater, 3708 Woodbury Drive. www.chickendog.net
Museums
Screenprinting for ages 8 and up. 10:30 a.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. $29 one adult and child. Wet Weather for ages 1-2., $29 one adult and child. 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Soap Making for ages 4-7. 10:30 a.m. March 19 and 2:30 p.m. March 20. The museum is open all day on Monday, but there will be no Baby Bloomers. “Rainbow Fish” at 9 a.m. Saturday. “Harold and the Purple Crayon,” Baby Bloomers, 9 a.m. March 19. The Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. thinkeryaustin.org.
Spring Break at the Bullock. Each day explore different activities. March 14-18 Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 Congress Ave. thestoryoftexas.com
Bianca Serra, 4, visited the Umlauf Sculpture Garden with her family where she prayed with a bronze statue of a nun. LAURA SKELDING / AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Umlauf Sculpture Garden Family Day. Enjoy free activities including art making, stories, yoga and more. Noon-4 p.m. Sunday. Umlauf Sculpture Garden, 605 Robert E. Lee Road. umlaufsculpture.org.
Art Free-For-All. See the Contemporary Austin’s educational offerings with an open house. Noon-4 p.m. Saturday. Free. Laguna Gloria, 3809 W. 35th St. contemporaryaustin.org
Hill Country Science Mill. Celebrate spring break with Imagine Yourself on Pi Day, Monday; Imagine Yourself Blasting into Space with rocket activities, Tuesday; Imagine Yourself Creating Games and Gadgets, Wednesday; Imagine Yourself Discovering Mysteries of the Universe, Thursday; and Imagine Yourself Exploring the Living Worlds with guests Party Animals, Friday. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. during spring break. 101 S. Lady Bird Lane, Johnson City.$6.50 students, $8 adults. www.sciencemill.org.
Movies
Alamo Drafthouse Kids Camp. “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” 10:30 a.m. Friday-March 17, Lakeline. “Batman: The Movie,”4 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday-March 17, Village; 10:30 a.m. March 19 and March 20, 10 a.m.March 19, Lakeline. $1-$3 donation. drafthouse.com
Spring Break at Flix Brewhouse. Watch $2 movies at 10:30 a.m. each day next week. “How to Train Your Dragon,” Monday; “Spy Kids,” Tuesday; “Jumanji,” Wednesday; “Babe,” Thursday, and “The Land Before Time,” Friday. Flix Brewhouse, 2200 S. Interstate 35, Suite B1, Round Rock. flixbrewhouse.com/round-rock
“The Peanuts Movie,” 4 p.m. Tuesday, Cepeda Branch.
Books
Cassandra Clare reads “Lady Midnight” at St. Edward’s University. 7 p.m. March 16. Zach Theatre comes for story time, 11:30 a.m. Saturday; Armstrong Community Music School story time, 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Tiny Tails to You Petting Zoo story time, 10:30 a.m. March 16, and Be Yourself story time, 11:30 a.m. March 19. BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd. bookpeople.com.
Barnes & Noble. 11 a.m. Saturday story times at all locations. “When Spring Comes,” March 19. Other story times: “How to Catch a Leprechaun,” 11 a.m. March 16, Lakeline; “The Most Magnificent Thing” 11 a.m. March 15 Round Rock; “Rock-A-Bye Romp,” 7 p.m. March 18, Round Rock. Batman vs. Superman Day for teens. 7 p.m. March 19, Arboretum and Round Rock.
Library
“Literature Live! Presents: The Selfish Gardener Puppet Show,” 2 p.m. Sunday, Faulk Central Library; 6 p.m. Monday, University Hills Branch; 11:30 a.m. March 17, Ruiz Branch.
Crafternoon, 4 p.m. March 17, Cepeda Branch.
NBTween Book Club for ages 8-12. Read “El Deafo,” 6 p.m. March 16, Yarborough Branch; “The London Eye,” 6 p.m. March 17 Twin Oaks Branch.
Art Smart, ages 5 and up, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Willie Mae Kirk Branch.
Circuit Break, for ages 10 and up. 7 p.m. Friday, Ruiz Branch.
