By Lake Travis Zipline Adventures · Updated April 16, 2026 · 8 min read
Austin does not take weekends off. This particular weekend is one of the most packed of the entire spring season, with three music festivals, a citywide arts takeover, a Japanese food festival, an outdoor pop-up picnic, movie night on the lake, and a full slate of only-in-Austin experiences that you simply cannot find anywhere else. Here is everything worth doing from Thursday through Sunday.
Quick Answer — Best Things to Do in Austin This Weekend April 17 to 19
This weekend in Austin is headlined by the Austin Reggae Festival at Auditorium Shores featuring Stephen Marley, Original Koffee, and Iration, the final weekend of the Fusebox Festival arts takeover across the city, Japan Fes at Republic Square, the Pop-Up Picnic at Waterloo Park, Movies on the Lake at Mozart’s Coffee on Thursday night, and Lake Travis Zipline Adventures for the best outdoor adventure the Austin area has to offer. Here is the complete breakdown.
Thursday, April 16 — Movies on the Lake at Mozart’s Coffee
Start your weekend early on Thursday night with one of the most uniquely Austin experiences you can have. Mozart’s Coffee Roasters on Lake Austin teams up every Thursday with Lake Austin Calm for Movies on the Lake, an outdoor movie night on a massive screen set right on the water with live music before the show and specialty movie snacks throughout.
This Thursday the film is Wicked, starting at 8:30 PM. Deck seating is completely free with an RSVP. The real magic is renting a paddleboard, donut boat, or floating lounge chair and watching the film from the water itself, floating on Lake Austin under the open sky. It is the kind of evening that makes you feel like Austin is the best place in the world to live.
The Details
- When: Thursday April 16, live music starts before 8:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM
- Where: Mozart’s Coffee Roasters, 3825 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin TX 78703
- Film: Wicked
- Cost: Free deck seating with RSVP, paddleboard rentals from $20, donut boats available
- Website: lakeaustincalm.com
Pro Tip: Book your water rental in advance. The floating spots sell out before the film starts every week. The free deck RSVP also goes quickly so grab yours ahead of time.
Friday, April 17 — Lake Travis Zipline Adventures
Before the weekend events kick off in earnest, Friday morning is the perfect time to get out to Lake Travis for the best outdoor adventure in the Austin area. Lake Travis Zipline Adventures is the single most unique outdoor experience near Austin and nothing this weekend competes with it for pure adrenaline and jaw-dropping scenery.
Here is how it works. You board a boat that takes you across Lake Travis to Zip Island, a private island in the middle of the lake accessible only by water, located near Beachside Billy’s and The Oasis on the north shore about 25 to 30 minutes from downtown Austin. Once there, you spend three hours on five world-class ziplines through the Texas Hill Country, including the Double Barrel Shotgun, two side-by-side lines stretching over 2,800 feet at speeds up to 65 mph from 22 stories above the lake. April on Lake Travis with wildflowers still covering the Hill Country below you is genuinely one of the most beautiful outdoor experiences in all of Texas.
After the tour your group gets full-day access to the private lakefront property on Zip Island, where you can jump off the boat dock into Lake Travis and soak up the lake at your own pace. Be back downtown in the evening in time for the Reggae Festival.
The Details
- 5-Line Zipline Tour: $138/person, includes full-day access to the private lakefront property on Zip Island
- Double Barrel Single-Line Tour: $88/person
- Duration: 3 hours for the full tour plus full-day lakefront access after
- Location: Near Beachside Billy’s and The Oasis on Lake Travis, about 25 to 30 minutes from downtown Austin
- Best For: Groups, couples, families, anyone who wants the best outdoor experience in Austin
- Reservations: Required at laketraviszipline.com
Pro Tip: This weekend has Austin packed with festival visitors. Book your zipline slot now at laketraviszipline.com before Friday fills up completely.
Book Lake Travis Zipline Adventures before slots sell out.
Friday through Sunday, April 17 to 19 — Austin Reggae Festival at Auditorium Shores
One of Austin’s most beloved annual traditions returns for its 33rd year in a bold new form. The Austin Reggae Festival at Auditorium Shores runs all three days of the weekend from April 17 through 19, and the 2026 edition is the most ambitious lineup the festival has ever presented.
The festival was founded in 1994 as a tribute to Bob Marley and has raised over a million dollars for the Central Texas Food Bank across its run. This year under new co-ownership with Reggae Rise Up, the festival brings upgraded production, a single seamless main stage overlooking Lady Bird Lake, and a lineup that blends reggae royalty with the next generation of global talent.
Headlining the three days are Stephen Marley, the Grammy-winning son of Bob Marley who brings a soulful roots-forward performance steeped in heritage and innovation, Original Koffee, the Jamaican prodigy whose vibrant uplifting sound has reshaped modern reggae globally, and Iration, the California-bred reggae-rock favorites known for infectious melodies and high-energy live shows. They are joined by Protoje, Jesse Royal, Steel Pulse, Collie Buddz, Tribal Seeds, Zion Marley, Hirie, Mike Love, Eli Mac, Groundation, Through The Roots, and more across the three days.
Beyond the music, the festival grounds feature local and national food vendors, craft and artisan markets, beer and liquor bars, relaxation zones, and family-friendly areas. The setting on Auditorium Shores with Lady Bird Lake directly behind the stage is one of the most beautiful festival locations in Austin all year.
The Details
- When: Friday April 17 through Sunday April 19, gates open at noon daily
- Where: Auditorium Shores, Lady Bird Lake, downtown Austin
- Cost: Day passes from $40, three-day passes from $115
- Tickets: reggaeriseup.com/texas
- Best For: Music lovers, families, anyone who wants a full weekend of great live music on the lake
Pro Tip: Sunday tends to be the most relaxed and family-friendly day of the festival. If you only have one day, Saturday has the most energy. Buy tickets in advance because walk-up prices will be higher.
Friday through Sunday, April 17 to 19 — Fusebox Festival Final Weekend (FREE)
The Fusebox Festival is in its final stretch this weekend, wrapping up its 22nd anniversary edition on Sunday April 19 after five days of taking over the entire city of Austin with one of the most adventurous and genuinely surprising arts festivals in the country.
What makes Fusebox completely different from any other Austin festival is where it happens. This is not a festival at a single venue or a park. It is a citywide takeover that turns parking garages, basketball courts, building facades, galleries, theaters, and neighborhoods into stages for bold unexpected performances. This weekend you can catch Dirty Projectors performing their Songs of the Earth album live with the Austin Symphony Orchestra at the Long Center, Graham Reynolds premiering Spacetime Rodeo, a big-band composition performed on top of an East Austin parking garage, Rolling Ryot’s Rainforest Reverb, a four-story immersive rain forest soundscape inside a downtown parking garage, and Annie-B Parson’s dance film The Oath projected across the sides of buildings throughout the city after dark.
The nightly Fusebox Festival Hub at Springdale Station in East Austin is free, with food, drinks, performances, and DJs every night through Sunday. Many of the most interesting festival events are free or very low-cost.
The Details
- When: Through Sunday April 19, 2026
- Where: Various locations across Austin
- Cost: Many events free, ticketed performances range from $15 to $45
- Website: fuseboxlive.com
Pro Tip: Check the full schedule at fuseboxlive.com and plan ahead. The most unique events, especially the parking garage performances and building projections, tend to sell out or fill up fast.
Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18 — Japan Fes at Republic Square (FREE)
Japan Fes is the world’s largest Japanese food festival, renowned in New York for drawing over a million attendees annually, and it is back in Austin this weekend at Republic Square in the heart of downtown. After a successful debut in Austin, Japan Fes returns April 17 and 18 with dozens of Japanese food vendors, cultural demonstrations, and the kind of food lineup that draws people from across the city.
Expect authentic Japanese street food across the full spectrum, from ramen, takoyaki, taiyaki, and onigiri to Japanese cheesecake, matcha everything, and specialty drinks you simply cannot find anywhere else in Austin. The festival is free to enter and the vendors are consistently praised for representing Japanese cuisine authentically and seriously.
The Details
- When: Friday April 17 and Saturday April 18
- Where: Republic Square, 422 Guadalupe St, downtown Austin
- Cost: Free admission, pay per item from vendors
- Website: japanfes.com
Pro Tip: Go on Friday evening for smaller crowds. Saturday draws the biggest lines at the most popular vendors. Come hungry and plan to spend time exploring because the variety is genuinely impressive.
Saturday, April 18 — Pop-Up Picnic at Waterloo Park
One of Austin’s most beloved spring traditions returns Saturday evening when the Pop-Up Picnic takes over Waterloo Park at the Moody Amphitheater. Bring your own picnic spread or reserve a curated basket from one of Austin’s top local restaurants and spend the evening in one of downtown’s most beautiful public spaces surrounded by the Austin community.
The event runs from 5 PM to 9:30 PM and supports the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, helping maintain this stunning urban green space for the entire city. With the Moody Amphitheater setting, live music, and the warm April evening atmosphere, it is one of the most distinctly Austin events on the entire spring calendar.
The Details
- When: Saturday April 18, 5 PM to 9:30 PM
- Where: Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, 1401 Trinity St, Austin TX 78701
- Cost: $25 per person
- Website: waterloogreenway.org
Pro Tip: Pre-order your curated picnic basket from one of Austin’s top restaurants through the event website. They sell out quickly and it is a much better experience than bringing your own on the first visit.
Saturday, April 18 — Cumbiadélica Festival at 29th Street Ballroom
For something genuinely different and deeply Austin, the Cumbiadélica Festival takes over 29th Street Ballroom on Saturday from 2 PM to 2 AM in a celebration of cumbia music across all its forms, from traditional Mexican cumbia to electronic club-bumping beats, Sonideros street style, and the psychedelic swirl of Peruvian Chicha.
Two stages of non-stop music are joined by cumbia dance classes, a local artisan market, drumming workshops, and an all-day all-night energy that is completely unlike anything else happening in Austin this weekend. If you have never experienced a proper cumbia festival this is one of the best entry points in the city.
The Details
- When: Saturday April 18, 2 PM to 2 AM
- Where: 29th Street Ballroom, 2906 Fruth St, Austin TX 78705
- Cost: From $24
- Best For: Music lovers, dancers, anyone who wants an immersive cultural experience
Saturday, April 18 — Texas Whiskey and Cigar Experience at Star Hill Ranch
For something more relaxed and refined, the Texas Whiskey and Cigar Experience at Star Hill Ranch in Bee Cave on Saturday evening pairs dueling piano entertainment with cigars, food trucks, and a deep dive into the world of Texas whiskey in a beautiful Hill Country setting. Doors open at 4:30 PM and the event runs through 10 PM.
The Details
- When: Saturday April 18, 4:30 PM to 10 PM
- Where: Star Hill Ranch, 15000 Hamilton Pool Rd, Bee Cave TX 78738
- Cost: From $89
- Best For: Whiskey enthusiasts, couples, anyone who wants a more sophisticated Saturday evening experience
Sunday, April 19 — Sistine Chapel Experience at Barton Creek Square
Opening this Sunday and running through April 26, the Sistine Chapel Experience at Barton Creek Square brings a full-scale recreation of Michelangelo’s legendary frescoes to Austin. Every brushstroke of the original Vatican ceiling is represented in this immersive exhibit with cinematic storytelling that explores the lives of the Renaissance masters behind one of the most celebrated artistic achievements in human history. It is a genuinely remarkable thing to see in person.
The Details
- When: Opens Sunday April 19, runs through April 26
- Where: Barton Creek Square, 2901 S Capital of Texas Hwy, Austin TX 78746
- Best For: Art lovers, families, anyone who wants a cultural experience unlike anything else in Austin this weekend
All Weekend — The Usual Austin Essentials
No Austin weekend is complete without some combination of the classics.
Lake Travis Zipline Adventures. The best outdoor experience near Austin. Book at laketraviszipline.com. Be back in the city by late afternoon.
Barton Springs Pool at Zilker Park is the perfect recovery spot between festival days. The naturally spring-fed pool stays at 68 degrees year round and there is no better way to reset between events than a cool swim in the Texas sunshine. Entry is under $10 and free before 8 AM.
The Lady Bird Lake Trail is free and one of the most scenic morning walks in any American city. A sunrise walk or run before the day’s events gets your blood moving and gives you a quiet moment before Austin gets loud again.
The Congress Avenue Bridge bat watching at sunset is free and spectacular every single evening. After a day at the Reggae Festival on Auditorium Shores you can walk directly to the bridge and watch 1.5 million bats emerge over the lake. It is one of the best free things you can do in Austin and it never gets old.
The Perfect Austin Weekend Itinerary — April 17 to 19
Here is how to put it all together.
Thursday Evening: Movies on the Lake at Mozart’s Coffee. Wicked on the water at 8:30 PM. Rent a paddleboard or donut boat from Lake Austin Calm.
Friday Morning: Lake Travis Zipline Adventures. The best outdoor experience near Austin. Book at laketraviszipline.com. Be back in the city by late afternoon.
Friday Evening: Japan Fes at Republic Square for dinner and Japanese street food, then head to Auditorium Shores for opening night of the Austin Reggae Festival.
Saturday Morning: Barton Springs Pool for a recovery swim. Then browse Japan Fes at Republic Square before it closes.
Saturday Afternoon and Evening: Austin Reggae Festival for the best of the three-day lineup, then the Pop-Up Picnic at Waterloo Park from 5 to 9:30 PM.
Saturday Night: Cumbiadélica Festival at 29th Street Ballroom through 2 AM for the most uniquely Austin late-night experience of the weekend.
Sunday: Final day of the Fusebox Festival, opening of the Sistine Chapel Experience at Barton Creek Square, and a closing visit to the Austin Reggae Festival for the final day of music at Auditorium Shores.
Frequently Asked Questions — Things to Do in Austin This Weekend
What is happening in Austin this weekend April 17 to 19 2026?
This weekend in Austin features the Austin Reggae Festival at Auditorium Shores with Stephen Marley, Original Koffee, and Iration from April 17 through 19, the final weekend of the Fusebox Festival arts takeover across the city, Japan Fes Japanese food festival at Republic Square on Friday and Saturday, the Pop-Up Picnic at Waterloo Park on Saturday, the Cumbiadélica Festival at 29th Street Ballroom on Saturday, and the opening of the Sistine Chapel Experience at Barton Creek Square on Sunday. Movies on the Lake at Mozart’s Coffee with Pride and Prejudice runs Thursday night.
What is the best thing to do in Austin this weekend?
The best thing to do in Austin this weekend is Lake Travis Zipline Adventures. You board a boat to a private island in the middle of Lake Travis and spend three hours on five world-class ziplines including the Double Barrel Shotgun, the longest zipline in Texas at over 2,800 feet and speeds up to 65 mph from 22 stories above the lake. After the tour you get full-day access to the private lakefront property where you can jump off the boat dock into the lake. Tickets start at $88 per person. Reservations are required at laketraviszipline.com. Book now before the weekend fills up.
Is the Austin Reggae Festival free?
The Austin Reggae Festival is not free. Day passes start at $40 and three-day passes start at $115. Tickets are available at reggaeriseup.com/texas. The festival takes place at Auditorium Shores on Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin from April 17 through 19, 2026, with gates opening at noon daily.
Is Japan Fes at Republic Square free?
Yes, Japan Fes at Republic Square is free to enter. You pay per item from the food vendors inside. The festival runs Friday April 17 and Saturday April 18 at Republic Square, 422 Guadalupe St, in downtown Austin.
Is Fusebox Festival free?
Many Fusebox Festival events are free, including the nightly Fusebox Hub at Springdale Station in East Austin with food, drinks, performances, and DJs. Ticketed performances range from $15 to $45. Check the full schedule and ticket information at fuseboxlive.com.
Make the Most of Your Austin Weekend
Austin is at its absolute best right now. The weather is perfect, the city is buzzing with festival energy, and this weekend has more genuinely exciting things happening simultaneously than almost any other weekend of the year.
Start by locking in your Lake Travis Zipline Adventures reservation at laketraviszipline.com before Friday morning slots sell out. Then build the rest of your weekend around the Reggae Festival, Japan Fes, Fusebox, and everything else this extraordinary Austin weekend has to offer.