Local news and fun, every day 6am.
Featured
austonia newsletter
Most viewed

Jack & Ginger's at The Domain Northside is hosting a daylong fest full of live music, drinks and food. (Jack & Ginger's/Instagram)
Just like the springtime leaves on the trees, St. Patrick's Day is here to bring green to all kinds of bars, restaurants and events in Austin Thursday.
Put on something green to escape wayward pinches and kiss your Irish loved ones (we recommend asking first) before heading to these St. Paddy's Day events running all day long in Austin.
St. Paddy's Day map
Jack & Ginger's Rock Rose—11500B Rock Rose Ave.
Jack & Ginger's Irish Pub at the Domain NORTHSIDE will block off the street to host a full celebration complete with green beer, bagpipes and outdoor stages.
Doors will open at 10 a.m. and be open to those 21 and older for $20. The pub will host 82 beers on tap, Irish comfort foods and menu items including a giant local pretzel and fish & chips.
Seven live music acts will run from 12 p.m. to 1 a.m. across two stages, including Hollie Holloway Band, Chandler and The Bings, Castaneda Project, More Cowbell and Jericho Machine.
B.D. Riley's—1905 Aldrich St. #130
Recently dubbed the "Best Irish Pub in Texas,” B.D. Riley’s will host a daylong fest complete with Irish music, food, drinks and entertainment.
The pub will open at 10 a.m., stocked with plenty of Guinness and will host performances from Daithy Arwine at 12 p.m., "The Chancers" at 2 p.m. and a Rock 'n Roll Harp set at 5:30 p.m. Everything but beer and grub will be free, including a free four-hour parking pass at the McBee parking garage.
St. Patrick's Day in the Park—200 W. 6th St.
Austin's premiere Celtic band The Here and Now is in for a busy day this St. Paddy's Day, including an afternoon bash under the emerald glow of The Kilroy Star, the Indeed tower's 20-foot tall light art installation. Picnics are welcome at the free public event, which will be held at The Park at Indeed Tower.
Baker Street Pub & Grill—3003 S Lamar Blvd.
For some Sort Austin festivities, head to Baker St. Grill to enjoy free live music, including bagpipes, Widgeon Holland and Uptown Drive, alongside traditional Irish fare from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
The Pub—214 W 4th St.
Looking for more green beer? Aptly named bar The Pub will host a St. Paddy's Day fest of its own complete with three music sets from 5 p.m.-11p.m., a special food menu and drink specials all day hosted by Limavady Irish Whiskey.
Bouldin Acres—2027 S Lamar Blvd.
Those craving a classic shepherd's pie can head to Bouldin Acres for a free indoor-outdoor event complete with food and drinks, DJ's and live music from Kin Faux. The venue opens at 11 a.m. and will give out free swag for the first 150 guests.
Speakeasy—412 Congress Ave.
Do some good while enjoying live music in The Austin Warehouse District at Speakeasy, which will welcome four music acts, DJ Mr. E and special guests all day.
Starting at 5:30 p.m., 90s cover band ZOODUST will perform with benefits going toward refugees in Ukraine.
St. Paddy's Day Bar Crawls—Thursday and Saturday
Enjoy no cover charge and drink specials all night with Austin's St. Patrick's Day Bar Crawl.
For $20, pubgoers can keep the party going all night long at seven participating West Sixth bars and pubs. Crawlers can collect special wristbands at Happy Chicks before heading to the six other nearby pubs for endless Guiness and Irish-themed specials.
Looking for some weekend fun? An even bigger bar crawl is set for Saturday with 13 participating bars, an afterparty at the Concrete Cowboy and two free shots or drinks for just $13.50.
St. Patrick's Day Festival Austin—online
Due to COVID and related staffing shortages, Austin's St. Patrick's Day Festival will once again be online this year. But if you're looking for luck-filled festivities from the comfort of your couch, look no further than this fest, officiated by How To Train Your Dragon voice actor Kieron Elliott.
The festival will celebrate all things Irish with performances from Austin's top Irish Dancing school Inishfree, bodhrán player and storyteller Máirtín de Cógáin, The Clickety Cloggers and music groups including The Here and Now, Sean Keane, Stars of Irish Trad music and Jeff Moore.
Corned Beef Cooking Class—Central Market, 4001 N. Lamar Blvd.
Can't get enough of Irish cuisine? For $50, Central Market's North Lamar location is offering an hour and a half class on dishes including:
- Corned beef, cabbage and barley soup
- Black and tan glazed pork tenderloin
- Irish potato cakes
- Irish butter shortbread
Plus, enjoy St. Paddy's Day music with a performance from Sean Orr and Celtic Texas at the location starting at 5:30 p.m.
More pubs and grub
For more mellow festivities, head to these Irish pubs and restaurants offering traditional fare and more:
- Foxy's Proper Pub is a great downtown bet for Irish comfort bites.
- Since 1866, Scholz Biergarten has become a favorite spot for beer lovers, UT fans and St. Paddy's Day celebrators.
- Brit-Tex pub Nosh & Bevvy will hold live music, craft beers and plenty of Jameson for the holiday.
- Scholz Garten - austonia ›
- 8 comfort food recipes from around the world - austonia ›
- Feel the luck of the Irish this St. Patrick's Day at Austin pubs - austonia ›
Popular
(Moriah Wilson/Instagram)
Austin police are investigating the killing of Moriah "Mo" Wilson after she was found with gunshot wounds inside an Austin home.
Wilson, a gravel and mountain bike racer, was visiting Austin from Colorado in preparation for the Gravel Locos race on Saturday taking place in Hico, a small town 2 hours from Austin.
On Wednesday, her roommate came home and found Wilson unresponsive with "a lot of blood near her,” police said. It is now being investigated as a suspicious death. No further information on the suspect or motive behind the killing are available at this time.
Wilson recently had become a full-time biker after winning a slew of races in the past year.
(Pexels)
Some of your favorite Instagram filters can’t be used in Texas anymore and Austinites are sounding off on social media.
Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, announced on Wednesday that certain filters would no longer be available in Texas.
The change is a result of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against Meta, alleging the company uses facial recognition technology that violates laws in Texas. A release from Meta says it stopped using facial recognition tech in November 2021 and denies Paxton’s allegations.
Some Austinites bemoaned the shift, saying some of their favorite filters were now unavailable.
This was my FAVORITE filter on @instagram and they done removed it cause I’m in Texas ! Like wowwwwww pic.twitter.com/uX60hdIC0Q
— Pinkyy Montana (@inkstar_pinkyy) May 11, 2022
i heard that instagram filters got banned in texas? what the actual fuck y’all better give me my favorite filter back
— lia 🤍 (@liatootrill) May 11, 2022
loved this stupid filter sm i hate texas pic.twitter.com/DXr9mmUc64
— birthday boy jeno 🎂 (@beabtox) May 12, 2022
But more often than not, locals joked about the ban.
Texas women seeing the filter ban on IG pic.twitter.com/yDMcP3Qtsr
— Christian (Anabolic) Flores (@christian_flo24) May 11, 2022
So, the state of Texas has banned filter use on IG? THE END IS NEAR. 😂
— THE FRANCHISE! Франшиза (@NYCFranchise718) May 12, 2022
And some in-between chose to show off some natural beauty.
I live in Texas, but no filter needed. 😉 pic.twitter.com/A6teRgYMKn
— bad and bruja (@starseedmami) May 11, 2022
filter, no filter..texas women still reign supreme.
— 🎍 (@_sixile) May 11, 2022
Finally, some are trying to cash in on the opportunity.
Texas IG users- if you want to filter your picture cashapp me $1.50 $ErvnYng
— Gemini (@ervn_y) May 11, 2022
Meta said it plans to create an opt-in system for both Texas and Illinois residents, who are facing the same issues.