Looking for something free to do in Austin this summer? We've got you.

Kelsey Bradshaw and Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American-Statesman
Updated ·3 min read
Blues on the Green will return to Zilker Park this summer after nearly being canceled due to lack of funding.
Blues on the Green will return to Zilker Park this summer after nearly being canceled due to lack of funding.

Temperatures are rising and Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial start to summer, is in sight. It's time to start making some summer plans, y'all. And what's better than having fun for free?

We've rounded up some free summertime Austin events. Check them out:

Blues on the Green with Golden Dawn Arkestra and RAS

Blues on the Green, annual free concerts in Zilker Park, will be held on June 11-12. The event was nearly canceled earlier this year. The event's organizers at Austin City Limits Radio announced in January that the concerts would be canceled due to rising costs. After some help from H-E-B and an Austin City Council resolution to make Blues on the Green a city co-sponsored event, the shows are back on for this summer.

This year's lineup celebrates top local talent. On June 11, avant jazz groovesters the Golden Dawn Arkestra will headline, with support from Nané with Quentin Arispe and Grace Sorensen. On June 12, Riders Against the Storm lead a bill that also includes Caramelo Haze and the Point. For more information, visit: acl-radio.com.

The Drop-In at the Long Center

The Drop-In, a free summer concert series at the Long Center, 701 West Riverside Drive, returns on Thursdays May 23-Aug. 15. No show will be held on July 4, which is on a Thursday this year. The lineup for summer includes Bidi Bidi Banda, Grupo Fantasma, Dale Watson & His Lonestars, Tameca Jones and more. The event is free to attend, but you'll need to RSVP. To RSVP and for more information, visit: thelongcenter.org.

Movie in the Park at Deep Eddy Pool

Austin Parks Foundation's "Movie in the Park" series is bringing a screening of "Jaws" to Deep Eddy Pool, 401 Deep Eddy Ave., on June 13 at 8 p.m. The movie is free to attend and 100 bags of popcorn will be available. Picnics and lawn chairs are welcome. For more information, visit: austinparks.org.

Yogesh S, left, and Ahmariah L, right, read posterboards with information on the history of Juneteenth at a Juneteenth celebration at Eastwoods Park on Monday, June 19, 2023 in Austin. The event was held in Eastwoods Park, formerly called Wheeler’s Grove, in the neighborhood where one of the first Juneteenth celebrations was held in Austin over 150 years ago.

Central Texas Juneteenth parade and festival

Celebrate Freedom Day in Texas on June 15 at this year's Central Texas Juneteenth parade and festival in East Austin. The parade starts at 10 a.m. at the intersection of East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Comal Street and ends at noon at the intersection of Rosewood and Chestnut avenues. The festival, which will include food and retail vendors, starts at noon at Rosewood and Boggy Creek Park, 2300 Rosewood Ave. The celebration goes until 9 p.m. Both the parade and festival are free to attend. For more information, visit: juneteenthcentraltexas.com.

Zilker Summer Musical

An Austin classic is returning to Zilker Park this summer. Zilker Theatre Productions is bringing "Legally Blonde, the Musical" to Beverly S. Sheffield Zilker Hillside Theater Thursdays through Sundays between July 12 and Aug. 17. The musical is free to attend and shows start at 8:15 p.m. For more information, visit: zilker.org.

Austin Symphony Orchestra Hartman Concerts in the Park

After punishing heat led to the cancellation of many of last year's planned Sunday concerts, ASO started this year's series early and will close it out on June 16. The free Sunday evening concerts feature small ensembles performing on the Long Center's 3-D printed outdoor stage, which has a fabulous city skyline view as a backdrop. Here are the rest of this year's concerts:

  • May 19th | Brass Quintet

  • May 26th | Brass Quintet

  • June 2nd | Wind Quintet

  • June 9th | String Quartet

  • June 16th | Brass Quintet

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Free summer events, things to do in Austin. Check out the list.