This year marks the 38th annual A Christmas Affair sponsored by the Junior League of Austin. The theme was “Winter Wonderland.” As usual, a beautifully decorated tree was the centerpiece of the Palmer Events Center.
A Christmas Affair: 2013
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Author Archives: janis
The Texas Conference for Women
After a hiatus of several years, I decided to again attend The Texas Conference for Women. I felt the need to reflect on the past year, get re-motivated about my job, and take a continuing education day. Plus the event was nearby at the Austin Convention Center.
EAST
This was our first East Austin Studio Tour (EAST). Wow! Bill and I were amazed at the number—and caliber—of artists who work east of I-35. Last week’s Austin American-Statesman included a list of EAST locations with a dozen or more artists. We followed their advice, which worked out well.
Austin Fan Fest: 2013
Planned in conjunction with the 2013 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, Austin Fan Fest took over 12 square blocks of downtown this week. Obviously lots of lessons were learned from last year’s inaugural event. One key change was that local media encouraged Austinites to attend Fan Fest instead of scaring everyone away with predictions of gridlocked traffic.
Fun Fun Fun (UT Athletics Style)
Thanks to our generous season-ticket-holder friends, Bill and I attended three Longhorn sporting events at the University of Texas campus last weekend. All three were lots of fun. With such a big student body, UT has plenty of cheerleaders, dancers, mascots, and pep band members to keep fans entertained during the breaks. Plus I had my new Sony camera to play with…
Veteran’s Day: 2013
The marching band from Del Valle High School stepped off promptly at 9 AM to lead Austin’s Veteran’s Day parade north on Congress Avenue to the Texas State Capitol. A good-sized crowd clapped and cheered for the service men and women who have served our country. Even workers from the under-construction JW Marriott Hotel took a break to watch the parade go by.
AIDS Walk Austin: 2013
A clear and sunny Sunday afternoon was perfect weather for a little stroll around downtown with AIDS Walk Austin. This annual event raises money for local non-profit AIDS Services of Austin (ASA) whose mission is “to enhance the health and well-being of the community and people with HIV and AIDS.” The walk began and ended at Republic Square Park.
Viva la Vida
The Mexic-Arte Museum joined with the City of Austin to sponsor the 30th annual Viva la Vida festival and parade. The purpose of this event was to share Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) traditions with the local community.
Oktoberfest: 2013
You didn’t have to be German to enjoy last weekend’s Oktoberfest at the German-Texan Heritage Society grounds on East 10th Street. There was plenty of entertainment for the entire family, ranging from music by Joe Klaus (and friends, above) to magic by Peter The Adequate to face/hand painting.
THIRST
An ambitious outdoor art exhibit called THIRST was recently installed in and around Lady Bird Lake. This temporary installation was commissioned by Women & Their Work and funded by a grant from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. THIRST “encourages an exchange of ideas about the impact that a scarcity of water will have on Austin, on Texas, and beyond, as well as memorializes the loss of 300 million trees that died in the recent Texas drought.”