Summertime is in full swing with boating, sunset cocktails, camping, road trips and lots of pool parties. If you feel the need to unleash your creative side and partake in the community’s arts & cultural fun, check out these summertime activities and what’s happening this week.
Take a dance lesson, learn about dinosaurs, or go shopping for a great cause. There are plenty of ways to keep your creative side alive this summer in the Lake Travis area!
Art
Painting with a Twist
Painting with a Twist offers everyone the chance to embrace their inner artist with fun, social and affordable art classes instructed by local experienced artists. It’s also BYOB, so grab your favorite adult beverage and let the creativity flow! One of their most popular classes is Paint Your Pet, which also benefits Austin Pets Alive.
Color Me Mine
This awesome studio has a few simple guidelines about creating your masterpiece. Pick it, paint it, they fire it and you take it. Yep, it’s that easy! Located in the Hill Country Galleria, Color Me Mine provides all of the tools you need to create your own unique pottery and take it home with you to enjoy. Perfect for kiddos and adults!
Cultural Diversions
Bee Cave Public Library
Located on the fist floor of Bee Cave City Hall in the Hill Country Galleria, this beautiful library houses over 32,000 volumes of books, magazines, newspapers, audiobooks, DVDs, read-along kits and digital resources like downloadable e-books, audiobooks, and digital magazines. In addition to all of these amazing resources, the library has a weekly storytime for youngsters and book clubs, writing clubs, a knitting club and more.
On July 22, beekeeper and storyteller Kim Lehman will host The Buzz About Bees where kiddos get to learn fun facts about our tiny friends the honey bees.
Lake Travis Community Library
The gorgeous (and relatively new) library located at 1938 Lohmans Crossing in Lakeway offers a lot of fun programs for children, teens and adults including library camps, science camps, crafts, chess clubs, cooking, live entertainment and book clubs. Youngsters age 4-6 can enjoy Bookaneers every Monday at 10:30am featuring stories, finger plays, poems, songs and crafts.
On July 24, “Dinosaur George” Blasing, a self-taught paleontologist and animal behaviorist with more than 35 years of study and research will host a fun dino program for kids at 10:30am.
Lone Star Farmer’s Market
If you’re looking for a place to support your local artisans and buy local produce look no further than the Lone Star Farmer’s Market located in the Lowe’s parking lot in the Shops at the Galleria. Every Sunday from 10am until 2pm you can shop over 50 vendors while enjoying live music, activities for the kids, giveaways and more.
TexARTS
It goes without saying that one of the most important cultural gems in Austin resides right here in Lake Travis — TexARTS. This non-profit organization is dedicated to building a thriving arts community through visual and performing arts.
TexARTS’ Academy faculty includes veterans from Broadway, national tours, TV and film as well as Austin’s best and brightest professionals. From Creative Movement classes for children 2-5 years old to Acting Improv for adults, TexARTS offers a wide variety of classes and workshops. And if you’ve seen a show at TexARTS, you definitely appreciate the TexARTS Broadway Company in action!
If you’d like to help support this amazing organization, check out the SHOP-FOR-a-NONPROFIT event on Sunday, July 27 from 6-8pm at Brighton Collectibles in The Domain. They will donate 20% of sales from the event to TexARTS.
Dance
Go Dance Studio
In October 2013, Go Dance opened their expansive studios right here in the Lake Travis area behind The Grove. Go Dance offers group classes and individual lessons where you can master the Tango, the Swing, the Two Step or the Rumba. Go Dance is the undefeated winner of the “Best Dance Lessons” category in the Austin Chronicle Readers’ Poll.
Alisa’s Dance Academy
Voted “Favorite Place to Take Dance” by Austin Family Magazine poll, Alisa’s Dance Academy is dedicated to developing the love of dance. Toddlers can experience dance for the first time in movement classes and older children can take ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and more. Dancers who want to take their expertise to the next level have that opportunity in Gravity Dance Company, Alisa’s high-level competitive team.
PAIYH Dance Studios
From ballet classes to voice lessons and dance lessons, PAIYH Dance Studios will help your kiddo discover and express dance in his or her own special way. Located in Bee Cave at the Hill Country Galleria, PAIYH offers dance and fine arts classes, summer camps, away programs at Primrose and individual lessons. It’s also a super-fun place for a birthday party celebration.
