MOVIES IN THE PARK– Together with Alamo Drafthouse, Austin Parks Foundation sponsors free outdoor movies at Republic Square Park. Movies Begin at dusk (around 8:30 p.m.) with pre-movie fun at 7. Movies showcased this year include Monty Python and the Holy Grail and The Dark Knight.

ZILKER PARK– Zilker Park is a beautiful nature park found in south Austin. Entrance to the park is free and there is always some new activity or group to participate in. Zilker Metropolitan Park contains over 350 acres of trails and sport courts; there is also access to Barton springs. Click here for Zilker Park link

HIKING– Mount Bonnell and the San Gabriel River (near HEB plus) are all beautiful places to hike over the summer. Entrance to these parks is free, and you can see dinosaur footprints at the San Gabriel River. The view of the Colorado river on the viewing platform at Mount Bonnell is a stunning experience. Make sure you have your tennis shoes though, to get to the viewing platform you have to climb a long staircase through scenic woods and wilderness.

LAKE– Lake Travis is one of the most popular lakes in the Austin area. Lake Travis contains miles of beaches and in most areas you can participate in kayaking, boating, or just swimming. With the lake back to almost normal levels, all of these activities are again available and free of charge.

BLUES ON THE GREEN– Blues on the Green is a series of  free summertime concerts is hosted by KGSR Austin Radio and held in Austin’s Zilker Park. Artists include Shinyribs, Dana Falconberry, Greyhounds and Robert Ellis. All of the concerts are free and start at 7:30 p.m.

LIBRARY– Bored and needing of a getaway? The Austin Public Library has locations all over Austin so no matter where you are there is a branch nearby. With several fun activities planned throughout the summer such as chess club, poetry open mikes and family movie nights there is always something new to do.

CAPITOL TOURS– Tours in the Texas State Capitol Building are free and very interesting. The Texas Capitol building has extensive history and beautiful architecture that will amaze and awe. The tours are about forty five minutes long and go throughout the entire building.

URBAN ROOTS–  Urban Roots is an organization that uses sustainable agriculture to increase access to healthy food in Austin. With many volunteer opportunities that vary from farm work to helping provide lunches or running a marketstand there is a spot for everyone.

BATS– Throughout summer at the Congress Avenue Bridge you can see hundreds of Mexican free-tail bats take flight from under the bridge around sunset. The best place to watch the bats is the Austin Bat Observation Center at the Austin American Statesman Offices on South Congress.

YOGA AT BARTON SPRING– The Save Our Springs Alliance offers free yoga on Saturdays at 10 AM at Barton Springs Pool during the months of May through July. This free yoga group meets at the back gate of Barton Springs Pool.