Plan a Labor Day Staycation in These 3 Austin Neighborhoods
As Labor Day Weekend approaches, we all start to realize the bittersweet reality: summer is coming to an end. Of course, because we’re in Austin, the balmy (sometimes sweltering) temperatures won’t disappear any time soon, but autumn’s definitely on its way. Therefore, it makes sense to send summertime off in style with a major Labor Day Weekend adventure.
Many Austinites will head beyond city limits to celebrate, but if you’d rather avoid traffic and travel stress, there are plenty of great reasons to say in Austin over the long weekend. These three Austin neighborhoods offer all the luxe accommodations, excellent dining and nightlife choices, and recreational events you’ll need to make this a staycation to remember.
Downtown Austin
Austin’s main business district in Downtown Austin also features dozens of bars, restaurants, live entertainment venues, and hotels, making it an ideal spot for an indulgent holiday weekend.
Where To Stay:
With its highly-central location, its spacious and comfortable rooms, and its dog-friendly policy, The Westin Downtown is an excellent refuge for those who want to be in the heart of the Austin action. If you want to kick your weekend off early and in high style, the hotel’s gorgeous rooftop pool, The Azul Pool and Lounge, will host a pre-Labor Day party on Friday, August 31, complete with special Labor Day cocktails, a DJ set, and scenic views of the city. You’ll also be able to get some late-season wear out of your white clothing, since the dress code for the event involves all-white outfits.
Where To Eat:
This year, Labor Day coincides with the final days of a new foodie event sure to become an Austin classic: Austin Restaurant Weeks. Those who enjoy sampling new restaurants without spending big bucks will fully appreciate the prix-fixe lunches and dinners offered at participating eateries for the super-reasonable prices of $25 for lunch and $35 or $45 for dinner. These deals can be found all over town, but Downtown boasts a high quantity, including highlights like Boiler Nine Bar and Grill, Italic, The Driskill Grill, and Easy Tiger.
What To Do:
If you want to spend your Labor Day Weekend in uproarious laughter, check out the annual Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, Austin’s longest-running comic event featuring over 100 comedians, both Austin locals and visiting comedians from other cities. Many of the acts will perform at the Hideout Theatre, conveniently located on Congress Avenue in Downtown. The festival begins on Tuesday, August 28 and runs through Monday, September 3, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the improv, stand-up sets, and sketch performances.
East Austin
The eclectic nature of East Austin brings an appealing novelty to the city, and even if you’re an Austin native, you’ll enjoy spending a weekend among the bars, breweries, and locally-owned shops of this effortlessly-cool enclave.
Where To Stay:
When seeking a hotel for a staycation, you’ll do well to choose a spot that embraces its neighborhood. In East Austin, Craftsman-style homes are a popular architectural style dating back decades, and Heywood Hotel can be found within a classic Craftsman bungalow. This quaint and cozy hotel prides itself on excellent concierge service, and the Heywood offers amenities like free and speedy WiFi and bikes available for guests to borrow.
Location-wise, Heywood is situated on East Cesar Chavez Street, East Austin’s “main drag,” and it’s just steps away from celebrated neighborhood eating and drinking establishments like the Veracruz All-Natural Taco Truck, Weather Up cocktail bar, and the famous La Barbecue BBQ shack.
Texas residents can book rooms at Heywood at a discounted rate; they’re currently running a 10 percent off deal for Texans through the first week of September. Just one more reason to live that staycation life.
Where To Eat:
Because many folks choose to clear out of town during Labor Day Weekend, those who remain can take advantage of the ability to snag a table at a brunch hotspot. East Austin contains some of the city’s finest morning repasts, like the lively “New Texan” cuisine at The Hightower, the health-conscious yet indulgent dishes from the industrial-chic Launderette, and Southern comfort eats made from locally-sourced ingredients at Pitchfork Pretty.
What To Do:
If you want to spend the last weekend of the summer in the great outdoors, East Austin has you covered.
Cyclists of all skill levels are invited to join Bicycle World bike shop and the beer mavens at Friends & Allies Brewing for a Labor Day Weekend Ride on Sunday, September 2. Participants can opt for a 22-mile or a 42-mile ride, and guides will direct the group along scenic East Austin paths like the Walnut Creek bike trail, a route deliberately free of cars. Once you roll back up to Friends & Allies after bidding a sweaty farewell to summer, you’re invited to stick around for cold draft beer. As far as we’re concerned, that’s the Labor Day spirit.
If you’re in the mood for a slightly-less-aerobic outdoor activity, Craftsman Bar, a beloved East Austin watering hole and tiki hangout, has a cornhole tournament lined up for Sunday, September 2. It’s free to sign up, and winners can walk away with prizes like $50 bar credits.
South Congress
Possibly the most in-demand neighborhood south of Lady Bird Lake, South Congressincludes so many music venues, karaoke bars, food trucks, and indie shops that it’s not really possible to be bored.
Where To Stay:
Austin has no shortage of beautiful hotels, but the South Congress Hotel’s new-Nordic-meets-down-home-Texas vibes really set it apart. It’s located right in the heart of the neighborhood, the rooms receive tons of sunlight, the bath products are on point, and the attached restaurants and cafes (like all-day cafe Cafe No Se, chic bar and grill Central Standard, and intimate omakase Otoko) may tempt you to camp out at the South Congress Hotel all weekend.
Where To Eat:
But in case you don’t feel like limiting your South Congress experience to your hotel, South Congress and the neighboring drag of South 1st Street feature innumerable culinary diversions. South 1st has evolved into an Austin touchstone for street food and mobile restaurants (a.k.a food trucks), so while you’re in the area, walk a block west and check out the goods. Can’t miss options include the Mellizoz Taco Truck, Austin-style breakfast specialties at El Primo, and the deliciously-eccentric doughnut flavors found at Gourdough’s.
What To Do:
Yes, the legendary bat colonies beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge embark on nightly flights starting in the early spring. But because the bats continue to multiply throughout the season, their population reaches an apex at the end of August, which coincides with Labor Day Weekend. It’s a scenic and pleasantly metaphoric way to say farewell to summer, but make sure to stake out a spot on the bridge well before sunset.