• The backstory behind the addictive game Qrank. We can quit anytime we want.
• A screening of Carnival Magic is happening in the ATX. It’s a film that was made for children, but really shouldn’t be seen by them!
• GQ magazine says the chow at Uchiko is really, really good! Good enough to be one of the best new restaurants in America.

The holidays are the ideal time to make tamales with your family and friends, but let's be honest: it's kind of a pain in the ass to gather all of the ingredients, make the corn husk-wrapped suckers, cook them and then clean your entire kitchen. more ›

First Night Austin and general New Year's Eve festivities this Thursday will leave many downtown streets closed throughout the day. Here's a breakdown of the major closures: more ›

If you're not part of City of Austin's garbage service and want an environmentally-friendly way to dispose of your Christmas tree, you can drop it off at Zilker Park today, where it'll be recycled into mulch. Drop off dates are today (Sunday, December 27th), next weekend, and Saturday, January 9th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. more ›

We're pretty sure it's not that cold, robots. [Weather.com hour-by-hour forecast of downtown Austin, taken 3 p.m.] more ›

A winter storm system is making its way through Central Texas tonight, bringing with it more of the freezing rains that we've seen all day. According to the National Weather Service, we may even see a bit of light snow and possible sleet, especially towards the Hill Country tonight—but "any accumulations would be very short-lived," they're saying. Another cold front is expected to arrive on Thursday, bringing with it a similar chance for more snow. [Weather for 78701] more ›

If you're considering options on the more upscale end, OpenTable currently shows at least 16 local restaurants with availability for parties of 2 at 7 p.m. [OpenTable Search] more ›

Monster-themed dance parties, a boat party, and, of course, zombies: Halloween in Austin offers something for just about everyone. Check out our roundup below, and shoot us an email if there's something we've missed. more ›

Chestnuts are roasting on an open fire, but at the Parish Room’s Winter Wonderland of Noise, we get to be the chestnuts, on a fire made out of sound. Avant-garde noise artists Leila Bela and Douglas Ferguson will break open the boundaries of frequency and reveal that the holiday spirit can be haunting, terrifying, and cheerful by turns. Turkish Delights, served at the show alongside Christmas candy, assure a multisensory experience that promises to expand what your eardrums can take. more ›

In addition to the art on display, stick around for sets by Crash Gallery, Magnet School, Taunto and Built by Snow, or pick up a brush and get to work: they're going to paint a mural during the show, and all guests are welcome to participate. A $5 suggested donation includes complimentary Tito's and Sweet Leaf Tea (trust us, it's a good combination), with some Austin's Pizza to boot. more ›

The annual Trail of Lights at Zilker Park kicks off this Sunday night with a festive grand opening celebration featuring cameos by Santa, local dignitaries, and a fancy parade. more ›

Are you a hipster? Or do you at least strive to be? Do you like the holidays? What about art? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you might want to check out the Hipster Holiday Snow-Ball Party and Fundraiser at Co-Lab in East Austin. more ›

If you still haven't found that perfect gift for the art collector in your life, consider checking out the In-House Gallery's Holiday Art Show tonight. This show, in its ninth year, is hosted by Ethan Azarian; the former front man of the Orange Mothers is now focusing his creative energy on his painting career. The In-House Gallery is very literally in Azarian's house, where he lives, paints, works, and exhibits his art. The Holiday Art show will feature an assortment of Azarian's latest pieces at a variety of prices to fit anyone's budget. Azarian's paintings are very vivid and often playful, freqently depicting villages, farm animals, and whimsical household items. Many of the pieces for sale in the current show were created while Azarian was visiting Mexico and Vermont and the results reflect the unique culture of those two corners of the world. In addition to his paintings, Azarian will be showing a series of painted woodblocks. more ›

Barton Springs hosts many time-honored traditions. While most Austinites take advantage of the summer days and nights, a handful of brave souls venture to the springs on the days when the air temperature drops below the water temperature. Most people are familiar with the Austin Polar Bear Club, which meets the morning of January 1st and performs a ritualistic dip to rejuvenate oneself at the onset of the new year. Their younger counterparts at the University of Texas Polar Bear Club have turned the ritual into a weekly meeting, commencing once the first cold front of the year sweeps through the capital city. more ›

To those who shun holiday traditions and know no other form of dancing than grinding on your friends at Creekside Lounge, we invite you to consider an intriguingly classy alternative. You may not realize it, but Austin has a hard-working, ambitious and innovative ballet company in its midst, and they have bestowed upon us one of the greatest gifts of all—a fresh, energetic rendering of a classic Christmas show. more ›

Sugar Mama's, our favorite little cup-o-cake purveyor on South 1st is offering a free baked good today to anyone who drops by the shop between noon and 8pm with two (or more!) non-perishable food items in tow. All of the donations collected will go straight to the Capital Area Food Bank, which is continually working to end hunger in Central Texas. more ›

Tonight's snowy conditions won't last long, but the cold front is expected to stick around at least through Thursday. Jim Spencer at KXAN reports that today saw record daytime highs of over 80 degrees, which contrasts nicely with tonight's near-freezing lows. Enjoy the flurries while they're around, and share your flickr photos with us by tagging them 'austinist'. more ›

Ah, the holidays. Sick of ‘em already? The Santaland Diaries invites you to commiserate, with the dry, biting wit of David Sedaris, and shining performances by Meredith McCall and Espie Randolph, while Jason Connor accompanies on piano. The first act presents spicy, spirited carols that you’ve probably never heard before—but it’s safe to say that by the time intermission hits, you’ll be want to add “Let’s Be Naughty” and “Making Love Alone” to the Christmas music rotation. more ›

Head down to the Capitol steps on Saturday, December 6 to be one of thousands celebrating the season with KUT's Eklektikos host, John Aielli. Aielli will be leading carolers through a songbook full of popular favorites between 6-7 pm, with the tree lighting to follow. This year's tree is a 40 ft. tall Juniper, which will be augmented by new Congress Ave. Holiday lights. more ›

No matter how you celebrate the Winter season, artistic inspiration helps enliven the holiday spirit. If last month’s East Austin Studio Tour stirred your hunger for local art, Gallery Lombardi’s Xmas Expo will make your palette sing. Not only will the show feature over 50 local artists, including EAST visionaries Annie Simpson and Morgan Sorne, but live music will accompany your visuals, promising a full multisensory experience. more ›

It's hard to tell from today's perfect autumn weather, but forecasters are predicting that another cold front is headed our way this week. Weather.com and News 8 Austin both show temperatures in the high 30s tonight and dipping below freezing point tomorrow evening. News 8 Austin also hints that "some" computer models are calling for possible snow next week, but we're unconvinced. [Weather.com for 78704] [News 8 Austin] more ›

In response to economic downturns and the need for local hoodrats to save money all over the music district, Graham Williams (Free Week's founder) has announced an expansion of the annual event. Between January 2nd through the 10th, free week will also be taking place at Mohawk, Club de Ville, Red 7, Beauty Bar and others in addition to the traditional Emo's. more ›

The carnival on HWY-71/290 between South Congress Ave and I-35 opened for business over the holiday weekend. It'll remain in operation for the next three weeks, Monday through Sunday, with admission more or less between 4 p.m. and "when they shut down for the night," which can be as late as midnight if there's an audience. "Unlimited Ride" wristbands cost $20, or you can opt to purchase tokens for the various concessions, rides, and games. Be prepared to shell out plenty of cash if you decide to go — nostalgia and funnel cake don't come cheap here. more ›

We're still feeling inspired by everything we saw at last weekend's East Austin Studio Tour. We tried to capture the diversity of the event and visited painters, metalsmiths, woodworkers, printers, ceramicists, mixed media artists, and many others. As always, Blue Genie Art Industries, BigMedium, and Pump Project made our jaws drop. We can't wait to see what's in the works for next year's tour! Photos taken by Andrew Stalick, Callie Richmond, and Kristin B. more ›

At this year's chilly Trail of Lights 5K race, don't be surprised if you happen upon a pack of sexy sprinters sporting little more than red swim briefs. more ›

Whole Foods Downtown will open "Skating on the Plaza," its annual rooftop ice-skating rink, this Friday. The outdoor rink will operate between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. most days, with eleven daily 50-minute skating sessions starting on the hour. Tickets, which are $10 for all ages and includes skate rental, can be purchased from the Guest Services desk up to an hour before each session. The rink will be open through January 11, and closed on Christmas Day. More information is available via their hotline at (512) 542-2260. more ›

The weather turns a little more chilly, which gets me frisky. My friskiness leads me to think that my liver’s not perpetually on crutches and that it’s totally acceptable for me to go lounge at any ol’ bar somewhere on a random Wednesday and get absolutely whiskey soaked by warm candle light. Then go eat something large, fatty, and fried. Like a whole pig, wrapped in mesh-weave of crispy bacon. After all the poison and that cornucopia of death, I usually stagger back out into the cold night air, lost and confused, with all my booze-soaked blood rushing to my stomach to get that mess processed and OUT. Then I walk home. Sometimes for miles. Sometimes it takes hours. more ›