Austin has a way of surprising you. One night you’re gawking at a sky full of bats, the next you’re in a Round Rock parking lot staring at a bird tornado of purple martins, or sneaking down a colorful alley where chalked-up murals remind you the city still has pockets of magic.
It’s loud, it’s weird, and it’s endlessly charming — exactly why we can’t stop falling in love with this city. Here are some of the reasons we loved Austin in 2025:
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Nature’s wild side
Spectators watch as purple martins begin to swirl in the air above the Round Rock Crossing Shopping Complex outside of Austin as they prepare to roost together for the night, July 19, 2025. On Friday and Saturday nights, the Travis Audubon hosts Purple Martin Parties to facilitate watching and educate the public about the birds.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Every summer, thousands of purple martins descend on the Round Rock Crossing Shopping Center, transforming a Discount Tire parking lot into a swirling, wing-flapping showstopper. Families bring lawn chairs, kids chatter as they scan the skies, and volunteers from Travis Audubon provide bird-brain trivia facts. The martins’ massive aerial formation is a fleeting reminder that even in our sprawling urban sprawl, nature finds its stage.
Tiny magic, big impact
Jane K. and Cleo D. try on fairy wings and accessories as Zilker neighborhood families gather for the Save Fairy Alley Rally, Nov. 7 2025. The alley, a gathering place for families to play, connect and express creativity is under threat from the new Texas Department of Transportation policy against community-painted streets and could be paved over.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Over in Zilker, Fairy Alley continues to sprinkle joy into neighborhoods. What started as a mom’s mission to clean up a neglected alley has become a toddler-sized wonderland of chalk, fairy houses, and glittering imagination. Now threatened by federal repaving rules, the alley is a testament to how a little creativity can transform daily life.
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Latino music grows: Daytime, festival nights
Jose Roman, right, and Alison Hernandez, left, dance near the Las Clásicas stage at Bésame Mucho at the Circuit of the Americas on Saturday, April 5, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman
Austin’s Latino music scene is thriving, whether it’s under the sun or the stars. Take Café con Ron, a daytime party turned full-on “darty” that mixes reggaeton, bachata, merengue, and regional Mexican beats — basically, everything you need to dance off a hangover. Or Bésame Mucho, a festival at Circuit of the Americas where Spanish rock legends, corridos and salsa icons like Elvis Crespo prove the city can turn chilly nights into multi-generational dance floors.
Local talent join TV show contests
Mama Duke performs on the finale of “America’s Got Talent” Season 20 on September 23, 2025.
Trae Patton/NBC
Austin’s music scene isn’t just for the young — just ask Annie Davis, frontwoman of Trashy Annie, who was a contestant on Survivor. At nearly 50, Davis brought sequin pants, rainbow curls, and no-fuss authenticity to both the stage and reality TV. Similarly, rapper Mama Duke turned the America’s Got Talent stage into her own playground, showing that bold, homegrown talent has a place in the spotlight. Austin doesn’t just nurture music — it celebrates fearless individuality.
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Film in the heart of Texas
Woody Harrelson, left, and Matthew McConaughey film a scene for their upcoming Apple TV+ comedy series “Brothers.” The scene showed the two stars, who wore matching blue cowboy suits, riding in a Ford F-150 and being pulled over by Austin police officers on West Riverside Drive. The show’s premise centers on the bond between McConaughey and Harrelson as they navigate life on McConaughey’s Texas ranch.
Jay Janner/American-Statesman
Big-screen dreams? Austin’s got you covered. Thanks to a boosted Texas film incentive program and advocacy from locals-turned-stars like Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, more productions are calling the city home. Meanwhile, director Richard Linklater keeps our indie cred intact with “Nouvelle Vague,” and continuing to support young creatives through the Austin Film Society.
Foodie heaven
Small’s Pizza operates out of a walk-up window at Springdale General in East Austin.
MATTHEW ODAM/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Let’s talk pizza, breakfast and burgers because Austin’s food game is just as eclectic as the city itself. From the wood-fired pies at Bufalina to the New York-style foldables at Home Slice, pizza here is art — no matter how messy your slice gets. Brunch lovers should head to Mercado Sin Nombre for masa-tastic breakfast sandwiches, while Dai Due takes farm-to-table to the next level with wild boar, locally sourced produce, and a Michelin Green Star to boot.
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Logan Park and Zane Donahoo participate in a burger eating contest for national cheeseburger day at P. Terry’s Burger Stand on Lamar Blvd in Austin, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. Contestants had 10 minutes to eat as many full-sized burgers as they could in order to win a burger belt and one year’s worth of free burgers.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
And if you’re feeling competitive (or just really, really hungry), P. Terry’s burger-eating contest proves Austinites can do both: eat and entertain.
Local oddities that make you smile
Jeff Hardwick holds up Bee Cave Bob after he exited his hole at Armadillo Day on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024 at The West Pole in Bee Cave, Texas. Bob is an eight-year-old armadillo that predicts the weather and political climate in place of a groundhog on Groundhog Day. By exiting the hole, Bob predicted that spring will start on March 11.
Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman
And of course, there’s Bee Cave Bob, the armadillo who predicts Texas weather and politics with the kind of charm only a shell-clad critter can pull off. From Groundhog Day forecasts to political leanings, Bob keeps locals both laughing and looking to the skies.
in the birds, the murals, the music, the fearless performers, and yes, even the armadillos. It’s unpredictable, colorful, and unapologetically itself. And honestly? That’s why we can’t imagine living anywhere else.