City Cast Austin

Unless you live in a very dark and cool cave, you already know we just survived our first heat wave of 2025. A little early in the season, no? On this week’s Friday News Roundup, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to talk about the heat wave that broke records and made national news. Plus, we discuss how a new court ruling could impact Austin’s marijuana ordinance, the latest on state lawmakers’ effort to ban consumable hemp (and how much said ban could cost the state), the grocery store that truly does more and is now hosting a live music series, and our weekend plans, including attending the Affordable Art Fair. Finally, don’t forget to vote for all your faves in the Austin Chronicle’s Best of Austin 2025!  Learn more about the sponsors of this May 16th episode: Tecovas Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off Austin PBS Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Austin has long had a reputation for being bicycle-friendly — maybe it’s the Lance Armstrong factor, or the extensive hike-and-bike trail system, or the veloway, or the multi-million dollar bike infrastructure projects. But what’s it really like to commute daily on Austin’s streets, solely on two wheels? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Abi Robins, who ditched their truck a year ago and has pedaled all over town since. Robins shares their favorite off-road trails, best and worst bike lanes, how cycling helps them better connect with the city, and the volunteers who cycle around downtown, handing out food, drinks and necessities to folks in need. Plus, how you can be like Abi at least for a day — tomorrow’s Bike to Work Day!  Learn more about the sponsors of this May 15th episode: Tecovas Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off Austin PBS Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Local arts organizations are hurting, especially after the recent announcement of federal funding cuts coming at the end of the month. But it's not just artists who are facing financial uncertainty. Who can afford to buy art right now? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by local artist and the director of the Affordable Art Fair Cori Teague to talk about the how, the why, and the where of buying art in Austin. Plus, she dishes on her favorite local artists, the state of the local arts community in 2025, and how social media has changed the way we discover and connect with art — including that viral banana artwork. Don't miss Teague’s Affordable Art Fair May 15-18! And for more on Nikki’s midweek mood boost, read this.  Learn more about the sponsors of this May 14th episode: Tecovas Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off Austin PBS Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Grab your partner, leave your drinks on the table, and hit the dance floor, Austin! Summertime is prime time for two-stepping with your sweetie — there’s just something about twirling around, sweaty but satisfied, in a pair of boots that just feels right. Don’t know how? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by the perfect guide, Keighley Voorheis, who documents the dancing scene on her social media. We’re talking about what makes Austin’s two-stepping style unique, and giving y’all a guide to the local dance floor circuit and two-stepping field trips.   This episode originally aired on October 10, 2024.  Learn more about the sponsors of this May 14th episode: Tecovas Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off Austin PBS Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

According to recent reports, Austin’s tree canopy is something to be proud of — but only if you don’t zoom in. Locally, there’s a big difference between the concentration of lush shade trees on the West Side of town and those in East Austin, and some in town are trying to change that. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by TreeFolks’ Executive Director Andrew W. Smiley to talk about Austin’s latest Tree Canopy Report, how our canopy compares to those in other cities across the country, and why it matters. Plus, they discuss the Ashe Juniper and why one state lawmaker is trying to make it easier to cut them down, and why now’s the time to nominate your favorite tree in town for the Tree of the Year awards.   Learn more about the sponsors of this May 12th episode: Tecovas Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off Austin PBS Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

To kick off Mother’s Day weekend, City Cast Austin’s got a great story about a special pair of Concordia University graduates to share on this week’s Friday News Roundup. Plus, the ACL Festival lineup is officially here, and host Nikki DaVaughn has some thoughts — as do newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec. Love it or hate it, though, you can’t deny the festival’s enormous impact. Also on the agenda: What the City of Austin removed from an East Side park encampment, which was prioritized to be cleared in preparation for flash flooding season; and our weekend picks.     Learn more about the sponsors of this May 9th episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST LBJ Presidential Library Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

East Side favorite Nickel City recently landed a spot on North America's Best Bars list, proving that the Austin bar scene can hold its own on the national stage. But as beloved staples like Skylark Lounge and Outer Heaven shut their doors, a wave of new bars are reshaping the city's drinking landscape. Beer, food and drink writer Ruvani de Silva sits down with host Nikki to unpack the shifting bar scene–which new spots are worth the hype, which ones to skip, and what these changes say about Austin right now.  Learn more about the sponsors of this May 7th episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST LBJ Presidential Library Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

The University of Texas’ Women’s Basketball team came closer to being national champions this year than almost ever before. And among the millions of fans who watched the pennant chase was one Austinite who was simultaneously digging into the program’s very beginnings. Even before Title IX, Lady Longhorns played basketball — and for some time, played the sport exclusively, before it gained popularity among Texas men. Journalist and newly-minted PhD Jessica Luther joins host Nikki DaVaughn to dive into how the team’s past is still impacting its performance.  Learn more about the sponsors of this May 7th episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST LBJ Presidential Library Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

If you’ve lived here long enough, you’ve experienced the loss of your favorite bar/restaurant/coffee shop/corner store closing, only to be replaced with something substantially less cool. Why does it feel like things in this old city —  it was founded in 1837, then called “Waterloo” — are constantly in a state of change? Is it absolutely necessary for Austin to tear down the old to make way for the new? Preservation Austin’s Meghan King joins host Nikki DaVaughn to discuss how we’re trying to honor the past while planning for the future.  This episode originally aired on August 19, 2024  Learn more about the sponsors of this May 6th episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST LBJ Presidential Library Zach Theatre Cozy Earth - Use code COZYAUSTIN for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

They call it “The Texfactor” — maybe it’s the tacos, or the stars at night, or the friendly people — it’s that bit of extra magic that makes people fall in love with shooting movies and TV shows in Texas. But that Texfactor comes at a price, and our incentives to film here aren’t high enough for Texas-set shows like “English Teacher” and “Ransom Canyon” to actually shoot in the Lone Star State. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Chase Musselwhite of Media for Texas, which has joined forces with Austin’s biggest stars to push lawmakers to adopt more lucrative film incentives.  Learn more about the sponsors of this May 5th episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST LBJ Presidential Library Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE