City Cast Austin

As the days on the Texas Legislative calendar tick away, lawmakers’ pace of work is speeding up — and they’re still keeping at least one eye on Austin. While the bill to turn Austin into the “District of Austin” probably won’t go far, one that would ban all consumable hemp products in the state has already passed the Texas Senate. Other legislation targets Project Connect, short-term rentals, and strangely enough, “furries,” or dressing up like animals, in Texas schools. Host Nikki DaVaughn checks in with KUT’s Blaise Gainey for a legislative update. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 24th episode: Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

It’s been a week, but we’re still talking about the horrific crash on Interstate 35 that killed five and injured several others, and we’ve got an idea for getting tractor-trailers like the one that crashed off the highway-that-will-be-a-construction-zone for the next 10 years. Plus, you may have seen the news that South by Southwest is condensing its various festivals into one shorter, seven-day spree next year, cutting the music-only weekend. But did you see the rivaling hot takes in Texas Monthly and Rolling Stone? We talk about those big stories and our weekend picks on this week’s Friday News Roundup, recorded at Trick Hat Workway, with host Nikki DaVaughn, Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw, and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 21st episode: Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Is it just us, or were the crowds at South by Southwest smaller this year? We spent days galavanting around town, and have some opinions. So, we’re bringing you our thoughts on the unexpected, the overrated, the beloved, and our big picture hot-takes from SXSW 2025, with host Nikki DaVaughn, Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw, and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec. And in case you missed any of our festival coverage, catch up on episodes with local takes on SXSW music, the film and television festival, and what it brings to the city’s tourism economy. Plus, read up on the plans for the new Austin Convention Center here. Learn more about the  sponsors of this March 20th episode: Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Some might say that our city’s slogan, “Keep Austin Weird,” is outdated. But for those who coordinate OUTsider Fest, weird — otherwise known as out of the mainstream — is the target participant. The festival’s artistic director, Laura Gutiérrez, joins host Nikki DaVaughn in talking about the role the festival plays in Austin’s LGBTQ-plus community, as well as the importance of her work as an associate professor and an associate dean at The University of Texas at Austin.  Learn more about the sponsor of this March 19th episode:TecovasWant some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

New population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show that the Austin metro area is now the 25th most populated in the country. But that metro area stretches from Round Rock to San Marcos. So what’s happening within Austin’s city limits? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by City Demographer Lila Valencia to dig into our local population changes and what they mean. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 19th episode: Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Before Austin City Council took off on Spring Break, it took several actions to address quality of life issues, like boosting the city’s inventory of “missing middle” housing, addressing how we maintain our public art, recommitting to transparency in meet-and-confer processes, and more. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by The Austin Common’s Amy Stansbury to get into council’s latest actions — plus unpack what Mayor Kirk Watson means when he warns of “budget asteroids” in Austin’s future. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 18th episode: Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

With the end of SXSW comes the end of an era: The Austin Convention Center, as we know it, will never look the same. It’s set to be demolished soon, and a new center won’t reopen until 2029. With an average of 23 million domestic tourists visiting Austin every year — many drawn to our conventions and festivals — what will festivals look like these next few years? Can Austin hold onto its status as a tourist destination? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Visit Austin’s Director of Communications, Wesley Lucas, to get into it all. If you enjoyed the interview with Rodeo Austin's Joel Anderson, learn more here!Learn more about the other sponsors of this March 17th episode: Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Austin City Councilmember Natasha Harper-Madison, entrepreneur and hoops champion Fran Harris, and more Austinities have had a lot to say this SXSW, and we’ve been keeping our eyes on all of it. Plus, did you know the city is trying to hire laid-off federal workers in town? Host Nikki Davaughn is joined by executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec, and Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw to round up this week’s news — and share some recommendations for the weekend, the final one for SXSW. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 14th episode: Rodeo Austin Flyaustin Visit Port Aransas Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

According to South by Southwest, only about 18 percent of the performers in the music festival are from Austin. So, we wanted to know: How do local musicians feel about the behemoth SXSW? Nikki DaVaughn, a musician herself, hosts local musicians J. Summar of Tender Wolf and John Branch to get into it all. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 13th episode: Rodeo Austin Flyaustin Port Aransas Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

On March 19, Austin’s first women’s sports bar will open, just in time for the first round of NCAA’s Tournament, in which the Lady Longhorns are ranked No. 1. The 1972’s cofounder Debra Hallum joins Nikki DaVaughn in explaining why we need gender-based sports bars, why they’re opening even despite plans for a light rail to plow through their building, and just how many local women’s sports there are in town. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 12th episode: Rodeo Austin Flyaustin Port Aransas Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE