City Cast Austin

Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Natalia Contreras, a reporter with Votebeat, to break down the myths, lies, and truths about the process of registering to vote and casting a ballot in Texas. This summer, while one group urged its members to challenge the voter registration of thousands of Austinites, state leadership announced that voters were culled from the rolls. But that was regular voter roll maintenance, and the challenges weren’t legit. So, is voter suppression really a thing in Texas? Should we worry that our votes won’t count at the polls in November? We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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

The Broadway in Austin season is kicking off now with MJ the Musical, the first of 10 shows — the most to ever come to town. The shows travel in a fleet of trucks, and cast and crew stay in town, bringing micro-booms to the local economy, while also hiring locals, including students at the University of Texas at Austin. But is theater really for everyone? Host Nikki DaVaughn’s guest today, Bob Bursey, the executive director and artistic director of the Texas Performing Arts, says yes. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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 

In our third “Mayoral Mondays” episode, host Nikki DaVaughn interviews Austin mayoral candidate Carmen Llanes Pulido. She’s a native Austinite, and a community organizer who grew up in the activist movement alongside her father, and joins City Cast Austin to tell Austinites why she deserves their vote for mayor. We’ve already interviewed candidates Jeffery Bowen and Doug Greco, and we’ll publish interviews with the remaining candidates in the next few weeks. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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

For today’s Friday News Roundup, Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec join host Nikki DaVaughn to discuss the news that caught our eye this week. On the agenda: An Austin business that struck grain-free chip gold, a crisis in one of Austin’s iconic downtown districts, and the passport that you need to get your hands on — and it’s not the one you’re thinking of. Plus, stick around after the roundup for our Don’t Go Gently tip for this weekend. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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 

Deborah Sengupta Stith and Mars Salazar from the Austin American-Statesman share their expertise on navigating the Austin City Limits Music Festival. They discuss must-see artists like Tyler the Creator and Dua Lipa while reminiscing about the festival's evolution and challenges. The duo also offers essential packing tips for a hassle-free experience and highlights the festival's cultural significance and economic impact on the city. Get ready to make the most of your festival weekend!

Festivals are big business in Austin, bringing in millions of dollars in taxes, fees, and donations. But what happens with all those funds? It turns out, Austin does its best to keep them circulating to support live musicians, historic businesses, and more in town. In today’s episode, Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, Director of the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department, joins host Nikki DaVaughn to explain it all. Plus, stay tuned after Sylnovia’s interview for a special segment: A mile in their boots, where we feature the unsung heroes of Austin. Today, we’ll hear from Montserrat Fuentes, the president of St. Edward’s University. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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

The humidity has officially gone down and it’s starting to feel like fall, and Nikki’s got the perfect recipe for a boozy hot chocolate to carry you through the month’s events. And October is packed. In this episode, you’ll hear our best tips for an amazing October in Austin, plus lots of activity recommendations that you’ll only find on City Cast Austin. We’re sharing all the sights, sounds, and sips we’ll be taking in this month, and you should, too. If the bit about Lost Maples State Park has you itching to go camping, check out our recent episode on all the best tips to make your camping trip a success.  For even more tips on how to make the most of September in Austin, check out Hey Austin’s take on what to do this month. City Cast Austin’s guide to September is made possible by our awesome exclusive launch sponsor, Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town. 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 

In our second “Mayoral Mondays” episode, host Nikki DaVaughn interviews Austin mayoral candidate Doug Greco. A former public school teacher and chief of staff for a state representative, Greco recently stepped down from his role as Executive Director and Lead Organizer with Central Texas Interfaith to run for mayor. You can find our first Mayoral Monday episode, an interview with Jeffery Bowen, here, and other candidates’ interviews will come out from now through early voting. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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

In today’s Friday News Roundup, Kelsey Bradshaw fills in as host to discuss the $2 billion budget recently adopted by Travis County Commissioners, and a potential forthcoming contract between the City of Austin and the Austin Police Union, which puts a new twist on the fight over the police department’s so-called “G files.” Also on the list of topics up for discussion: How LGBTQ-plus Texans spammed a Texas Department of Public Safety email address with ‘Bee Movie’ scripts in retaliation for anti-trans policies. Bradshaw is joined by Maggie Quinlan of the Austin Chronicle and City Cast Austin’s executive producer, Eva Ruth Moravec. Plus, stick around after the roundup for our Don’t Go Gently tip for this weekend. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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 

Texas Longhorn football is entering a new era with its first SEC game against Mississippi State this weekend, and Austinites, you need to get down to campus for this scene. Tailgating has changed now that several surface parking lots around the Texas Capitol are now buildings, and it’s forbidden on the nice, new grassy mall, but there are still lots of options for pre-partying, especially around Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium. Host Nikki DaVaughn breaks down everything you need to know about tailgating, and spells out how tailgating here is just different, with Megan Grigsby, of UT Tailgaters, who co-hosts a Longhorn-focused podcast and tailgates at every game, home and away; and Laura Hall, the director of commercial parking and special events with the Texas Facilities Commission. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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