September Activities in Austin That You Don't Want To Miss

Sure, it might still be stiflingly hot, but September in Texas still fills us with hope that jacket weather is just around the corner. Since there's still some summer left in the tank around these parts, we figure we'd better keep the party rolling along. Here are five ways we do just that.

Bat Fest (Sep. 6th on the Congress Avenue Bridge): Austin is home to the world's largest urban bat colony, with 1.5 million Mexican Free-Tail Bats residing beneath the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. To celebrate our winged nocturnal friends, we hold a music festival on the very bridge where the bats hang out. Now in its 19th year, this year's edition is headlined by Silversun Pickups, and new this year, Bat Fest spotlights a full day of performances by Asian American artists, showcasing the cultural diversity that makes Austin shine.

Pecan Street Festival (Sept. 13th and 14th at the Hill Country Galleria): In 2025 the Pecan Street Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary as one of Austin's longest-running street festivals. Though now moved out to the Hill Country Galleria from downtown, the festival stays true to its legacy of unity, creativity, and free community celebration. Families, artists, vendors, and visitors are welcome to enjoy live music and great eats, with free admission for one and all.

Fantastic Fest (Sept. 18th–25th at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema): Fantastic Fest stands tall as the largest genre film festival in the United States, celebrating boundary-pushing cinema across horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action, and all things fantastically weird. Between viewings, check out the wild parties, live podcasts, boxing debates, and even a few Austrian cocktail robots. Celebrating new cinema since 2005, the Fest has welcomed visionary artists such as Tim Burton, the Wachowskis, Keanu Reeves, Robert Rodriguez, and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Levitation (Sept. 25th–28th, primarily at the Palmer Events Center): Originally founded in 2008 as Austin Psych Fest by members of Austin's own psych rockers The Black Angels, the festival lit a fire in the global psych rock community. It was later renamed LEVITATION to honor legendary Austin band The 13th Floor Elevators, who reunited and played the 2015 edition for their 50th anniversary. LEVITATION has remained true to its psych rock roots while branching into metal, punk, electronic, and other underground genres.