The day of sparklers and red, white and blue is quickly approaching and many restaurants and bars in Austin are providing ways to celebrate the Fourth of July with a bang.
Grilling
Celebrating Independence without eating BBQ is unofficially against the rules. If you have access to a grill you should fire it up and load that sucker with with hot dogs, burgers and all the goodies. We just picked up a brand new Traeger Timberline 1300 and all we want to do is spend the entire day grilling. Fortunately our new Traeger is probably the most user friendly, high-tech grill on the market thanks to their WiFire controller which allows us to adjust the temperature and timer via the Traeger app on our mobile device. So now we have absolutely no excuse not to smoke the perfect brisket. It’s the 4th of July though, so we’ll probably just stick to hot dogs and burgers for now.
H-E-B Austin Symphony July 4th Concert & Fireworks
Spend this Independence Day with 100,000 of your closest friends! Central Texans will hurry to claim their grassy spot with the Austin Symphony Orchestra this July 4th for the largest Independence Day Celebration in the state. Tens of thousands of families will be decked out in red, white, and blue and heading down to Vic Mathias Shores (formerly Auditorium Shores) this July 4th for an amazing event complete with a fireworks display over the city skyline backed by symphonic patriotic classics.
The Symphony Orchestra will perform at 8:30 p.m., followed by “mile-high” fireworks at approximately 9:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Refer to this map for road closures.
7th Annual Corn Dog Eating Contest at Black Sheep Lodge
Celebrate our freedom to stuff our faces with as many corn dogs as we can handle. On Tuesday, July 4th at 2:00 pm Black Sheep Lodge will hold their 7th Annual Corn Dog Eating Contest! There is a $20 entry fee, but each contestant will get a free commemorative T-shirt and the Grand Champeen mouth shoveller will take home a $250 cash prize! All entry fees as well as a portion of sales during the event will go to benefit BSL’s local charity! How many corn dogs can you eat in 8 minutes?! Sign up at events@blacksheeplodge.com.
Backbeat
The Backbeat team will celebrate three centuries of Independence Day libations with three distinct experiences within the bar. Guests will be encouraged to move throughout the space and purchase cocktails from each of the areas and will have a view of the fireworks downtown.
- Indoor Lounge – 1776: Enjoy 18th Century ‘revolutionary’ punches featuring Chairman’s Reserve Rum and Rhums from the House of Agricole. All day.
- Rooftop Patio – 1876: Taste sweet liberté with 19th Century spritzes featuring St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur. All day.
- Out Front – 1976: Let loose with a ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ lawn party featuring American Whiskey from Heaven Hill plus free games and a “celebrity” dunk tank. Games run until 7pm.
In addition to cocktails, Backbeat will also offer beer, wine and food for sale from Garbo’s Food Truck. The event will start at 12p.m. and tickets will be sold for $10, and you can find them here.
1300 South Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX
Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden
Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden will be offering its popular homemade uncooked bratwursts for home cooks to grill for Fourth of July Celebrations. Banger’s Brat Bags will include 12 uncooked bratwursts, 12 buns, 8 ounces of whole grain mustard and 16 ounces of sauerkraut for a cost of $40. All bags must be picked up in store on Monday, July 3 since the restaurant will be closed on Independence Day. Order online here. (Photo credit: Banger’s)
79 Rainey St. Austin, TX
Mean Eyed Cat 4th of July Weekend
Mean Eyed Cat will be celebrating Independence Day with patriotic drinks such as Bomb Pop Shots and Red, White and Blueberry Cocktails. For more info on Mean Eyed Cat: https://themeaneyedcat.com/
1621 W. Fifth St. Austin, TX.
Rattle Inn 4th of July Party
At Rattle Inn of the Fourth, enjoy drink specials such as red, white, and blue jello shots, bomb pops, champagne cocktails, and Independence beers for $4. Take pictures with Rattle Inn’s giant photo frame while Slantic the Tablist plays all-time favorite jams. To enjoy the rooftop views, purchase tables here. Photo credit: Rattle Inn Facebook
610 Nueces St. Austin, TX.
Photo credit: Gibson Street Bar
Gibson Street Bar’s Canada Day Party
It may not be celebrating ol’ U-S-A, but we still cheers our Northern neighbors for Canada Day. Join Gibson Street Bar on Saturday, July 1 at 1p.m. for their Canada Day Party on July 1 and enjoy poutine from Luke’s Inside Out, maple syrup cocktails, live music, and plenty of Canadian themed games like Sauce Toss games and Bubble Hockey.
1109 S Lamar Blvd. Austin, TX.