November is a great time of year in Austin! The weather is reliably out of the 90s, there are lots of fun events, and holiday festivities are beginning.
Whether you’re visiting Austin with kids or your family lives here, November is the perfect time of year to get out in the city and enjoy yourselves!
In This Post
Football Season
We’re heading toward the tail end of football season — catch your favorite college teams or your local high school playing. Here’s UT’s schedule for the 2025 season!
If you’re looking for a place to watch televised games with kids, try one of these family-friendly spots.
Fortlandia
Fortlandia is one of my favorite Austin events of the year (even more so because it lasts a few months, until the beginning of February, so everyone has time to catch it while the forts are up). Every year, the Wildflower Center hosts unique forts that look awesome and kids can climb in, on and under!
Holiday Events
Lots of the holiday and Christmas activities in the Austin area start in the later half of November. Some even start November 1, if you can believe it! Whenever you’re ready to get in the holiday spirit this month, there’s an event for you. Check them out here.
Thanksgiving Break Ideas in Austin
You’ve got a week off school and some time to fill! Here are some ideas for what to do around Austin on the break.
- Visit your favorite playgrounds. We love Pease Park, Alliance Children’s Garden, Walnut Creek Metro Park, Circle C, and Play for All, just to name a handful!
- Go to Fortlandia! I mentioned it above, and the break is the perfect time to enjoy the mild weather and explore.
- Go to an indoor water park. Splash Shack is open Thanksgiving week, and it’s a special treat to act like it’s summer again (even though it didn’t feel like summer too long ago in Austin)!
- Go to an indoor play place.
- Make some art. Lots of art studios are open Thanksgiving week, whether you want to paint pottery or do open hours at a place like Create Studio.
- Try a new coffee shop. If you need to get a little work done, go to a kid-friendly coffee shop where you can use the Wi-Fi while the kids play.
Movie Nights in November
Ski Shores Movie Nights: Nov. 7, Nov. 21
Friday Night Movies at Ski Shores! Settle in at sundown for family-friendly favorites on the big screen, drink specials, specialty s’mores, and golden hour on the dock.
11/7 Coco
11/21 Jumanji (1995)
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Nov. 15
Join Austin Parks Foundation at Onion Creek Metro Park for fun activities, vendors and partners beginning at 3:00 p.m. then settle in for showtime at sunset. Enjoy free popcorn from Cornucopia Popcorn and popsicles from GoodPop, and fun from our other vendors: SPORTSKIND and Wick Habit.
Movie Under the Stars at Vista Brewing: Nov. 29
Kick off the holiday season with an outdoor screening of Elf at Vista Brewing in Driftwood. The movie starts at 6:30 pm and is dog- and family-friendly! There will be s’mores and hot chocolate!
November Events in Austin
Dia De Los Muertos at Waterloo Park: Nov. 1-2
Celebrate Dia De Los Muertos at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, with live music and dance, as well as face painting, mask making, and take-home altars.
Wurstfest: Nov. 7-16
Wurstfest in New Braunfels is a giant Oktoberfest with tons of food, fun and entertainment! There’s a carnival area for kids — just be prepared for crowds at this huge festival.
The Light Park: Starts Nov. 7, open daily
The Dell Diamond parking lot in Round Rock is hosting The Light Park drive-through light show, open daily at 5:30 from November 7 to January 4! You just need one ticket per vehicle.
Día de los Huesos: Nov. 2
The Texas Science and Natural History Museum is hosting Day of the Bones. Decorate dinosaur skulls, get your face painted, go on a dinosaur scavenger hunt, bring in your fossils and bones for identification, make crafts and enjoy a special performance by The University of Texas Mariachi.
Texas State Parks Day: Nov. 2
Free entry to all Texas state parks! Make your (free) reservation to ensure entry.
Outside the City Limits Festival: Nov. 8
Vista Brewing is hosting its 7th annual Outside the City Limits Festival at its Driftwood location (which has a playground, by the way). Local musicians will be playing from 12-8 pm on two stages, and the festival is family-friendly. Plus there will be vendors, lawn games, ice cream and more!
Dripping Springs Fall Family Campout: Nov. 14-15
Bring your family for a fun campout with campfires, s’mores, a guided nature hike, a moth release and more! Reserve your spot — $25 for a family of four and $5 for each additional person.
Blue Genie Art Bazaar: Nov. 14 – Dec. 24
Start your shopping (for yourself or others) at Blue Genie Art Bazaar, where hundreds of artists set up booths to sell their work during the holiday season. If you’re bringing kids, don’t forget to download the scavenger hunt ahead of time to make it even more fun for everyone!
Texas Book Festival: Nov. 8-9
Downtown Austin becomes a readers’ paradise for two days when Texas Book Festival brings more than 250 authors to the area around the Capitol.
Zilker Eagle Community Hours: Nov. 7
The first Friday of the month, rides on the Zilker Park train are free to the public from 10 am to 2 pm. Presented by the Bill Wood Foundation.
Who-liday Holiday at The Domain: Nov. 23
Kick off the holiday season with the Grinch and Max! The Domain Northside is hosting Grinchmas starting at 2 pm, with a tree lighting at 6. There will be face painting, selfies, holiday music, snow globe making, and balloon animals.
Free Fourth Sunday at Texas Science and Natural History Museum: Nov. 23
Get free admission to the Texas Science and Natural History Museum every fourth Sunday of the month, thanks to HEB.
Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot: Nov. 27
Does your family Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving? Join the annual Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot and run/walk 1 mile or 5 miles in the center of Austin before you get your turkey on!
North Pole Flyer Train Ride: Starts Nov. 29
The Christmas-themed train ride from the Austin Steam Train Association
What’s the weather like in November in Austin?
If you’re trying to make plans in Austin in November, you need to know what to wear! November is a great time, weather-wise, to be in Austin. The heat of the summer (and all the false falls) have finally burned off, so it’s pleasant outside. The average highs are in the mid-70s and the average lows are in the 40s. You may expect some rain, but not a lot (I’m starting to forget when it actually does rain a lot in Austin!).
Read about what to do in Austin in October and December.
If you’re planning your Thanksgiving meal, make it easy on yourself and order the turkey or sides from a local business! We order the meats from a barbecue spot every year, and it helps us stress less.