SUMMARY: Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday,” will be celebrated on March 4 in Austin with various festive events. The Hive will host a Mardi Gras Mambo with live music and crafts, while Cabana Club features a gumbo cookoff and a costume contest. A drag brunch at Volstead Lounge kicks off Sunday with performances starting at noon. Meanwhile Brewing will offer live music and New Orleans food specials throughout the event. On Fat Tuesday, Hotel Vegas and Volstead Lounge will have free music and parties. Other venues like C-Boy’s, Scholz Garten, and Parkside also have themed festivities planned.

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SUMMARY: The Row-House Gallery at the Freedmen’s Town Visitor Center in Houston features two permanent exhibition spaces. Currently, it showcases *Bennett Road* by former football players-turned-artists Michael and Martellus Bennett. The gallery is housed in historic Freedmen’s Town structures, repurposed in collaboration with the Houston Public Library. The exhibition represents the past, present, and future. The second house retains its original wood, evoking nostalgia, and features Martellus Bennett’s work, inspired by his daughter. Visitors can explore the gallery, the Welcome Center, and the Gregory School, an African-American history research center.

When you walk into the Freedmen’s Town welcome center for your tour of the historic Black neighborhood, you may not expect to be walking into an art gallery.

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SUMMARY: On Thursday, the Austin city council will discuss updates to short-term rental (STR) regulations, addressing over 10,000 unlicensed STRs in the city. Proposed changes include requiring STR operators to collect Hotel Occupancy Tax and disclose city permit numbers in listings. Mayor Kirk Watson has raised concerns about the readiness for some decisions and is advocating for consistent communication with state leaders. The new rules would restrict STR licenses to individuals for properties with three or fewer units and mandate a distance of at least 1,000 feet between multiple STRs owned by one person. Existing, compliant STRs can continue operating under the updated guidelines.

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