Celebrate Pride Month With These Sober Activities in Austin

Last Updated on October 3, 2023

‘The Live Music Capital of the World’ Has a Place For Everyone

Austin is known for its beautiful location in the Texas Hill Country, laid-back atmosphere, and welcoming LGBTQ environment, and is often referred to as ‘The Live Music Capital of the World’ for good reason: the city is home to more than 250 venues where live music can be heard year-round every day of the week. Nova Recovery Center operates two drug and alcohol rehabilitation treatment facilities in Austin and the surrounding area and offers gender-specific and LGBTQ treatment options to suit unique individual needs in a professional yet empathetic environment. With Pride Month in full swing during June and Austin’s own Pride festival scheduled for August, be sure to check out the following fun, sober activities Austin has to offer.

2022 Pride in Local Music Festival

The third annual Pride in Local Music Festival is a full-scale live music and creative event featuring Austin area LGBTQ musicians, food and beverage vendors, and more. The festival also supports a good cause, as a portion of the proceeds of all ticket sales goes to support the Austin LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce Education Fund.

When and Where:

Saturday, June 25, 2022

Long Center For the Performing Arts
701 W. Riverside Drive
Austin, TX 78704

The Pride in Music Festival will begin at 12:00 p.m and run until 8:00 p.m. on the lawn and pavilion of the Long Center For the Performing Arts. General admission tickets are $35, and special VIP access passes are $135 and include reserved seating in the open-air patio above the pavilion. The event is also walkable and bikeable from downtown Austin via the First St. pedestrian bridge across Lady Bird Lake, which continues all the way to the front lawn of the Long Center [1].

Watch a Screening of the Iconic Film “Paris is Burning” at the Paramount Theatre

The 1990 documentary film “Paris is Burning” follows the stories of drag queens in New York in the ballroom scene of the late 1980s. This film is widely considered by many to be one of the most important films in LGBTQ history.

When and Where:

Friday, June 10, 2022
Paramount Theatre
713 Congress Avenue
Doors will open at 7:00 p.m., followed by the film screening at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $11 for adults, and entrance is free for Film Pass members.

Related post: LGBTQ Addiction Treatment and Resources in Austin, TX

Rainbow on the Creek Returns to Waterloo Park

Rainbow on the Creek returns to Waterloo Park and the Moody Amphitheater this year for Pride Month. Rainbow on the Creek is a free family-friendly celebration that connects, educates, and celebrates Austin’s LGBTQ community. The celebration will include more than 25 activities sponsored by LGBTQ nonprofits and partners, including a BIPOC and Latinx artisan & craft market, drag queen story time, fitness classes, Pride parade, gender-affirming care & sexual health resources, a featured performance by Latin Grammy nominee Gina Chavez, and many more activities for the whole family. Rainbow on the Creek is held each year to celebrate Austin’s spirit of inclusion, unity, and acceptance of diverse LGBTQ cultures, communities of color, and varied genders and sexualities [2].

When and Where:

Waterloo Park

1401 N Trinity St

Austin, TX 78701

Hours for the festival are 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m, a break in activities, followed by featured performances from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Admission is free, and the event is family and pet friendly.

Take Part in the Inaugural Colors of Pride Festival

This year marks the inaugural celebration of Colors of Pride, which honors LGBTQ people of color and their allies. Spend the afternoon enjoying live music, a mocktail service bar, a children’s play area, inspirational speakers, a free communal meal, and an on-site pop-up market. The aim of the festival is to bring awareness to underrepresented QTPOC persons struggling with their mental health, oppression, and isolation in the hope that the positive impact of Austin’s Colors of Pride festival will be felt across Texas and ultimately the entire U.S. [3]

When and Where:

Saturday, June 25, 2022
Branch Park Pavilion
2201 Aldrich St.
The event hours are 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Enjoy Drinks With Friends at Austin’s First Sober Bar

Sans Bar was built on the idea that everyone deserves safe and inclusive fun that is not centered around alcohol. In 2017, the bar began as a series of monthly pop-ups around Austin offering an extensive zero-proof drink menu, and it quickly gained a supportive following which led to a brick-and-mortar location in East Austin [4].

Sans Bar

1818 E 12th St.

Austin, TX 78702

Sans Bar is open every Friday from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.

Try Something Different by Attending a New Recovery Meeting

There are regular meetings held in different locations throughout the Austin area and surrounding Hill Country for those who want to meet new, sober friends. Not only can these meetings help you become more open about your struggles and support you in your recovery, but they may also introduce you to more people who can join you in some of the activities listed above (or even recommend others.)[5]

There is Life After Addiction

Although at times addiction may seem all-consuming, it’s important to know that there is hope for a new beginning after problems with substance abuse and any possible underlying issues which may have led to it have been properly treated.

Nova Recovery Center is an LGBTQ-friendly environment that fosters acceptance for all, encourages honest and open communication, and can meet unique individual treatment needs. If you feel that you or a loved one need help to overcome addiction and want to learn more about how inpatient drug rehab in Austin or Houston, TX, can help you begin your lifelong journey to sobriety, please call Nova Recovery Center at (888) 427-4932 or contact us online today.

References:

1. Experience – Pride In Local Music
2. Celebrate PRIDE Month at Waterloo Park on June 11 – Waterloo Greenway Conservancy
3. Colors of Pride Festival
4. Austin — Sans Bar (thesansbar.com)
5. Hill Country Intergroup – Austin Alcoholics Anonymous (austinaa.org)