Bingo!
This November, Buda is turning its downtown into a retail playground, one bingo card at a time. Buda Bingo is happening now and runs through November 30, inviting residents and visitors to support local businesses in a fun, rewarding way.
The event is presented by Buda EDC, the Greater Buda Chamber of Commerce, and Discover Buda, with an eye on building excitement toward Shop Small Saturday on November 29.
Here’s how it works: Pick up your official Buda Bingo card at any participating merchant, or stop by the Greater Buda Chamber of Commerce, the Buda Welcome Center, or City Hall.
Look for the Buda Bingo signs to help fill up your card.Photo by Brooklyn Fuqua
Each purchase at a participating business earns a unique sticker for your card. Fill a row, column, or diagonal, and you’ve earned an entry in the prize drawing; complete a full blackout and you’ll score 12 entries toward winning local gift cards, prize baskets, and more. Completed cards must be dropped off by December 5, 2025, at one of the official drop-off locations.
More than 40 local shops, eateries, service providers, and more are on the Bingo roster. Get a jump on holiday gifting with stops at Hays County Outfitters, Posie, Old Town Buda Antique Mall, and Shaggy Dog Market.
Refuel at Dos Olivos, Big Daddy Jay's Creole, Main Street Pizzeria & Beer Garden, and the Buda Drug Store and Soda Fountain. Need something stronger? Water 2 Wine Winery, Willie's Joint, and Proof Liquor & Deli would all be happy to see you.
On the service side, The Massage Studio, Johnny G's Barbershop, Glow Laser & Beauty and Salon One 12 will get you ready for sparkly holiday parties. Even the Hampton Inn and Comfort Suites hotels are involved, along with City Limits Suburu and Inspired Minds Art Center.
Don't forget about the pups during your holiday shopping.Photo courtesy of Buda EDC
Photo courtesy of Discover Buda
Show some love for local.
Organizers emphasize that Buda Bingo isn’t just about prizes — it’s about keeping dollars circulating locally and spotlighting the hidden gems in Buda’s small-business ecosystem. Each visit to a boutique, cafe, or studio helps strengthen the community network.
Buda Bingo transforms that act of support into something exciting and rewarding — a reason to visit more shops, meet more owners, and see what makes this small city thrive.
Learn more, see the full list of participating businesses, and get the official game rules here.
Community Supported Festival
Austin's NPR station is about to bring the fun out of public radio and onto the street. The inaugural KUT Festival will be held May 1 and 2, 2026, at multiple locations across the University of Texas at Austin campus.
A press release says it's "a new annual tradition celebrating the people, ideas, music and culture that make Austin 'Austin.'"
Attendees can expect talks and panels try mysteriously vague "hands-on activities," patronize food trucks, engage with art, and meet community organizations. Just about everything will be in-scope: arts and culture, civic engagement, energy, the environment, transportation, health and wellness, and music — much like listening to community radio, but with more dimensions in person.
KUT is no stranger to hosting events, but in a festival capacity locals are likely more familiar with KUT's sister station for music, KUTX. It does programming for The Drop-In at the Long Center, C3's Holiday Hootenanny at Radio/East, the Un Día showcase, the station's own Rock The Park series at Mueller Lake Park, and more. KUTX will also get to run with live music programming at the KUT Festival.
Tickets will go on sale in January.
Some Austinites have taken a new or deeper interest in supporting local radio after a large loss of federal funding this year. For KUT, that loss was estimated at $1.2 million. However, the station seems to be rising to the challenge, and in October even announced a new network called Austin Signal that combines reporting by news outlets all over the state.
The festival will be held at UT because, as the station's call letters imply, KUT is owned and operated by the university. The station now says it's 100 percent community supported as of September 15, 2025; before the cuts, it was already at 90 percent. Relationships with the community have always been important for KUT, but now a festival could be a defining factor in how the station thrives in a new era.
“KUT and KUTX are already bringing the news, music and culture that Austin loves to the community on a regular basis over the air and through our digital products,” said KUT Public Media general manager Debbie Hiott in the public announcement. “This festival will bring it all to life, and we can celebrate what it is to be Austin residents together and in person.”