Lite + Brite Monthly: July
Hello, what’s up, and welcome to the monthly edition of the Lite + Brite newsletter.
America has turned 250, and Lite + Brite ATX has been around for 2.7% of that time. Really makes you think, huh? While national bday parties are behind us, still to come this month are many more excellent-looking events, which you can discover below. We’ve released our Summer 2026 playlist for these long, hot days. And if the country implodes before it turns 251, you are definitely going to want to prepare with our new interview with Buzz Mill’s Lumber Society.
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Let’s do fun stuff!
—Leila + Brian
liteandbriteatx.com
Looking Ahead to Upcoming Events
Our weekly newsletters will include many more listings, but here are a handful of events that we know are planned for the next month. We’re giving you the heads up now in case you want to pre-buy tickets or block off the time.
- July 9-12: Touch the Art at Almost Real Things
“Finally, you can touch all of the art on the walls” – couldn’t agree more - July 10: After Dark at the Austin Public Library
20s-themed party w/live jazz, murder mystery, crafts, + workshops - July 11: Shelley Duval Appreciation Night at We Luv Video
Remembering the actress w/clips, films, + interviews - July 11: Legend of the Realms at Sky Candy
Competitive fantasy-themed aerialists, burlesque, storytelling + more - July 11: 100 Years of Dirty’s at Dirty Martin’s
Live music, vendors, carnival games, classic car show, + karaoke - July 10, 11 + 18: The Rocky Horror Puppet Show at Fallout and Coldtowne
Improvised puppet musical based on the campy classic - July 12: Woodland Faerie Trail Closing Day at Zilker Botanical Garden
Explore artist-crafted faerie homes throughout the park - July 16-18: Hot Summer Nights on Red River
Three free nights of local bands + DJs performing in Red River venues - July 17: Soviet Propaganda Pop-up Market at the Antique Mule
Buy some kitschy propaganda + get a Russian prison tat - July 18: Music Video Film Fest at Cabana Club
Watch music videos from local acts while poolside - July 18: Richard Simmons Birthday Bus at Barton Springs
Commemorate the aerobics legend w/costumes, bus ride, + plunge - July 18: The Reverdie Ball at Distribution Hall
Formal fantasy ball w/live music, portraits, + interactive quests - July 18: Puppy Picnic + Corgi Races at Jackalope South
Corgi racing, doggie pools, treats, “tiny legs at full speed” - July 18: Jaws on the Water at Volente Beach
Watch Jaws while floating on a lake + try not to get bitten - July 18: Boner Bizarre at Come and Take It
“Perverse, grotesque, + socially unacceptable” burlesque about Tolkien - July 24: B-Scene: Buffering Reality at the Blanton
Data-driven art, Y2k costumes, live music, DJ, + video rental store - July 25: 3rd Anniversary Block Party at We Luv Video
North Loop block party w/live bands, DJ, flash tats, workshops, “kidz zone” - July 25: Butch Prom at Cheer Up Charlie’s
Butch pageant plus drag, DJs, haircuts, + vendors - July 30 – August 2: Pan African Film Festival at AFS
Curated films from the “largest Black film + arts festival”
L+B PLAYLIST 25
SUMMER ’26
Usually we’re way too early on these kinds of playlist but this year it’s well into Summer before we collected our summer thoughts and our summer songs. As a result, we decided to play it a little bit slower this year and veer a little more into the reflective mood of lying on a hammock as the thermostat skyrockets. May this mix offer some relief, like a cool breeze.
Listen on: Spotify / Apple / YouTube
Tracklist
Aeroplane – Let’s Get Slow ft. Benjamin Diamond
FM-84 – Bend & Break ft. Ollie Wride
Jan Hammer – Crockett’s Theme
Herbie Hancock – I Thought It Was You
Grover Washington, Jr – Summer Song
Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’65 – She’s a Carioca
The Cyrkle – The Visit (She Was Here)
Azymuth – Seems Like This
Tipa Tipo – Engatusado
Army of Lovers – My Army of Lovers
Elvis Costello – I Wanna Be Loved
Les 36’15 – Zoulous!
Don’t Ask – Clocking Off
The Preatures – Is This How You Feel? (Classixx Remix)
Chad Valley – Anything
Cannons – Purple Sun
UB40 – Don’t Break My Heart
Isabelle Antena – Laying on the Sofa
Amason – Kelly
Warpaint – Stevie
The Go-Betweens – Part Company
Cane 141 – New Day Parade
My Favorite – Rescue Us
The Blue Nile – Heatwave
Twice as Much – The Summer’s Ending
The Austinites Behind the Curtain: Lumber Society
We love spotlighting local creatives who are responsible for the events that we list. Remember, there would be no pig parades, facial hair competitions, dance shows in quarries, or sound installations in tree houses without the individual people who organize and promote them.
In July 2026, we spoke with Jason Sabala (Buzz Mill owner and Lumber Society founder) and Mark Fagan (Buzz Mill Events Manager). Lumber Society is Austin’s adult version of Boy/Girl Scouts, offering hands-on classes on basic survival skills. Here’s how the folks at Buzz Mill make it happen…
Lite + Brite: Can you describe the Lumber Society for our readers?
Jason Sabala, Buzz Mill owner and Lumber Society founder: Lumber Society is our version of modern-day adult scouts where people get the outdoor education and skillset they need to sustain and thrive out in the wild. All while sharing this knowledge with their community, and maybe even with a tasty beverage!
L+B: What’s the Lumber Society’s origin story? And why is it based out of Buzz Mill? A 24/7 bar + coffeeshop is not the most obvious venue for survival skill workshops…
JS: Lumber Society originated in 2013, before Buzz Mill acquired its liquor license. For a brief two-month period, we gave away booze ONE HOUR a day EVERY DAY until we actually were issued a license to legally sell it. Back then the “FREEGANS” were killing us because they knew to come from 5-6pm every day. We devised a plan to change the time every day BUT YOU HAD TO BE ON THE EMAIL LIST to know the time for that day. That list ballooned to over 3,000 members. We eventually had to purge EVERY email and start over, rebuilding the membership with folks who were interested in the outdoor skills and not just free beer.
Early years had many different classes and workshops with emphasis on building things like boats and birdhouses, and making your own beer. Once we brought in Chris Hyde, our naturalist, we were able to hone in more of the bushcraft and outdoor skills that make Lumber Society so special.
As for why I started it: I just was not happy with just creating a space where people drank and smoked. I figured if you were going to do that, then you should at least learn a couple skills that might save your life some day. Buzz Mill is its home but we have also done a few classes at our sister brand Squatch Fitness on the East Side.
L+B: How do you come up with the topics for the various Lumber Society workshops?
JS: We started by looking through the lens of “zombie apocalypse or plane crashes.” What do we need to know to survive three to four days (e.g. fire, shelter, water)? That evolved into surviving three to four months (e.g. fermentation, trapping, pickling and smoking your food). In year 10, we are even getting into long-term comforts like earth paints, pine needle baskets, and bone jewelry.
L+B: What’s the deal with the Lumber Society troops?
JS: We wanted to create a team atmosphere and encourage folks who came with friends to mix it up in the crowd by sitting with their teams. In the early days, a camp speaker would announce which troop had the special at that time, and sometimes it required competition or feats of strength by each troop to win the special. It has evolved over time, and it is now more prominent during nature trivia, or boat builds where troops must use items only built by their troop, etc. The basic personality quiz essentially puts people into a troop. I can tell you that anyone who ended up as an owl answered the questions how I personally would.
L+B: Roughly how many members does the Lumber Society have in total? Who would you recommend it to?
Mark Fagan, Buzz Mill Events Manager: The Lumber Society is open to anyone! The capacity for our workshops is usually 25-35 people. Lumber Society participants range from folks looking to have fun on a casual date to people wanting to improve their survival skills on a more serious level. The concept works perfectly and people are always surprised to see a survival skills workshop happening at a bar on East Riverside!
L+B What’s the most memorable or unexpected thing to ever happen at a Lumber Society event?
MF: For me, it’s always the look on someone’s face the first time they create fire using their own hands! It really is a magical moment.
L+B: If cost and logistics were no issues, what would be your dream Lumber Society event to run?
JS: A full-blown weeklong summer camp in cabins that mirrored traditional summer camp, leaving you with all the knowledge you needed to survive the apocalypse!
L+B: What’s up next for the Lumber Society?
MF:We’ve got a lot of great stuff on the calendar for 2026! There are currently tickets available for five upcoming workshops, including mushroom cultivation, soap making, and more. You can always see and register for our upcoming workshops here.
All-the-Time Austin Artsy Fun
Our weekly newsletter features upcoming events, but sometimes the activity you’re looking for isn’t an event at all—it’s a place that’s always there. Next time you find yourself with an afternoon when nothing special seems to be going on, you could consider checking out one of these evergreen options.
- Austin Pinball Collective
A cache of free to play pinball machines concealed in an office park - Mesmerize
An interactive dream-like world made of site-specific installations by 15+ local artists - Hyperreal Film Club
A clubhouse for weird cinema, with oddball screenings four nights a week - Tiny Minotaur
Drinking and costumed LARPing, Dungeonsynths performing in the dungeon w/lots of lore - The Eureka Room
Uniquely goofy, silly, + fun immersive games you play with a group. No spoilers! - We Luv Video
The Alexandria Library of video rental. It’s community-run, you can rent movies or watch them in a cinema while literally surrounded by VHS tapes and DVDs. - The Goats at Jester King Brewery
More a theme park geared towards folks who like refermented cherries in their beer (me) than a brewery. I have not experienced the Goat Experience, but I have seen their goats, and I approve. - Cathedral of Junk
A towering achievement to collecting weird old stuff that will spark nostalgia and cause you to wonder at your last tetanus shot timing - West China Tea House
In addition to their events, West China is a wonderful place just to chat with interesting and welcoming people and drink some delicious tea - Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve
A lovely park + nature walk that is protected by a crack corps of dedicated peacocks and peahens. Good luck escaping without some flashy, feathery displays. - Laguna Gloria
The Contemporary Austin’s outdoor sculpture garden. Culture + Nature = Profit. - Austin Creative Reuse Center
A nonprofit shop where you can get any art, craft, or office supplies you can imagine for literal pennies. Eat your heart out, Office Despot. - Museum of the Weird
It’s right there on Dirty 6th but worth a visit. From famous fake paleontology to recreations of horror film sets, there’s lots to see. - James Turrell’s Skyspace
Like Turrell’s best works, this is an art experience which unfolds slowly over time. Watch as the changing colors of sunset remake the space.
Thanks to our Patreon subscribers
A huge thank-you to our Patreon subscribers Liz, Melissa Dunn, Kat, James Gray, Emily Heddleson, Andrew Creswell, Robert B., Roman Gonzalez, Nick Ivons, Molly Fonseca, Lilly Ettinger, Michael Sales, Zach, Gino Scaramuzza, Erica Speegle, Thomas Refferson, Bones Malones, Katie Green, Christina Jue, Colleen MB, Alexander Freed, and Kristen Backor. We’re deeply grateful for your support, which allows us to do things like “pay our Beehiiv fee” and “spend hours researching Austin events when technically we should be working.”
If you’d like to support us on Patreon and get access to exclusive member-only benefits, you may do so here.
About Us
How do we choose which events to feature?
Honestly, it’s pretty random. We might include anything in Austin that we, personally, would conceivably want to go to, generally excluding normal concerts, comedy shows, and movie showtimes because there are many other good resources for finding those. (We especially recommend Showlist for live music, The Darker Side of Austin for goth and metal stuff, Concept Animals’ ATX Art for You for gallery openings + artist talks, and Superfantastica for weird Austin spots). This list is by no means exhaustive; it’s just stuff that caught our eye this week. If you have an event that you want us to consider including, send it over.
Who are we?
We are Leila + Brian. We make this newsletter. We do our own events, like No Lights No Lycra and BYOT, a party where we share very good YouTubes (here’s a playlist from the last one). We go very hard seeing bands at SxSW (here’s a playlist of some of our favorites from 2026). We once got called “local Austin couple” by KXAN. We do some other stuff here and there. We love going out to creative events in Austin, and we want you to join us. Visit us at liteandbriteatx.com, and support us on Patreon if you like what we do.