Ahead of Election Day, Harris and Travis county attorneys have prepared for possible state or federal intervention, with Harris assembling a legal taskforce of more than 30 attorneys and Travis obtaining authority to file proactive litigation to protect voting rights.
Austin’s Jester King Brewery says about 50 parties contacted it within two business days of announcing an ownership opportunity, as founders weigh selling a majority stake or the whole business to address debt. It remains open while seeking a buyer or investor; co-founder Jeffrey Stuffings said serious interest remains uncertain.
Gourmet Austin grocery Dia's Market & Deli is set to close after 10 years. Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group also announced it will cease managing Kalimotxo and Lefty's Day and Night at Arrive Austin on Sixth Street as of November 9; Kalimotxo will close and Lefty's will stay open.
A WalletHub report ranked Austin as the No. 1 U.S. city for veterans to live in 2026, citing factors including colleges for veterans and a median annual veteran income above $66,000. The study compared the 100 largest cities on 19 metrics and placed Plano and Fort Worth fourth and fifth.
Construction has begun on a retail center between Austin and San Antonio, while a WalletHub report ranks Austin as the top U.S. city for veterans in 2026, citing its colleges and a veteran median income above $66,000.
Gov. Greg Abbott's campaign ad on the 1991 East Austin murder of Anita Byington omits that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned Allen Andre Causey's conviction last year, according to a report. Travis County DA José Garza later dismissed the charge; the Innocence Project of Texas calls the ad misleading.
A family of four with Austin ties, including Adam Robinson, Helen Sharp and their two children, was among nine killed after a business jet headed to the Bahamas crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida. Investigators said the crew reported icing and turbulence before the Learjet 60 went down; no cause has been determined.
Campaign workers for Austin City Council Member Zo Qadri allege that opponent Rich Heyman attempted to intimidate them outside a UT-Austin polling location. Heyman strongly denies the accusation and says Qadri's supporters taunted him and tried to keep him from speaking with voters.
Udo Kier’s final performance is in the short “My Beautiful Grave,” written and directed by Austin-based Sam Fayed, screening at the Austin Film Festival. The festival runs Oct. 28–Nov. 5, and the film’s world premiere is scheduled for Nov. 2 at Galaxy Highland.
NightMarket.fun, an AANHPI culture festival that began in Austin, returns to Cedar Park’s Lakeline Park on Nov. 14, 2026 with a new full concert stage headlined by Ruby Ibarra and more than 100 local vendors. The second-year city event also adds an attendee app and an augmented-reality Kaiju Hunt.
For the second year, Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers is running HOMEcoming, a monthlong November campaign in which 20 Austin venues raise money for the nonprofit's work housing local musicians. The effort grew from a Saxon Pub pledge and last year brought in about $75,000.
Ismail Elfath, an Austin-based referee who became the first American to lead an all-American crew at a FIFA World Cup semifinal, is retiring at 44. He plans to keep coaching and refereeing while urging better treatment of youth referees.
Nine people were killed when a private Learjet departing Austin-Bergstrom International Airport went down in Florida's Palm Beach County on Sunday. The NTSB is leading the investigation; an aviation attorney said early reports point to a sudden loss of control near intense thunderstorms.
An Austin Film Festival interview profiles Chris Gary’s documentary Chasing Time, which examines collectible wristwatches through dealer Adam Golden and the sentimental reasons people keep objects. The film has its world premiere in Austin, with Gary and Golden attending both scheduled screenings.
A large Austin mural won an award for creative collaboration involving more than 250 locals. The Austin Studio Tour returns for 2026 on November 14, 15, 21, and 22, with 309 locations and 815 artists, art groups, and hosts.
Stef Chura’s first album in seven years, Dancing Alone on the Concrete, draws on songs written during a pandemic-era stay in New Orleans and sessions in Athens, Georgia. She opens for Dinosaur Jr. at Stubb’s in Austin on Nov. 5.
Texas hemp businesses and customers, angered by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's push to ban THC products and by tighter state rules, are rallying behind Democrat Vikki Goodwin and other candidates. Shop owners say the restrictions are forcing closures, while the legal status of some products remains unclear.
Chefs Ian Thurwachter and Krystal Craig of Intero and Poeta are opening Emery, a neighborhood steakhouse on Burnet Road, on November 5 in the former Gusto Italian Kitchen space. It will offer regional steaks, a dessert-forward menu and a martini list, with lunch, dinner, weekend brunch and daily happy hour.
Canyon Ranch Austin opened October 29 on more than 600 acres above Lake Travis in Spicewood, with 141 rooms, a 40,000-square-foot spa billed as Texas' largest, and a restaurant led by Michelin-starred chef Val Cantú. Stays start at $1,325 per person per night, and 134 single-family homes are offered from $3.8 million.
Videos of police escorts running lights and sirens through Austin during F1 weekend prompted APD to say it is working with state and local agencies on possible legislative changes. Outside officers hired privately by a company, not APD, provided the escorts for paying clients.
