Austin’s public safety departments have teamed up for the city’s first Autism Sensory Fair, which will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 8, at 4101 S. Industrial Drive, Ste. 260, Austin, TX 78744. The Austin Police Department, Austin Fire Department and Austin-Travis County EMS invite local families to join in “meeting your local first responders, local non-profits, observe outdoor traffic stop demonstrations, and enjoy face painting for the kids.” The event will also feature a de-stimulation room, for anyone who needs to decompress in quiet. This event is free and open to the public.

The United Musicians and Allied Workers advocacy group is seeking performers who have at any point applied to participate in the South by Southwest music festival, in hopes of discussing the push for increased compensation for festival artists. The online meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Central time on June 7, with an RSVP required to participate in any decision-making regarding the Fair Pay at SXSW campaign. Artist compensation at SXSW became an issue leading into the 2023 event, with advocates calling the longtime compensation – $100 for solo acts, $250 for full bands, with the option to receive festival credentials in lieu of payment – far too low. The festival made a modest increase this year and has signaled it may institute further increases. In a related bit of controversy, dozens of acts who had been selected to play at SXSW 2024 opted to drop out as a sign of protest against the U.S. military’s involvement as a partner in the festival. Members of some city boards and commissions have called on the city to repeal all fee waivers and other assistance given to the festival until pay for artists is increased to an acceptable level.

Got any strong feelings, good or bad, about e-scooters, e-bikes and other micromobility devices? If so, the city would like to hear about it. An online survey is open now to help staff, relevant boards and commissions and City Council learn the public’s thoughts about how to regulate and manage the devices that have become an ingrained part of the local transportation ecosystem. Rules implemented in May brought some changes to how scooters and similar devices are handled by the city, with a limit of 6,700 total scooters allowed to operate. Also in May, the Urban Transportation Commission asked City Council to further rework the regulations to be more in line with the goals and mission of the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan. The survey is open until July 7.

Former City Council Member Kathie Tovo, who served on Council from 2012 to 2023, will be hosting a mayoral campaign kickoff at 6:30 p.m. at El Mercado Restaurant on South First Street. Tovo, who served as mayor pro tem for four years, stresses her “proven record of standing up for women, workers, immigrants, and the LGBTQIA+ community.” Her campaign announced the party stating, “Tovo will celebrate her strong start in the race, share plans to deliver transparency and accountability at City Hall and outline ways to get involved in the campaign.” Other applicants for the middle seat on the dais include incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson, Go Austin/Vamos Austin Executive Director Carmen Llanes Pulido and Doug Greco, former executive director of Central Texas Interfaith.

As part of the We All Belong citywide anti-hate initiative launched last summer, the city is hosting the Party at the People’s House, a free event open to the public to celebrate “belonging and the eclectic mix of cultures that make Austin such a weird and wonderful place to live,” according to a news release from the city. The event, curated and produced in partnership with Almost Real Things, will showcase local food vendors, musicians, art, family activities, city departments, community organizations and more, with the goal of making people feel inspired and empowered to end hate in Austin. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP. It’s set for 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second St.

The city is also releasing a new public service announcement featuring the mayor, mayor pro tem and City Council members, encouraging people to report acts of hate using streamlined reporting tools and resources on the We All Belong information hub, austintexas.gov/againsthate. The site also features a new interactive community data dashboard that explores hate crime reports in Austin and how acts of hate impact community’s sense of trust and safety. Visitors can also learn more about attending or hosting We All Belong pop-up events held year-round in collaboration with local organizations, and download message toolkits to share with family and friends. The toolkits are available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Burmese Chinese (simplified), French, Hindi, Korean, Pashto and Vietnamese in the “spread the word” section of the site.

The city’s Housing Department will host a “Black Land Matters” symposium on June 14. The event will focus on efforts to prevent displacement and ways to “promote, secure and preserve landownership among Black Americans” and help families maintain their property and close the racial wealth gap, according to a press release from the city. “We are thrilled to host this symposium for a second year in Austin. These conversations are important to have as we seek to reduce displacement of families by highlighting the challenges of Black land loss and sharing information on the tools and resources available to keep their homes,” Mandy DeMayo, interim director of the Housing Department, explains in a statement to the press. “These discussions can also help us identify where to focus potential resources for future programs and services.” This event is free and open to the public and light refreshments will be provided. Anyone interested in attending can RSVP here.

With the search for Austin’s next police chief officially underway, the city is now seeking input from community members through an anonymous survey facilitated by executive search consultant Mosaic Public Partners. The survey (which is available in both English and Spanish) closes on June 10 and is a way for residents to share their preferences and priorities for Austin’s next chief. The position was posted on May 15 and also will remain open until June 10, with the hopes of identifying candidates soon afterward. After a series of interviews and a public meet and greet, City Manager T.C. Broadnax will select a finalist, with their employment dependent on City Council’s confirmation.

For the first time since 2017, a free outdoor concert series will once again be held on the Texas Capitol Mall in front of the Bullock Museum. Texas artists will perform at Music Under the Star in the new Capitol Mall Amphitheater starting at 6 p.m. on a handful of summer Fridays, with headliners playing at 7:30 p.m. Music Under the Star began in 2003 and took a hiatus for construction of the Texas Capitol Mall.

• June 14 – Kamica King opening and the Peterson Brothers headlining
• July 19 – Chayito Champion and Keli Rosa Cabunoc opening and Max Baca and Los Texmaniacs headlining
• Aug. 9 – The South Austin Moonlighters opening and Guy Forsyth headlining

Parking is available for $15 in the Bullock Museum’s underground garage. Parking is free for museum members with a Music Under the Star parking voucher. Food and drinks will be available for purchase at all Music Under the Star concerts. Guests can purchase band merchandise through the Bullock Museum Store at the events. Program sponsors KUTX 98.9 will also be on hand to support the event. For more about the artists and their musical styles, visit TheStoryofTexas.com/muts.

In an effort to ease its ongoing capacity crisis, Austin Animal Center is limiting intake hours to 11 a.m. through 1 p.m., starting today. A press release about the new policy makes exceptions for animals showing “extreme signs of distress or injury, such as heat stroke, young litters that would need to be bottle fed, and animals showing obvious signs of injury.” The press release also explains that the shelter has been boarding animals off-site because the shelter is over capacity and faces an ever-increasing demand for its services. “As AAC limits intake even further and continues working to increase outcomes, the goal is to re-open once all the dogs in boarding have returned to the shelter and animals are safely housed in permanent kennels,” states the release. In order to address capacity issues, the shelter has waived adoption fees, offered financial incentives for rescue organizations that can take larger dogs, and increased its outreach to get the word out about adoptions. Austinites are encouraged to adopt, foster or volunteer if they can.

In response to the severe storms and flooding in Houston and Hays County, Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN) is on the ground providing real-time relief and support. The nonprofit network of about 200 Austin-area churches and trained volunteers is seeking additional volunteers as well as donations of money and supplies. People interested in supporting survivors and distributing supplies can join ADRN’s volunteer efforts by signing up here. In-kind donations can be made through this Amazon wish list or through donations to Hope Family Thrift Store. Financial contributions to sustain disaster relief operations can be made here and will cover things like clean-up buckets, hygiene kits and survivor care kits, which are critically low. The Austin-based nonprofit organization is dedicated to providing physical, emotional and spiritual care to disaster survivors.

Central Health is holding a conversation about its newest plans for serving the community today. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. both in-person and online. The event is an opportunity to ask Central Health leadership questions and hear from Central Health Board Chair Ann Kitchen and CEO Dr. Pat Lee about newly launched programs centered on things like gastroenterology, pulmonology, nephrology and palliative medicine. Kitchen and Central Health Board members Shannon Jones, Amit Motwani and Cynthia Valadez will hold a listening session for attendees following the official presentation. Lunch, coffee, tea and snacks will be provided for all (in-person) attendees.

Tonight, the Central Texas Food Bank is holding the first gallery night for its Feed Creativity Youth Art Competition. The event will highlight the nearly 100 pieces submitted in the competition by students, as well as unveiling the grand prize winner, whose art will be displayed on a 26-foot distribution truck. In addition, the evening will highlight the work of the food bank, which will continue to provide 6,000 meals and snacks to students this summer when they are out of school. The gallery night is free and open to the public at the Central Texas Food Bank at 6500 Metropolis Drive, with check-in starting at 5:30 p.m. and programming at 6 p.m.