Austin is a treasure box of vibrant neighborhoods, each as diverse as the people who call them home. From the hills of Tarrytown to the the initimacy of Hyde Park, every neighborhood has a character of it's own-- and the residents wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, the communiteies old and new are celebrating the people and customs that make them unique: whether an annual picnic in the park or a delectable ice cream socal, discover the colorful traditions that bring to life ten neighborhoods across the city.

APRIL 8: Pemberton Heights Easter Egg Hunt

From picnics to Independence Day parades, Pemberton Heights residents have many neighborhood gatherings to look forward to over the course of the year, but one of the most cherished traditions is the Easter Egg Hunt. “In today’s world, you can walk past your neighbor’s house and not even know them,” this year’s host, Scott Bryant, observes. “But it’s the little things like this that help build a sense of community.” Children, from toddlers to young adults, come out for the afternoon, while the entire neighborhood pitches in, stuffing eggs with treats and bringing refreshments to fuel kids for the hunt. Spread over four different homes and backyards, the egg hunt itself doesn’t last long, but its impact is monumental, says Bryant. “These little events are wonderful. you’re able to meet the people who live right down the street from you—it’s just part of what makes this neighborhood a great place to live.”

APRIL 15: Bryker Woods' Picnic on the Parkway

On a walk one evening three years ago, Celeste Hubert caught sight of a beautiful, grassy lot on Belmont Parkway with a view of the UT tower. It was the perfect spot, she thought, to gather her neighbors over good food and conversation. Since then, the parkway has become home to Bryker Woods’ annual picnic, a collaboration by the entire community: each year, DJ Chris Mosser fires up his grill, while The Dovetail Joints performs on the parkway, and Tom and Janice Shefelman sign copies of their children’s books. Recently, 12-year-old Sophia Menyhert baked cupcakes to raise money for the MS 150 bike ride, which she has completed for the past four years. “We are liberals and conservatives, old and young, people who moved in last week and people who have lived here for thirty years,” Hubert says. “When you have this sense of community, you know someone else is looking out for you too.”

JUNE 2: Zilker’s Oxford Avenue Block Party

When Block Party coordinator Linda Quasebarth first moved to her home on Oxford Avenue in 2001, Zilker was known as the “Keep Austin Weird neighborhood,” a nod to its eclectic nature that it continues to celebrate today. What began as an evening to welcome back former Oxford Avenue residents has grown into a bi-annual event ten years later, showcasing the community’s diversity. One of the focal points of the party is inevitably the musical talent of the neighborhood: accomplished blues singer Katie Onken often delivers a stunning performance, while the children this year will be able to experiment with percussion instruments themselves. In addition, Quasebarth says, nothing brings people together like food, especially the neighborhood’s traditional, sumptuous potluck, tinged with Cajun culinary influences from the growing population of Louisiana transplants in Zilker. “I am very proud of my neighbors,” Quasebarth remarks of the community effort. “It’s their party!”

JULY 4: Barton Hills’ Independence Day Parade

Since the first parade nearly two decades ago, Barton Hills’ Independence Day celebration has always been a community effort: each year, local firemen, professors, shop owners, kazoo players and songstresses join residents as they dance, bike and ride the parade route from Barton Hills Market to Barton Hills Elementary School. What distinguishes Barton Hills’ parade, Vice President Kay Killen remarks, is the overwhelming sense of community. “People gather and stay for hours,” she says. “We love to see our neighbors and celebrate the country we share.” After a performance of the national anthem, Barton Hillers enjoy the afternoon with iced watermelons, cookies, bocce ball, sack races and more. Though the parade is eclectic and diverse, the goal is simple, says this year’s coordinator, Sunny Luther: “I hope all Barton Hills residents take away a feeling of community and of belonging to our neighborhood.”

SEPTEMBER 22: Tarrytown’s Fall Fling

As the weather turns cooler, the residents of Tarrytown celebrate the park at the heart of their neighborhood with Fall Fling, a fundraiser that has enabled them to build butterfly gardens, plant over 55 trees and more. “We love being able to gather all the neighbors and have something to build upon together,” says coordinator Elizabeth Adams. Sponsored by Tate Property, a Central Austin real estate firm, the annual event begins at Johnson Creek in Tarrytown Park, where the children fish for prizes before the sun sets, and residents roll in Alamo Drafthouse’s portable screen for a family movie night. Kids enjoy slushies and hamburgers from P. Terry’s, but what Adams most admires about the event is the pride the young residents of Tarrytown take in their community. “We see the kids take ownership and loving their park,” she says. “They think of it as their own backyard.”

OCTOBER 13: Cherrywood Plant and Book Swap

The handkerchief park at the corner of 34th Street and Cherrywood Road has become something of a collective backyard to the Cherrywood residents who have lovingly tended it for the last fifteen years. Today, it is the site of the Cherrywood Plant and Book Swap, which brings together the community twice a year for an informal gathering. “It’s very open,” swap host Erika Albright says. “People bring whatever they have to share.” To that effect, Albright and co-host Jack Darby spread a tarp over the grass and set up old books and potted plants, while the nearby Maplewood Elementary ukulele choir entertains Cherrywood residents. Leftover books support the elementary school, Cherrywood Coffeehouse and the Inside Books Project. But the swap isn’t just about finding a new volume for your bookshelf, Erika Albright notes. “The plants and books are wonderful, but it’s really about the sharing of information. I’ve made and deepened many neighborhood friendships along the way.”

JULY 15: Crestview's Ice Cream Social

Crestview residents take pride in the unique charm their neighborhood has developed since the 1950s, when many of the houses were built. “There’s a lot of character in the neighborhood,” neighborhood association President Deanna mcmillen observes. “It’s not unusual for homes here to have goats, chickens and ducks!” Though the neighborhood has changed considerably over the past half century, its residents keep the annual, 20-year-old Ice Cream Social going strong. Tucked behind the Crestview Center shops are picnic tables and a grassy area, where neighbors gather to enjoy ice cream and each other’s company, while local musicians perform under the gazebo for the over one hundred residents who stop by. “It’s really very simple, what we’re promoting,” mcmillen says. “We want to make Crestview a neighborhood where people know each other, because the more you know your neighbor, the better we can help each other and have a great sense of community.”

East Austin Family Dinners

When Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon first bought his house behind Mr. Natural in 1996, he knew immediately he wanted a place where he could gather friends and neighbors around his table. a native of Chile, Huezalyon cites a heavy emphasis on community and family during his upbringing in the family dinners held in his home and around the neighborhood. “my philosophy,” he says, “is that the more people I have over, the richer the vibe in the house.” In fact, each dinner has what he calls a “communal” element, and though the host of the family dinner will cook the main course, every guest will contribute to the potluck affair and pitch in with the cleanup process afterward. “It’s a warm and homey feel,” he says, of the inviting, candlelit atmosphere of the family dinners. “It really boils down to community…and my community just seems to get better and better every day.”

OCTOBER 21: Hyde Park Fire Station Festival

In 1974, the historic Fire Station No. 9 in Hyde Park was facing closure. Longtime resident Dorothy Richter, however, couldn’t let her station disappear without a fight and instead organized a parade of children on tricycles and bikes as a gesture of support. Almost 38 years later, Hyde Park continues to honor Richter’s legacy with a parade several hundreds of residents strong, beginning at Shipe Park and ending at the enduring fire station. Young Hyde Park residents evoke the first children who rallied in support of their beloved fire station, as they show off their festive costumes and decorated bicycles. In addition, residents partner with Hyde Park’s iconic shops and eateries for an evening of music, tasty treats and costume contests in memory of the citizen involvement that saved a neighborhood landmark. “The festival reminds us that your voice does make a difference,” Hyde Park Social Chair Deaton Bednar remarks. “What I love about Hyde Park is that it’s a place where the past and future join together.”

NOVEMBER 3 & 4: Travis Heights Art Trail

Ten years ago, artist Teri Hubbeling and photographer Charlotte Bell were showcasing their work at shows around town when they realized that their neighborhood, Travis Heights, had a dynamic art scene of its own. It was then that they began the Art Trail, an artistrun event that offers guests an experience unlike any other. Rather than browsing works on a gallery wall, Travis Heights residents and friends are free to explore the neighborhood, venture into artists’ homes and enjoy a diversity of work, from painting to fiber art. “You’re not just looking at our work,” Bell says. “You’re looking at the whole lifestyle of an artist.” And unlike gallery exhibitions, which last only a few hours, the Art Trail is a full two days of discovering the artwork that Travis Heights has to offer. “We’ve made it a really special place,” Bell says of her neighborhood. “We hope that our guests—especially young people—realize that an artist’s life is a possibility.”