Austin's City Council District 8 will soon elect a new representative at City Hall for the first time in nearly a decade. Voters can check their council district online.

The details: Southwest Austin voters have a choice between two candidates, Jeffery Bowen and Selena Xie, in the November 2026 election. Longtime council member Paige Ellis will leave office in January 2027 after reaching her term limit and unsuccessfully petitioning to run for a third term. Ellis was first voted into office in a 2018 runoff and was re-elected in 2022.

Keep in mind: Early voting runs from Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.

Airbnb is launching a $250 million fund to support housing development nationwide. It's part of the rental company's newly announced housing accelerator initiative, including:

• The $250 million for housing project financing

• "Pro-housing" policy advocacy like zoning and permitting reform

• A $5 million housing innovation award program

• A public database ranking cities' housing policies and their affordability impacts

The details: The accelerator's first U.S. investment will direct $6.4 million to the Austin Housing Authority and Greystar's redevelopment of the city-owned St. John Site off I-35. The long-awaited project will bring more than 500 apartments, including more than 200 affordable units, alongside commercial space and a new public park.

The Pecan Street Festival is back for its 50th biannual event on Sept. 12 and 13 at the Hill Country Galleria in Bee Cave.

The event: The Pecan Street Festival is a free two-day art festival showcasing a variety of local vendors and over 300 artists.

Beyond the assortment of local vendors, the festival features live music, food and activities for kids and adults. Guests will find carnival rides, art workshops, interactive pop-ups, street magicians, face painting and more.

The details:

• Admission: Free

• When: Sept. 12, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sept. 13, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Check out the latest transportation project updates across the Austin metro.

Georgetown to reduce speed limit on Ronald Reagan Boulevard: Georgetown City Council gave preliminary approval Aug. 25 to adjust speed limits on Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Westinghouse Road, as well as in school zones on Hwy. 195 and Woodlake Drive.

Planning continues for Hwy. 46 expansion project in New Braunfels: The Texas Department of Transportation is continuing to work on a $1.4 billion project geared toward improving traffic flows on Hwy. 46 in Comal and Guadalupe counties. For Comal County, the project looks to construct elevated main lanes over the existing Hwy. 46 roadway and two direct connecting flyover ramps between Hwy. 46 and I-35. In Guadalupe County, TxDOT officials are proposing to expand Hwy. 46 to a four-lane controlled-access highway with two-lane, one-way frontage roads.

Southwest Airlines to open lounge at Austin airport: Southwest Airlines will open a lounge at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, set to welcome guests in late 2027. The lounges are already under construction.