Austin and Travis County residents should prepare to receive multiple emergency alerts on Thursday, April 2, as local government agencies participate in a statewide test of public warning systems.

What residents need to know: The Texas Division of Emergency Management announced the first-of-its-kind statewide testing of local alerting systems earlier this month. Locally, both Austin and Travis County have been preparing for the drills for weeks. Most residents will likely receive location-based Integrated Public Alert & Warning System, or IPAWS, wireless alerts, while those who are subscribed to Warn Central Texas will also receive alerts through that system.

School districts, colleges and universities, river authorities, and other law enforcement or emergency management agencies may test their systems as well.

Officials urged residents to both subscribe to emergency alerts through WarnCentralTexas.org, and ensure their cellphone settings allow other alerts to come through.

Looking for things to do in Austin this April? Check out this noncomprehensive list including festivals, live shows and a picnic. Events are subject to change.

Austin Blues Festival
The Austin Blues Festival will return to Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park this spring, presented by Antone's Nightclub and Waterloo Greenway Conservancy. The two-day festival celebrates music and culture and started in 1999. This year is the festival’s fourth edition and will celebrate Antone’s 50-year lease extension.

• April 25-26

• $79+ (varies on ticket type)

• Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, 1401 Trinity St., Austin

'La bohème'
Austin Opera’s 40th season will conclude this spring with Puccini’s “La bohème” at the Long Center for four performances. The opera, directed by Austinite Eboni Adams, follows four young artists struggling to make ends meet while chasing their dreams.

• April 30-May 3, 2 p.m.

• $50+ (tickets)

• 701 W. Riverside Drive, Austin

The owners of Freddo, a coffee shop in South Austin, introduced additional owners to reopen the business as a sports bar in February.

What's new: Walter's Tavern now offers a full bar and kitchen until midnight and continues to serve coffee. Patrons can participate in watch parties for sporting events featuring a 15-foot jumbotron outside, live music, free pool, trivia and poker nights.

Did you know: Walter's Tavern is located at a Victorian building that was originally home to Walter Tips—a prominent politician and businessman in Austin in the late 1800s, according to the Austin History Center. The historic house is rumored to be haunted, according to Walter's Tavern's website.

• 2336 S. Congress Ave., Austin

“The living room of South Congress Avenue” will close its doors to guests in early May for a comprehensive renovation, according to Daryl Gomersall, South Congress Hotel’s general manager.

The details: The hotel’s closure will begin on May 31, with renovations expected to conclude in early 2027.

Visitors can expect to see a full redesign of all guestrooms, updates to the lobby and rooftop and a refresh of food and beverage outlets. Mañana, the hotel’s in-house coffee shop, will remain open during the renovation serving coffee, tea, pastries and grab-and-go items.

Dig deeper: The boutique hotel features 83 rooms, three restaurants, a coffee shop, rooftop pool, bar and two retail shops. Restaurants include Otoko, Café No Sé and Maie Day, a twice-recognized MICHELIN Guide Recommended Restaurant serving steak, seafood and cocktails. 

One more thing: To inquire about upcoming reservations, visitors can call 888-848-9496, if located in the Americas, or 1-402-952-1131 for all other inquiries.
1603 South Congress, Austin

From a new commercial building at The Domain shopping center to private school improvements and more, here are five of the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Baer Manufacturing Crosspoint Tenant Improvement in Georgetown ($15.7 million): A 605,873-square-foot office, manufacturing and warehouse space will be built.

2. Domain 9.5 in Austin ($7 million): Austin-based Cousins Properties will construct a two-story, four-tenant commercial building with a parking garage at The Domain shopping center, totaling 31,410 square feet.

3. Veritas Academy in Austin ($7 million): The private school campus will add a gym, field house and community hall.

4. Gerber Collision and Glass in Liberty Hill ($2 million): The Illinois-based automotive repair company will build its fourth location in Williamson County. 

5. Driftwood Business Center in Austin ($600,000): The Driftwood Business Center will add a 6,648-square-foot warehouse with space for multiple tenants.