Leander is filled with mouthwatering one-of-a-kind restaurants and fun-filled drink destinations, and the Leander Visitors Center has launched the BRAND NEW Leander Drinks and Dining Guide to help you find (and sample) each and every one!
Join us on this 4 part series as we explore all the categories within the Drinks and Dining Guide to see the amazing places Leander has to offer!
Next week we will begin our journey with the Table Service Restaurants that make Leander the best place to live and visit!
Week 3 will showcase all the sweets, treats and drinks that make our stomach growl as we explore the Drinks and Dessert Dining Guide.
Week 4 will highlight places to take it easy and unwind, featuring our favorite breweries, distilleries, and wineries! Join us as we explore the Bars and Breweries Dining Guide.
We can’t wait to take you on this journey! Which one is your favorite?
Have you viewed the new Leander Drinks and Dining Guide? Let us know what you think in the comments! Did your favorite restaurant make it in?
Way Off Broadway Community Players presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Smooth Village at 203 W. Broade St., Leander, TX beginning July 9 and will be happening for two weekends on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night.
Enjoy the lively atmosphere of Leander’s own Smooth Village, the perfect outdoor venue for Way Off Broadway’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare’s iconic comedy. Smooth Village’s BuzzBar will be open for refreshments and local food trucks will be onsite. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Way Off Broadway’s website here. Tickets are $10 per person and seating will begin one hour prior to showtime.
You can also visit Smooth Village’s website for more information and to find out about other great events here!
What trip doesn’t include memorable photos? They may be one of the best souvenirs you can get on your travels! The hilarious outtakes you and your best friends capture trying to get the one perfect instagram ready picture may actually end up being your favorite!
Adding to the many memorable Austin area Instagram worthy locations is the recently finished Leander Mural located at the corner of Crystal Falls Pkwy and Leander Drive. This community beautification project was sponsored by local businesses and individuals and completed by renowned local artist Libby Bratt and has turned into the local selfie hotspot!
Get the perfect Selfie
Ready to take your trip and capture the perfect selfie? Check out these tips for getting it just right!
Pick the Right Time of Day!
The sun can be brutal on the eyes and make awkward shadows, aim for early morning, or try hitting the golden hour. The golden hour usually hits one hour before sunset and adds that dreamy, romantic feel to your pictures! Bonus, catching the golden hour for selfies is the perfect time for pre-dinner pictures! Check out this dining guide to see where to head after your pictures to satisfy those hunger cravings!
For an even more ethereal quality, trying getting there during the blue hour, though “hour” here is a misnomer. The blue houris the 15-20 minutes before sunrise or after sunset! Using this delicate lighting can add mystery to your photos! Looking for something fun to do after your sunset photos? Check out local hot spots, like Leanderthal Distillery. A full list of fun places can be found here!
Bring Your Sense of Humor!
Stiff, uncomfortable poses and forced smiles don’t make the best pictures. Try getting into weird positions on purpose and let the laughter make the photo!
Try bringing a prop or pet! It can be easier to relax when you have something to hold or a pet to calm you!
Try it Horizontal, we think you’ll like it!
You don’t need fancy equipment to get a great photo, your phone camera will work great, but your natural instinct might be to hold your phone the same way for pictures that you do for talking on it. In this case, that might not be the best way to go! Try switching to horizontal instead of vertical!
Pick Your Spot
The mural is very long, you don’t have to get the whole thing in your photo! Pick your favorite area and zoom in on your gorgeous faces!
We are so excited to be one of the sponsors of such an amazing project! We can’t wait to see your photos! Be sure to tag us when you post them!
Ready for a relaxing adventure through the scenic Hill Country where the journey is just as important as the destination? Then grab your favorite road trip companions and get ready to tour the historic Hill Country Trail!
No matter where you plan to start your trip, you will want to begin with your Texas Hill Country Trail Passport! You can pick one up at any of the passport destinations or have one mailed to you to begin the excitement of planning your trip here!
At each of the 34 destinations you will find history, beauty and community! Visit each one and receive a unique stamp in your passport! Keep your filled passport as a great moment of a fantastic trip, or mail it in after you collect at least 24 destination stamps before December 31, 2021 to receive great Hill Country prizes!
Mail completed passport to:
Texas Hill Country Trail Passport PO Box 93041 Austin, TX 78709
If you are already planning a trip to Leander, what better time than during their fantastic Old Town Street Festival! Happening Saturday, June 5 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. in the famed Old Town District of Leander, the Old Town Street Festival draws in thousands of locals and visitors looking for fun, shopping and, of course, delicious food! Read more about the festival and the live music line-up here!
Looking for more historical sites to complete your Leander Hill Country Trip?
And be sure to come by to see us here at the Leander Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center! We can’t wait to meet you and stamp you passport! Who knows, we might even have some goodies to give you!
Leander Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center 100 N. Brushy Street Leander, TX 78641
Living Leander means having pride in your community, and no event celebrates the spirit of the Leander Community more than the Living Leander Community and Job Expo.
Join us on Friday, April 30 from 4 – 8 p.m. at the Premiere Athletic Complex at 8220 183A, Leander, TX 78641 for fun events for the whole family and career exploration including a hiring fair and professional development classes.
Community Expo
Explore the Leander Community by visiting the many local businesses that will have booths, giveaways, and door prizes all evening!
Local Businesses to Explore!
Cedar Park Regional Medical Center
Premier Athletic Complex
City of Leander
Parks & Rec/HR
ACDI
AEPS
Collins Advanced Dermatology Institute
Community Impact Newspaper
HEB
Honda Leander
Modern Woodmen of America
N2 Publishing
St. David’s Emergency Center Leander
#TheSmileDoc
Austin Community College
Band of the Hills
Belle’s Superior Movers
Bloom & Leaf
Cedar Ridge Alzheimer’s Specialty Care
Center Stage
Champion Kids
Chick-fil-A
The Darveau Agency
Dean Somerville
Dreamland Productions
Drive a Senior Northwest
Edward Jones, Greg Rollo
Elements Massage
Family First Express Care
Freedom Fun
Georgetown Behavioral Health Institute
Hill Country Community Ministries
Hills at Leander
Janice Presnell
Jocelyn Victoria Groce
Kepler STEM School
Kevin Harris Agency
Leander ISD – ESS
LEARNLEE Online Tutors
Lux Event Rentals
Movability
National Guard
North Austin Physical Therapy
Patriot Driving
Pampered Chef– Beth Prickett
Phillips Skid Steering
R Bank
South Wind Equestrian and Retreat Center
Standards Home Health
Texas Family Eyecare
The Crossover Cedar Park
The Learning Experience Leander
Tutelage Insurance Agency
Truly Superior Health
Way off Broadway
WellMed
Whataburger
Wilco Wellness
Williamson County Republican Party
Wine Shop at Home, Maria Gorman
Workforce Booths
Yard Bash ATX
Career & job Expo
$500 No Essay Scholarship given at the expo
Grab your Expo Passport and complete a visit at all the required booths to be entered into a drawing to win a $500 scholarship.
Read more about the $500 scholarship in this post.
New This Year: Classes
Dress for Success with Kathryn Pantalion-Parker
Resume Writing or Interviews with Becki Ross
Professional Success with John Paulson
Professional Success with Craig Henry
Hiring expo
Come and explore the many career opportunities from Chamber businesses that are hiring.
ACDI
Cedar Ridge Alzheimer’s Specialty Care
Champion Kids
HEB
LEARNLEE Online Tutors
The Learning Experience Leander
Truly Superior Health
Parks & Rec/HR
Collins Advanced Dermatology Institute
Honda Leander
Center Stage
Chick-fil-A
Leander ISD – ESS
Wine Shop at Home, Maria Gorman
Entertainment
The Living Leander Community and Job Expo has fun activities for any age.
ACTIVITIES
Even the youngest kids will love the S.T.E.M. astronomy lesson where students will explore the Sun’s energy. They will learn the color spectrum and learn about ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) light as they construct a bracelet.
Jump into your future on the bounce house & slide
Everyone will enjoy the astonishing star program in the Mobile Planetarium for an educational program that is geared for middle schoolers and high schoolers but brings fun for everyone! This activity is free and on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Locals and visitors alike will love the features of this beautiful park. Amenities include a large pavilion with restroom facilities, splash pad, playground, dog park, fishing pier, lakeside pavilions, vehicle parking areas, trails, skate park, basketball and volleyball courts, and kayak rentals.
The well thought out amenities of this park are a hidden gem in Leander.
Sports Courts & Outdoor games
Playground
Splash Pad
The Lakewood Splash Park will be open from the first weekend in April to the last weekend in October. Reservations will no longer be required for admission into the splash pad.
Fishing Pier and Boardwalk Overlook
Nature walk & Hike and Bike Trails
SkatePark
Off Leash Dog Park
Canoe and Kayak Rentals and Lake Put-In
Two person Kayaks, stand up paddle boards, life jackets, and oars are available to rent through PaddleEZ. Click here for rental information and lake rules.
Parties and Gatherings:
Any size gathering from a birthday party to a family reunion, Lakewood Park has the perfect space for you to reserve!
Old Town Street Festival, taking place in the heart of Old Town Leander at 100 N. Brushy Street on June 5, is excited to announce this year’s schedule and music line-up. The annual festival will start at 11 a.m. with the Old Town 5K, arts and craft booths and the Kids Fun Zone presented by HL Chapman. Wade Hayes, presented by ACDI, will take the Old Town Grandstand at 6:30 p.m. The after-party with LC Rocks, presented by Texas Family Eyecare, will kick off at 8 p.m.
The festival will have activities, shopping and, of course, live music, all day from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., including Lucas Sousa, presented by Giddens Homes. General admission is free and tickets for the VIP section of the Wade Hayes concert and the roller skating rink can be purchased online here. Tokens for rides and kids activities can be purchased at the festival. Parking will be available at the Leander Metro rail station with buses providing transportation to Old Town or in the Leander ISD parking lots surrounding Old Town. Check back as we feature vendors and events all spring leading up to the festival!
For more information about the Old Town 5K, check out this post or the official website here.
Food
What is more on-brand for festivals than food? From healthy to indulgent, come try it all!
Shopping
Whether you are a serious shopper or a casual browser, Old Town Street Festival has over 100 vendors carrying everything from wine to knives, so you are sure to find something for everyone!
Activities
From the very young to the young at heart, Old Town Street Festival has activities for everyone. The petting zoo, rides and face painting are sure to bring smiles to little ones, and the live music and roller skating are great for all ages! Be sure to bring your own lawn chair and take it easy during the live music!
Winter storms can’t stop the beauty of the 2021 Texas Hill Country wildflower season, and there couldn’t be a better time to plan your trip to Leander, Texas!
The first bluebonnets are just starting to appear on roadsides and green fields across Texas, marking the beginning of spring and arguably the most beautiful time to visit Texas. Starting in March and running through early summer, flowers cover the landscape and brighten the sky as trees and fields take on vibrant color.
The wildflower season typically begins in March and runs through most of June, with some flowers, like the Texas thistle which starts blooming in April and can be seen all the way through August, blooming all summer long!
Texas has a long history of preserving its natural vegetation and planting wildflowers along its roads and highways, creating beautiful drives that wind through the Texas Hill Country and wineries.
FOR MORE THAN 90 YEARS, the Texas Department of Transportation has worked to conserve and preserve the state’s wildflower species. Texas was among the first states to implement a program of planting wildflower seeds along the state’s rights of way.
Texas Department of Transportation
Conveniently situated between FM 1431 and TX-29 along the Texas Department of Transportation’s recommended wildflower drive, Leander is the ideal basecamp for all your favorite wildflower day trips and evenings spent relaxing. With its own unique wineries, distilleries and breweries, you can enjoy everything the Hill Country has to offer, right in Leander.
Texas Department of Transportation Wildflower Drives – Hill Country
Some of the beautiful flowers to be on the look out for include the Indian blanket, the winecup and, of course, the state flower of Texas, the bluebonnet.
Winecup by TXDDOT
Indian Blanket by TXDOT
photo by The Leander Visitor Center
photo by The Leander Visitor Center
The Texas Department of Transportation has created this guide to help you identify all the gorgeous flowers you see.
No Texas wildflower trip would be complete without the iconic photo sitting amongst the bluebonnets, and with fields and parks covered in bluebonnets, you can be sure to get your perfect shot in Leander. making your plans now, and let us know your favorite flower in the comments!
COVID has taken too much from us already, we won’t let it have Spring Break 2021!
If you are like us, the word Spring Break now gives you involuntary shudders! Last Spring Break we began a journey that introduced new words into our everyday vocabulary, like “quarantine” and “mandate.” But we refuse to let COVID have Spring Break again, and aren’t we lucky to have so many amazing places right here in Leander! To celebrate, we’ve created the ultimate Leander Spring Break Stay-cation Guide!
Your Stay-cation Destination!
The Leander Holiday Inn Express and Suites
What would a Stay-cation be without a mini-getaway! Pick a night and check out the Leander Holiday Inn Express and Suites. Even if you can’t travel far, you can still get away! With everything you could want from a Grab-and-Go continental breakfast that includes hot options (did someone say omelets??), to reservable gathering rooms for family fun, the Holiday Inn Leander is just the change of scenery you need! For more information, visit:
Check out these amazing stores you won’t find anywhere else!
Wildfire Artisans
Have you ever shopped in a vintage AirStream while sipping coffee and eating homemade baked goods? If you have, you know exactly why it’s so amazing, and if you haven’t, it’s time! Stop by Wildfire Artisans on a Saturday morning to get the full experience and see why the Wildfire Artisans is your new favorite shop.
With extended Spring Break hours and offerings, this is the perfect time to visit!
Friday, March 19, 2-5 p.m. – Happy Hour Tasting and 20% Off Shopping Spree Saturday, March 20, 9 a.m.-1p.m. – Ditch and Toad Coffee & Cornered Market Bakery
Every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. you can visit Smooth Village and check out the coolest outdoor market in Leander. From food to flowers, this place has it all, and a Leander vibe that can’t be beat.
All that shopping is sure to work up an appetite! Drop by Casa Costa to grab a sweet treat and refreshing drink, without ever leaving Old Town Leander! If brunch is your jam, Casa Costa is your place to be! Their weekend brunch is sure to please.
Be sure to check out Leanderthal Distilling, Leander’s very own Uniquely Texas distiller. Fridays from 5-9 p.m. and Saturdays from 4-9 p.m., enjoy great drinks and a spirited atmosphere on site at Leanderthal, where they invite you to bring your own food and stay awhile. With both indoor and outdoor seating available, you are sure to enjoy yourself, wherever you’re comfortable!
Leander is fortunate to have spectacular parks for your whole family to explore! Whether you are looking to rent kayaks or hunt for Dinosaurs, be sure to visit each of these unique parks!
Lakewood Park
Leander’s newest park could be the ultimate adventure destination! Featuring a skate park, kayak launch and rentals, a huge playground for all ages, fishing spots, and an extensive trail system, there is something for everyone.
Along the river bed on the South San Gabriel you can see evidence of Leander’s pre-historic community! Enjoy exploring nature and find some of central Texas’ wildlife, but keep your eyes open for DINOSAURS! On the riverbed you can see dinosaur tracks, one of Leander’s great historic sites! This is private property, so please be respectful of the owners when you visit.
Want to visit more historic sites in Leander? Check out this link:
This 16 acre park is home to all the great outdoor activities you love! Whether you are looking for a playground or sports courts, this park has it all! Check out this link to see everything Robin Bledsoe Park has to offer!
Leander is filled with fun places to explore and adventures waiting for you! Check out these great places that check all the Spring Break boxes!
Isle Acre Farms
Isle Acre Farms has so many activities that anyone can enjoy! You can enjoy a farm tour, a night on the farm, farm classes for the littles and so much more. Check out this link to see everything that’s available!
Spring Break is the perfect opportunity to book a photo session! Whether you want a family session or just you and your pet, don’t miss this chance to capture the moment!
Find them on facebook: @Lifestylephotoandvideo
Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa
Nothing says Spring Break like relaxation, and what could be more relaxing than a massage! Pamper yourself with a spa day to unwind and feel your best. With so many ways to decompress, finding your inner bliss will be a breeze.
We want to see your Leander Stay-cation fun! Drop us a comment when you explore Leander or tag us in your photos on Facebook or Instagram @leanderchamber, or using the hashtag #visitleandertx and don’t forget to follow us to stay up to date on all things Leander!
All businesses featured are members of the Leander Chamber of Commerce.
