Starting Monday, Oct. 5, the playground at Buda City Park, 204 San Antonio St., is behind construction fencing, with reopening projected for December. That's a real loss for anyone who counts on the slides after school. The fence covers less of October than it seems to, though. The month's two biggest events are the six-day Buda Arts Festival on Main Street and Boo-Da Halloween at the amphitheater, and neither needs the play structures. The pavilion, courts, picnic areas and restrooms stay open, and that's where the city's big October Saturday takes place.
Why a Six-Year-Old Playground Came Out
The playground being replaced only went in in 2020. According to Community Impact, Central Texas weather wore it down quickly enough that it's now considered a safety hazard. On June 16, the Buda City Council approved a replacement contract for $825,900, choosing a layout that's quite different from what came out.
Here's what the approved plan includes:
- A play area for ages 2 to 5 with a built-in shade structure
- A separate play area for ages 5 to 12
- An all-accessible, inclusive playground for all ages
- An all-age slide with a geometric ladder
- An accessible merry-go-round for all ages
- PIP surfacing across the whole playground
- Three shade structures, over the 5-to-12 area, the splash pad entrance and the accessible playground
- A block wall and drainage work on the hillside by the splash pad
The city's goals for the project include ADA accessibility, better safety and sightlines, and more seating and gathering space for adults. The shade and drainage work tell you what the old playground went through: summer sun on open equipment, and runoff coming down the hill toward the splash pad.
While construction runs, the pavilion, basketball and volleyball courts, picnic areas, restrooms, BBQ pits and water fountains all stay open. That list matters for the rest of this month.
Oct. 12 to 17: Main Street Hosts the Arts Festival
Inspired Minds Art Center started the Buda Arts Festival in 2020 as a one-day plein air painting and music event. It has since grown into a six-day festival. Most of it is free, and the ticketed events are marked on the schedule. The organizer notes that dates, times and events can change.
The first five days are spread out. The Festival Fine Art Show opens Monday, Oct. 12, at 1 p.m. at Inspired Minds Gallery, 121 Main St. From Tuesday through Friday, plein air artists paint outdoors anywhere in the 78610 ZIP code, so you might pass an easel at a corner you drive by every day. Jaz Davis also paints a mural at Inspired Minds all week.
Most weekday events are in the evening, and most are free with an RSVP:
- Tuesday, Oct. 13: Poetry Slam, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Chambers Theatre
- Wednesday, Oct. 14: Frame Up Film Fest, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Chambers Theatre, and an Artists Mixer at Nate's Coffee & Cocktails at the same hour
- Thursday, Oct. 15: Artists' Happy Hour, 6 to 8 p.m. at Meridian
- Friday, Oct. 16: Gravy Shakes Improv, 7:30 to 10 p.m. at the Chambers Theatre, 121 Main St. General admission is $20 plus tax.
Each weekday from Tuesday through Thursday also has a free Lunch & Learn at the Chambers Theatre from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The topics are "The Art of A.I. Delegation," "From Passion to Profit" and "Hidden Power of Networking."
Saturday, Oct. 17, Hour by Hour
Saturday is the day with the most for families. Kids can do a lot of it, and all of it is downtown.
| Time | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 8 to 9:30 a.m. | Quick Draw artist check-in | Buda Welcome Center, 303 Main St. |
| 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Artisan markets | Outside Buda Welcome Center and Inspired Minds |
| 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. | Quick Draw, a two-hour outdoor painting contest | Downtown Main Street |
| 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | Live busking | 121 Main, 303 Main, 204 S. Main, 310 N. Main and 306 S. Main |
| 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Artist demos and hands-on sessions | Inspired Minds |
| 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Fine Art Show, free for all ages | Inspired Minds Gallery, 121 Main St. |
| Noon to 4 p.m. | Youth Artists Market | Inspired Minds north parking lot |
| 1 to 3 p.m. | First Look Fête, ticketed, VIP $35 plus tax | Buda Welcome Center |
| 3 p.m. | Plein Air and Quick Draw awards | Buda Welcome Center |
| 6 to 7:30 p.m. | Beyond the Storybook, ticketed | Chambers Theatre, 121 Main St. |
The demo lineup could fill a whole morning for an older kid. It includes stained glass, acrylic, drawing, portrait painting, collage, printmaking, pet portraits, henna, muraling and a potter's wheel. Quick Draw paintings go on display and are for sale at the Buda Welcome Center from 1 to 5 p.m. The festival schedule puts the plein air competition awards at the same 3 p.m. ceremony at the Welcome Center, and the public can view and buy the winning plein air work there from 3 to 5 p.m.
Oct. 24: Boo-Da Halloween Is Still at City Park
A week after the festival, the city's own Halloween event comes back to the park. Boo-Da Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 24, at Buda Amphitheater & City Park. The event listing gives festivities as 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. The city calendar just says "All Day," and the candy booth schedule starts at 4 p.m. Plan around 4:30 and check budatx.gov/Booda as the day gets closer.
Here's what's planned:
- Trick-or-treating at booths run by local businesses and nonprofits
- Games
- A costume contest for kids
- Story time with the Buda Public Library
- Food trucks
The city capped candy booths at 45, each 10 feet by 10 feet. Registration closed Oct. 3.
For kids who need a break from the crowd, there's a sensory-sensitive room in the two green rooms backstage at the amphitheater. It has low lighting, noise-canceling headphones, fidget toys and pillows, and it's open the whole event.
None of the city's posted materials mention moving the event because of construction. The calendar and vendor pages still list City Park and the Amphitheater as the location. Boo-Da depends on the amphitheater, booth space and green rooms, none of which are fenced off this fall.
Weekday Afternoons: Four Other Buda Playgrounds
On the ordinary afternoons when a kid just needs to climb something, city facility listings show playgrounds at these parks:
- Bonita Vista Park, 309 Bonita Vista Dr.
- Bradfield Park, 140 Crescent Dr.
- Green Meadows Park, 2357 Green Meadows Lane, open daily 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Stoneridge Park, 1131 Stone Rim Loop, open daily 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The city's parks portal lists hours for Green Meadows and Stoneridge. The Bonita Vista and Bradfield pages don't show fall hours, so check before you head over.
What's Next for Buda's Parks
Two more city dates fall on either side of the festival season. National Night Out is Tuesday, Oct. 6. The Veterans Day Parade and honor ceremony is Saturday, Nov. 7, and the Buda Chamber lists a 10 a.m. start.
Just north of downtown, construction is already underway on a much bigger outdoor project. John D. and Byrd Mims Garison Memorial Park broke ground July 30 on 40 acres along Onion Creek. Plans call for swimming and water access, a kayak launch, trails, a canopy walk, a bird blind, an overlook and picnic areas, with completion targeted for summer 2027. If the City Park playground opens in December as projected, Buda gets a new all-ages playground downtown this winter and a creekside park the following summer.
At Flying Home Group, we follow how Buda's parks and Main Street calendar change from season to season, and we're happy to share what we're hearing in English or Spanish. If you want to know which Buda parks and blocks fit your family's everyday routine, schedule your smooth landing with us.