Austin, TX – Today, Democratic nominee for Texas Governor Gina Hinojosa held a press conference in San Antonio calling on Greg Abbott to debate her in front of the Governor’s Mansion in Austin on October 15th at 10am. Standing beside Texans who have been negatively impacted by rising costs and Greg Abbott’s corruption, Hinojosa highlighted her plan to secure the American Dream by saving public schools and putting money back in Texans’ pockets while prices skyrocket under Abbott’s leadership.

“Today, here in San Antonio, I am calling on Greg Abbott to meet me at his Governor’s Mansion.” said Hinojosa. “I will come to him to debate. He needs to stop hiding from the voters. The people of Texas deserve to hear my plan for Texas versus his record for Texas.

“My plan for Texas is to secure the American Dream. The American Dream that I grew up understanding where if you worked hard, you would have a good life. We were the land of opportunity, but it is now out of reach for too many Texans. After 12 years of Greg Abbott, it is harder to make it in Texas than ever before. If you are not man enough to debate me, you don’t deserve to be the governor of Texas.”

Recent campaign finance reports show Greg Abbott has spent $146 million trying to save his flailing reelection campaign, but he still can’t move the needle in his direction. Gina Hinojosa is leading Abbott in recent independent polls because she is crisscrossing the state, responding directly to the needs of voters, and outlining her plan to secure the American Dream for Texans by saving public schools and putting money in people’s pockets. With just 25 days until the election, Texans are making it clear: they are over Abbott’s corruption and ready for Hinojosa’s leadership in the Governor’s Mansion.

The fresh places you should know about.

If you tried to keep track of every new restaurant and bar in Austin, your head would spin. So just read this list instead. These are the openings that seem like they have the most potential. Although, keep in mind, we make no promises about the places we haven't visited yet. Go forth and be a pioneer—or just keep up with our Hit List to see which new restaurants we checked out and loved.

Missing out on great, new restaurants and bars keeps us awake at night, so we're always researching spots. Here you'll find every new opening from the past three months that caught our eye. While we haven’t visited them all yet, once we do, we’ll give you our honest review. Those we love will make it onto the Hit List.

Escuela is a farm-to-table from the team behind Cabo Bob’s. In a slight departure from drive-thru burritos and Baja fish tacos (OK, maybe it’s a big departure), this is a fancy-ish place built inside of a century-old schoolhouse—hence the name. A lot of the vegetables are grown on the five-acre farm surrounding the Oak Hill restaurant, and there’s a pretty extensive menu of grilled steaks, chickens, and fajitas.

After parting ways with the team, the East Side cocktail bar is partnering with a different sushi joint to keep the booze-and-fish theme going. But while Konbini imbued most of its dishes with a bit of South Texas and Mexican flair, Wasa is keeping things a little more classic. Expect to find nigiri, handrolls, fancy hot dogs, sandos, and other small bites.

Local Foods is a mini chain from Houston with a couple of Austin locations. The first was Downtown, and the second is this one on 38th and Lamar, right across from Central Market. The menu is largely the same as the previous locations, featuring a large selection of sandwiches, salads, soups, bowls, and wraps, making this a prime lunch spot.

Clara’s Day Dive lives in the space formerly occupied by . It happens to be from the same team, but Clara’s is more than just a fun new name. It’s a full switch-up. Instead of beer and pizza, now the menu is mostly built around cocktails. They generally lean refreshing—spiked blueberry lemonade, seltzer margs, vodka-and-elderflower spritzes—and even more shocking, they’re all priced around $10. There’s also Puente Coffee and an Indian fried chicken trailer on-site.

We were devastated when Ramen Del Barrio, home to some of Austin’s , closed its counter-service restaurant at Hana World Market last year to expand to a larger space. That process ended up taking six months, but the wait is over. Now you can try Ramen Del Barrio’s signature blend of Mexican and Japanese flavors in ramen, tostadas, and tacos, complete with cocktails and a longer menu. They don’t take reservations, and lines tend to form, particularly on nights and weekends.

FEBRUARY

From the team behind and , Parley is a more casual alternative that feels less like a special-occasion date spot and more like somewhere you can pop into on a Tuesday for a pint and a round of pool. Despite the relaxed atmosphere, the drinks still get the same creative attention, just at a more accessible price point (most cocktails are $12-13). Parley shares a kitchen with , serving dishes that blend Korean flavors with its owners’ Irish roots.

2026 © The Infatuation Inc. All Rights Reserved. The views and opinions expressed on The Infatuation’s site and other platforms are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of (or endorsement by) JPMorgan Chase. The Infatuation and its affiliates assume no responsibility or liability for the content of this site, or any errors or omissions. The Information contained in this site is provided on an "as is" basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness.

Rainy conditions were one of several things that had festivalgoers talking as Austin City Limits Music Festival returned to Zilker Park.

Concerns about Dillo Dirt and foul smells reported across the Great Lawn have also resurfaced questions about conditions at the park. Some readers have asked whether ACL Fest should remain at Zilker Park after 25 years, while others may see the park as an essential part of the festival’s identity.

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One reader told us Austin has other possible venues and argued that residents deserve greater access to Zilker Park, particularly during one of Austin’s most pleasant times of year.

That raises a broader question: Is Zilker Park still the right home for ACL Fest?

After 25 years, should ACL Fest stay at Zilker Park?

ACL Fest has made Zilker Park its home for decades. Should Austin keep the festival there, move it elsewhere or rethink the setup?

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Yes, it should stay at Zilker Park. If we are going to move something, move Trail of Lights. Nothing ruins the Christmas Spirit more than inconveniencing everyone in our neighborhood for the most mediocre Christmas event ever put on.

Absolutely not the right place for it. Move it to a venue that is equipped to handle the number of people and the weather turning bad. I am a daily swimmer for over 40 years at Barton Springs and every year I dread October when I used to relish it. It makes getting to the springs to swim very difficult on the weekends, and makes the park look like a cheap circus has arrived. The park and environment is trashed, it takes forever to set up and then "remediate", and then the Trail of Blight kicks in to make access awful again. My quality of life has deteriorated greatly since ACL came to Zilker and I worry about the quality of life for animals and trees in the park also. I used to see Greater Roadrunners and other species of birds in the park that I haven't seen since ACL moved in. Just another instance where ordinary citizens and the environment are not valued anymore, just pushed aside for C3 events and their profits.

ACL made much more sense when it was a single weekend. It was smaller and fit inside the City without closing the park and surrounding roads for months. The growth of the festival in length and attendees has made it incompatible with alternative uses. ACL used to fit inside a collection of events and uses at the park. Now it supersedes them all. Time to move it.

For some time now I felt ACL should move to a different location. Zilker is the only green space near neighborhoods where people can go to walk, run, picnic, enjoy Zilker Gardens, fly kites with their children, volleyball, and swim. This year I was so disappointed in how the young people handled the mud,,,stomping in it while tearing up the lawn. The neighborhoods around the park are held hostage for 2 weekends with road closures. Then afterwards the park cannot be used for quite sometime because of the cleanup. It seems there's only a short time before the city is setting up for the Trail of LIghts which affects the use of the park. I hope the planners for next year's ACL will consider NOT using our public space for this event.

It is time tp move the ACL Fest. The citizens of Austin deserve to have access to Zilker Park every day of the year. Move it to COTA, there is plenty of open space and huge parking lots.

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Concerns about Dillo Dirt are also part of the history of the festival and the park. But the material has not been used in Zilker Park since 2009.

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Austin produces Dillo Dirt by composting treated wastewater solids with branches and leaves collected around the city. The mixture is processed at the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Facility, where heat — typically between 130 and 170 degrees — helps kill pathogens.

In 2009, some festivalgoers who came into contact with mud reported skin rashes and other health problems. The American-Statesman covered those concerns at the time and advised people experiencing symptoms to contact the health department.

Oct 8, 2026

Marley Malenfant is a 10-year multimedia journalist who’s worked in print, digital, and broadcast. His prior work includes working in West Texas as a TV reporter for KTXS. During his time there, he covered education, sports, features, and breaking News. He’s skilled in front of the camera as well as behind it. He was a freelance writer, published in D Magazine, Dallas Morning News, SB Nation, Dallas Observer, and was a personality for “The Coach Brothers” sports radio show. Outside of journalism, he was an educator in the Dallas area. He was a 2012 Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference grant recipient. In 2021, he was part of the NABJ student multimedia project. He graduated with a paralegal degree from El Centro in 2023. Currently, he’s a trending news reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, covering breaking News, sports, music, and legal trends.

The People’s Gallery is a biennial exhibition showcasing the work of local and regional artists throughout Austin City Hall. Presented by Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (ACME) Art in Public Places, the exhibition celebrates the creativity and diversity of Austin’s visual arts community while encouraging public dialogue, understanding and enjoyment of visual art.

Established at Austin City Hall in 2005, the People’s Gallery transforms the building’s public spaces into an exhibition featuring painting, sculpture, photography, drawing, mixed media and other forms of visual art. Since its founding, the exhibition has featured work by approximately 2,000 artists, providing artists from across the Austin area an opportunity to share their work with the public.

Every two years, artists are invited to submit work through a free, open call, with artwork selected by a rotating panel of visual arts professionals.

The 19th People’s Gallery exhibition features over 100 artists from across the Greater Austin area.

The 2026–2028 exhibition was selected by a panel of local arts professionals: Georgina Treviño, Nina Q. Ho and Moyosore Okediji.

This year’s exhibition also includes special selections of artwork from Imagine Art and Artly World, highlighting the creativity of artists from across Austin’s communities.

The exhibition will remain on view through May 26, 2028.

Opening Reception

Celebrate the opening of the 19th People’s Gallery exhibition at Austin City Hall on Friday, Oct. 2, from 6–9 p.m.

Meet participating artists, explore artwork throughout City Hall and connect with Austin’s visual arts community. The free reception will feature keynote remarks beginning at 6:30 p.m., live poetry, live music and light refreshments.

Austin City Hall | 301 W. Second St.Free and open to the public

The opening reception also marks the start of voting for the 2026 People’s Choice, giving visitors the first opportunity to vote for their favorite artwork in the exhibition.

Artwork in the first-floor atrium of Austin City Hall is available to view during regular business hours, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.

Viewing the exhibition in its entirety is available through guided tours. To arrange a tour, email .

Austin City Hall301 W. Second St.Austin, TX

The public is invited to vote for a favorite artwork in the exhibition for the People’s Choice. The artwork receiving the most votes will be considered for purchase and addition to the City of Austin’s permanent art collection.

Voting for the 2026 People’s Choice is open Oct. 2, 2026–Oct. 1, 2027. The recipient will be announced after voting closes.

The 2026–2028 exhibition includes special selections of artwork from two Austin organizations working to expand access to creative opportunities.

Imagine Art is a local nonprofit that uses art and place to empower artists with disabilities and support creative approaches to community, peer support, long-term care and affordable housing.

Artly World is represented through artwork created by participants in its Senior Smiles program, which supports the social and emotional well-being of Austin seniors through arts and community activities.

Many artworks in the People’s Gallery are available for purchase. Pricing and artist contact information are included in the gallery guide available in the first-floor lobby of Austin City Hall.

Sales are arranged directly with participating artists or their representing galleries.

To receive information about future People’s Gallery opportunities and calls for artists, email , sign up for the ACME newsletter or visit Art in Public Places.

Tesla has, for the first time, publicly confirmed the size of its active Cybercab fleet: more than 300 vehicles are now operating as paid robotaxis in Austin, Texas. The disclosure landed on October 10, 2026 — exactly two years to the day since Tesla unveiled the Cybercab at its 'We, Robot' event in Hollywood. Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla's Director of AI, framed the milestone bluntly: 'Announced that the Cybercab will be here in two years exactly two years ago this day. We are learning to be on time.'

The number represents an 8x increase in the active fleet over the past 30 days, according to Tesla's own figures shared through investor-aligned accounts on X. Texas Department of Motor Vehicles registration data corroborates the pace: 319 Cybercabs were on the state registry as of October 8–9, up from 169 on October 2, following 150 new registrations in roughly a week.

▶ Watch Video on X

Why the 300 Number Matters

Until this week, Tesla had never officially stated how many Cybercabs were on public roads. Analysts and watchdogs had been triangulating from Texas DMV filings, insurance records, and street sightings — but the company itself declined to confirm fleet size. The 300+ disclosure changes that posture. It's an explicit scale claim Tesla is now willing to be measured against, which matters for regulators, insurers, and anyone benchmarking Tesla's autonomy program against Waymo's roughly 1,500-vehicle operational fleet.

According to Texas DMV data cited by The Tesla Newswire, Cybercabs now make up roughly 43% of Tesla's total autonomous vehicle fleet registered in Texas (739 vehicles). The balance is primarily Model Y units operating under the same Robotaxi service umbrella that launched paid rides in Austin earlier this year.

Key Figures

How Tesla Got Here

The Cybercab was revealed on October 10, 2024, at Warner Bros. Discovery Studios in Hollywood. Elon Musk told the audience the two-door, steering-wheel-free vehicle would reach production by 2026. That timeline was greeted with heavy skepticism at the time — Tesla had missed multiple previous autonomy deadlines, including the original 2020 'million robotaxis' projection.

Paid Robotaxi service in Austin launched earlier in 2026 using modified Model Y vehicles while Cybercab production ramped at Gigafactory Texas. The transition from a Model Y–dominated fleet to a Cybercab-majority fleet has happened faster than most outside analysts expected. Elluswamy's follow-up post made the geographic ambition clear: 'Two years since the 10/10 Cybercab We, Robot event, the cabs are everywhere in Austin now. Dallas soon.'

What Owners and Watchers Should Track Next

The 300-vehicle disclosure is a scale marker, not an endgame. Several specific signals will tell us whether this ramp is sustainable or whether Austin is a showcase deployment that will be hard to replicate.

What It Means for Tesla Owners

If you own a Model 3, Y, S, X, or Cybertruck, the Cybercab ramp doesn't directly change your vehicle — but it accelerates the FSD stack that does. Every Cybercab mile in Austin is training data fed back into the same neural networks that power supervised FSD on consumer vehicles. Tesla has repeatedly framed its consumer fleet and its Robotaxi fleet as a single learning loop; a 300+ vehicle commercial deployment generating paid-ride data in a dense urban environment is the kind of input the broader FSD rollout has been waiting on.

Owners in Austin and, soon, Dallas may also start seeing the service appear in their Tesla app as a transportation option — Tesla has previously said the Robotaxi network will be available to any Tesla account holder in supported cities, not just locals.

Quick FAQ

Tesla says more than 300 are in active service in Austin as of October 10, 2026. Texas DMV data shows 319 registered as of October 8–9. The two figures are consistent — DMV counts total registrations, while Tesla's number refers to vehicles actively dispatching rides.

Yes, by its own measure. The Cybercab was unveiled on October 10, 2024, with a promise of volume deployment within two years. On October 10, 2026, Tesla confirmed 300+ active vehicles. Elluswamy acknowledged the on-time delivery himself, calling it a case of 'learning to be on time.'

Elluswamy named Dallas as the next deployment city. No specific launch date has been shared publicly. Expansion beyond Texas has not been officially announced.

Not yet. The vehicles currently on the road are operated by Tesla as part of its Robotaxi service. A consumer purchase option was discussed at the 2024 reveal but has not been formally opened for orders.

Waymo's operational fleet is in the roughly 1,500-vehicle range across multiple US cities. Tesla's Austin fleet of 300+ is smaller but growing roughly 8x per month at its current pace. Tesla's bet is that a purpose-built, lower-cost vehicle plus a camera-only autonomy stack will scale faster per dollar than Waymo's lidar-equipped Jaguar I-PACE fleet.

The next data point to watch is simple: Dallas. When that geofence opens, we'll know whether 300 was a milestone or a starting line.

???? Following the Robotaxi rollout? See every operating city, launch date and announced market in our Tesla Robotaxi Tracker.

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The BASENOR Editorial Desk covers Tesla, SpaceX, and related technology, curating reporting from primary sources — official accounts, regulatory filings, and software release data. Every article passes source-record and fact-checking review before publication. About the newsroom.

This report was curated by the BASENOR Editorial Desk from the sources listed above. Read our editorial standards or email [email protected] to report an error.