Mar 18 Crash! Bam! Boom! Street Dance
La Peña Gallery, 227 Congress Avenue
(512) 477-6007, lapena-austin.org

The name says it all. Get totally revved up with the unparalleled sounds and rhythm of Latino music. La Peña presents Pati Alaya McLean and Crash! Bam! Boom!for an evening of unmatched Latino musical entertainment right in the middle of Downtown Austin, right in the middle of South by Southwest.

As part of Women's History Month,this event celebrates the rich culture of Latino music. The lively, free concert will vibrate the sidewalk outside the La Peña Gallery at 227 Congress Avenue starting at 6:00 p.m.

Austin-based Pati Ayala-McLean and her five-piece band have appeared throughout the U.S. and Mexico. Their fusion of personal preferences, styles, and creativity, results in music that's as rich as it is refreshing for people of all ages and cultures.

The stages throughout Downtown are alive with the sounds and sights of SXSW at mulitple venues.

Along with all this merriment, the following productions are still running:

3/19: FOXTALES, Scottish Rite Theatre, scottishritechildrenstheatre.org
To 4/3: AIDA, Zachary Scott Theatre, zachscott.com
To Spring: The Young Black Stallion, IMAX® Theatre, thestoryoftexas.com
Ongoing: Texas the Big Picture, IMAX® Theatre, thestoryoftexas.com

Mar 17 Shamrock Mania

Irish Pubs throughout Downtown

Irish eyes are smiling on Downtown Austin this St. Patrick's Day. Why not take most of the day off to get in the spirit(s). All of our Irish pubs have green celebrations planned, most of which start before lunch.

Live music gets under way at 11:00 a.m. at B.D. Rileys, 204 East Sixth, and runs until the wee hours of the 18th.

Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy plenty of Irish food, pints and music at the Dog & Duck, 406 West 17th Street. Free live music all day long starting at 11:00 a.m.

"Live like a Saint, Party like a Paddy" at Fado Irish Pub, 214 W. 4th Street. Live music on dual stages. See Street Closings below for more info for this huge celebration.

St. Patty's Day at Mother Egan's Irish Pub, 715 W. Sixth Street, takes hold at 11:00 a.m. with a line-up of 15 acts.

And the pints start flowing at Opal Divine's Freehouse, 700 West 6th Street, at Noon, with a "tent venue outback."

May the luck of the Irish be with you as you drink, dance and party responsibly!

Mar 17 St. Patrick's Day Concert
Central Presbyterian Church, 200 E. Eighth Street
(512) 472-2445, centralpresbyterian.org

Special St. Patty's Day Thursday Noontime Concert features Tenor Joe Haggard, accompanied by Vernon Moeller n the piano. Bring along your sing-along voice, and join in a roaring rendition of When Irish Eyes are Smiling. Concert starts at 12:05.

Mar 18-19 Classical Concert Series Salutes Beethoven
Bass Concert Hall, 23rd & Robert Dedman
(512) 476-6064, austinsymphony.org

Maestro Peter Bay presents the monumental masterpiece, Ludwig von Beethoven's "Choral" Symphony No. 9. This extraordinary concert will also feature the Austin premiere of a new work by composer Marek Harris, as well as vocal and instrumental soloists from across the country.

Mar 20 Divine Duets
First Baptist Church of Austin, 901 Trinity
(866) 468-7621, amozartfest.org

Piano magic times four. Pianists Mary Robbins and Anton Nel will perform Sonatas for Piano, Four-hands. The magic begins at 3:00 p.m.

Mar 19 Helping Guadalupe Art Center Artists
Austin Visual Arts Association, 37th and Home Lane
(512) 458-0075, avaaonline.org

The Austin Visual Arts Association, in conjunction with VisualArts United of Austin, is holding its Artists' Spring Cleaning Party to benefit the artists who lost everything in the fire at the Guadalupe Arts Center in January. Drop by 10:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.to lend your support.


Mar 19 The Sculptor in Me!
Umlauf Sculpture Garden, 605 Robert E. Lee Road
(512) 445-5582, umlaufsculpture.org

Work with professional sculptor Maria Ripperda from the Austin Sculpture Center in this hands-on, introductory session and create your own clay coil pinch pot. $17.50 per student. Museum Members receive one free workshop. Limited to 15 students. Reservations required.

Volunteer for Austin Fine Arts Festival
April 2-3, austinfineartsfestival.org
(512) 458-6073 ext. 5.

Still on Display Downtown...

Volunteer for Austin Fine Arts Festival, April 2-3, austinfineartsfestival.org, (512) 458-6073 ext. 5
To 3/20: Writing Among the Ruins, Harry Ransom Center, hrc.utexas.edu
To 3/26: Pocket full of posy (all fall down), d berman gallery, dbermangallery.com
To 3/26: Guatemala City Dump, Women & Their Work, womenandtheirwork.org
To 3/27: Hollywood Portraiture, Harry Ransom Center, hrc.utexas.edu
To 3/27: Fashion/Celebrity Photography, Harry Ransom Center, hrc.utexas.edu
To 3/31: Rory O'Neal Abstracts: Red Hot!, Artworks, artworksaustin.com
To 3/31: Coexistence Exhibit, Auditorium Shores, balletaustin.org/light
To 4/2: Getting in Touch, F8 Fine Art Gallery, f8fineart.com
To 4/4: Rita Maria Contreras: Recent Work, Las Manitas Avenue Cafe, lapena-austin.org
To 4/8: Mexico in Excellence: 21st Century, Mexic-Arte Museum, mexic-artemuseum.org
To 5/13: Baby Dinos, Austin Children's Museum, austinkids.org
To 5/12: Color/Pattern/Grid, Austin Museum of Art, 823 Congress, amoa.org
To 5/21: European Paintings: Open Storage, Blanton Museum of Art, blantonmuseum.org
To 5/21: Contemporary Art from Chile, Blanton Museum of Art, blantonmuseum.org
To 5/29: Forces of Nature, Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, thestoryoftexas.com
To 5/29: Bats in My World, Austin Children's Museum, austinkids.org
To 6/4: Landmark Maps of Texas Exhibit, Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, thestoryoftexas.com
To 8/28: Signs of the Times: Life in the Swingin' Sixties, LBJ Library & Museum, lbjlib.utexas.edu

Submit Your Questions to Council Candidates
daa@downtownaustin.com

The Downtown Austin Alliance, along with the The Real Estate Council of Austin and a number of other organizations, is sponsoring the City Council Candidate Forum, Wednesday, April 13. We'd like to know what you'd like to know from City Council candidates. Please send your questions by March 31 to daa@downtownaustin.com, using the subject line, "Candidate Forum Questions." For more information on this important community event, please visit recaonline.com.

Mar 24 Transportation Issues & Eggs
Room 111, Southwest Tower,211 East 7th Street
(512) 469-1766, ext. 211, rsvp@downtownaustin.com

The Alliance Issues and Eggs this month focuses on resolving transportation issues effecting Downtown. Speakers, Bob Daigh and David Plutowski from the Texas Department of Transportation, will describe TXDoT's efforts to determine the feasibility of a managed lane on Loop 1. Peter Marsh from the City of Austin Public Works Department will discuss steps the City is initiating to determine appropriate places for HOV or reversible lanes on City arterial streets.

To make a reservation to this event, email rsvp@downtownaustin.com or call (512) 469-1766 extension 211.

Mar 19 Austin Farmers' Market
Republic Square Park, 5th & Guadalupe
austinfarmersmarket.org

Fresh vegetables, flowers, honey, salsas, bison, salmon, quiches, along with hand-made jewelry, crafts and live music fill Republic Square Park every Saturday morning, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Visit austinfarmersmarket.org for each week's special line up.

Mar 19-20 City Wide Garage Sale
Palmer Events Center, Barton Springs Rd.
cwgs.com

Check out the bargains at City's largest garage sale!

Mar 23 YOGA YOGA in the Park!
Republic Square Park, 5th & Guadalupe
(512) 326-3900, austinparks.org

Stretch your lunch hour and your body during this free outdoor yoga class, brought to you by the Austin Parks Foundation, the Alliance and YOGA YOGA.

Mar 17 St. Patrick's at Fado

The 200 block of W. 4th St. - between Colorado and Lavaca - will be closed on Thursday for Fado's St. Patrick's Day Celebration. The closure will begin at 6:00 a.m. and end at 6:00 p.m.

Mar 19 Austin Against War Protest March

On Saturday, Austin Against War is sponsoring a march to protest the war in Iraq. The march will begin at 1:00 p.m. and is expected to end at 2:00 p.m.

Marchers will gather at the Federal Building at 9th & San Jacinto and take the following route to the City Hall Building:
- South on San Jacinto to 8th St.
- East on 8th St. to Red River
- South on Red River to 6th St.
- West on 6th St. to Colorado
- South on Colorado to 4th St.
- West on 4th to Guadalupe
- South to City Hall

Streets on the route and cross streets will be closed as the marchers pass and will be reopened immediately following their passage.