Things to Do in Killeen

The Austin Beer Fest brings together a host of breweries that teases tongues with more than 500 brews under one roof. While guests explore the event, brewers from Southern Star Brewing Company to Circle Brewing Company distribute samples as sponsor Guadalupe Brewing Company debuts new brews and Sam Adams pours rarely seen exclusive varieties. Fest-goers receive six tickets redeemable for beer samples and can purchase more tickets for $2 apiece or opt to purchase a 12-ounce cup of a newly discovered favorite.

While patrons meander through the vast aisles of samples, tasting brews and feeling welcome to make public displays of beer affection, three music stages serenade quaffers with the tunes of DJ Trouble, 10 Years, and other local rock, hip-hop, and electronic acts. The Austin Beer Fest also plays to patrons’ competitive sides with beer-pong and flip-cup tournaments and hosts food vendors selling brew-complementary fare from brats to crayfish.

Working in teams of two, participants straddle either tandem or single-person bikes at the starting line. Together, teams decipher eight clues hidden in riddles and pictures that will lead them to their next destination. By cycling along bike trails in search of photo ops, the Austin Riddle Ride gives competitors a fun reason to explore their city and get outside beyond the reach of their television sets and codependent couches. Taking part in the Riddle Ride gives a spiritual boost beyond the physical benefit as well because profits from the event will go to Stand Up for Kids, a non-profit that organizes outreach programs to help stabilize homeless youths.

Sky Lanterns are handmade and imported from China, where traditional lanterns have lifted off for centuries and are considered good luck. Packs of pristine lanterns, each about the size of a large beach ball or a 1/100,000-scale model of Jupiter, float peacefully into the sky, propelled by hot air wafting from a small flame within. After about 15 minutes of flight, flames self-extinguish, and the fire-resistant lantern body gently falls and begins to completely biodegrade. Launching Chinese sky lanterns can lend extra pomp and symbolism to events such as memorial services, weddings, and driver’s ed class reunions.

Bavarian Luxury Rentals, the country’s first all-BMW rental company, ensconces travelers and auto enthusiasts alike behind the well-engineered wheel of brand-new German luxury cars. Co-founded by BMW auto mechanic Brian McKinney and Corey Evers—the customer-service-savvy founder of Central Texas Valet—the local enterprise fills roads with its standing fleet of BMWs that includes a 5-series, a 3-series, and a 1-series. On breaks from the open road, renters’ BMWs entitle them to sumptuous amenities at businesses throughout the city, and 24-hour roadside assistance guards drivers against difficulties such as flat tires and toll booths manned by bridge trolls.

Wazoo's 15,000-square-foot facility invites kids 13 and younger to let their imaginations loose while playing on eight inflatable attractions. The sound of laughter emanates from the bouncy castles, fills obstacle courses, and silences the pleas of candy-filled animals in the piñata zone. Towering over the facility, a 24-foot slide harnesses the power of gravity to create kid-friendly thrills. Elsewhere, the aptly named Toddler Town boasts age-appropriate toys and inflatables that let younger ones in on the fun. Wazoo's other features include a concession stand and big-screen TVs that keep parents up to date on the political climate of nearby bouncy castles.

When photographed just right, the bend of a wrought-iron beam or the curve of a stalk of wheat can look just like a letter of the alphabet. This creative observation captured the attention of photographer Crystal Copeland––a graduate of the New York Institute of Photography––who became inspired to seek out more outdoor features that could double as letters. With the help of her business-savvy husband, Lee, Copeland strung these letters into words and began selling them at an online store—Frame The Alphabet.

The site's interactive letter bank houses a vast collection of Crystal's photos, which can be used to spell out names and words. You may wish to work in visual thematics, crafting names entirely out of sports images for the family athlete or creating an ironic counterpoint to words such as nature with images of city signs, industrial faucets, and spinning cogs. The selected word is then encased within a brown or black frame made from real pinewood or printed onto a single, wooden gallery block, which comes ready to hang. The signature-board option further customizes the piece with a blank matte board and an 8"x10" space where you can insert a personal picture.