Happy Wednesday, Round Rock! 👋 The backpacks are packed and the carpool line is back — today is RRISD's first day of school. Parents, you made it through summer. And the timing couldn't be better: Kalahari is running a locals-only waterpark discount through Friday, and a murder-mystery night takes over Penfold Theatre this weekend.
Plus: a dog-named BBQ trailer that's become a weekend fixture at Sunset on the Rise, Rockey's Piano Bar turns 10, a Walsh Ranch listing zoned to an A-rated elementary — and the horror-movie history hiding under La Frontera. Let's dig in.
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🎉 Kids Are in School. Here's Your Reward.
The first quiet week of the school year deserves a plan. Two very different ways to celebrate:
Kalahari's Lokal Leisure Days — Round Rock's turn ends Friday · Through Friday, Aug 21 · 3001 Kalahari Blvd
Kalahari is rotating discounted waterpark day passes through Central Texas cities, and this is Round Rock's week: $37.99 Monday–Thursday and $44.99 Friday. Just show a valid ID at the waterpark front desk — no code needed. Kids in school + waterpark at locals' pricing? That math works.
As the Knife Twists: A Mystery Night Fundraiser · Fri–Sun, Aug 21–23 · Penfold Theatre, 2120 N Mays St
An immersive murder-mystery evening — question the suspects, gather the clues, and name the killer before the big reveal. Presented with the Friends of the Round Rock Public Library, benefiting Penfold Theatre Company. Fri & Sat at 6:30pm, Sunday matinee at 1:30pm; it returns next weekend too. Tickets $31–$41.
🔥 Food Spotlight: Creasy's BBQ
Some of the best barbecue around Round Rock right now rolls out of a trailer named after a dog. Creasy's BBQ — run by Georgetown couple Ryan and Erica Chody and named for their beloved pup — has turned Sunset on the Rise Food Truck Park into its weekend home, smoking Central Texas classics low and slow over real wood in a custom trailer built around a traditional offset smoker.
The lineup: prime brisket, pork spare ribs, smoked turkey breast, pulled pork — and Sunday-morning breakfast tacos that are their own reason to get up. Their motto is "Eat BBQ. Make Friends. Repeat.", and fair warning: when it's gone, it's gone.
Catch them this weekend: Friday 6–9pm, Saturday 11am–2pm & 6–9pm, and Sunday 9am–12pm for breakfast tacos. They also do catering and order-ahead prepped meals online.
📍 Sunset on the Rise, 1 Indian Meadows Dr
See the menu →
🎒 Back-to-School Specials
School's officially back in session — and these local deals for students, teachers, and staff run through the end of August. Go claim them:
Round Rock Nutrition
10% off for students & teachers, all August — wellness-focused shakes, teas, and smoothies
📍 2000 N Mays St, Ste 117 · Fuel up →
Pixel Palace Arcade & Bar
Free appetizer or dessert for teachers & staff, all August — retro arcade games included
📍 2471 S AW Grimes Blvd, Ste 130 · Press start →
The Yogurt Experience
50% off for teachers & staff, all August — plus the $5 fill-up cup every Monday for everyone
📍 200 University Blvd, Ste 230 · Get the scoop →
Blue Corn Harvest
10% off for teachers & healthcare workers — plus kids eat free Mondays and Thirsty Thursday margarita deals
📍 2980 Joe DiMaggio Blvd #150 · See the deal →
🗓 Events This Week & Just Ahead
Lokal Leisure Days: Round Rock's Week at Kalahari
🗓 Through Friday, Aug 21
📍 Kalahari Resorts, 3001 Kalahari Blvd
Discounted waterpark day passes for Round Rock residents — $37.99 Mon–Thu, $44.99 Friday. Bring a valid ID to the waterpark front desk (full plan up top).
As the Knife Twists — Mystery Night Fundraiser
🗓 Fri & Sat, Aug 21–22, 6:30pm · Sun, Aug 23, 1:30pm
📍 Penfold Theatre, 2120 N Mays St
Solve a live murder mystery and support local theater. Tickets $31–$41; encore shows Aug 28–30.
Trailside Market
🗓 Saturday, Aug 22, 9am–12pm
📍 Memorial Park, 600 North Lee St
The Saturday-morning standby: farmers, artisans, and local vendors along the Memorial Park Trail.
Creasy's BBQ Weekend at Sunset on the Rise
🗓 Fri 6–9pm · Sat 11am–2pm & 6–9pm · Sun 9am–12pm
📍 1 Indian Meadows Dr
This week's Food Spotlight (see above) — brisket and ribs through Saturday, breakfast tacos Sunday morning.
Alianza de Fútbol
🗓 Saturday–Sunday, Aug 22–23
📍 Round Rock Multipurpose Complex, 2001 N Kenney Fort Blvd
One of the nation's biggest Hispanic amateur soccer tours brings a weekend of tournament fútbol to town.
Just ahead: the Express return to Dell Diamond Tuesday, Aug 25 for a six-game homestand through Sunday — and Rockey's Piano Bar throws its 10th-anniversary party downtown Thursday, Aug 27 (more below).
📰 Community News & Headlines
Good things happening around town this week:
Rockey's Piano Bar hits the 10-year mark — the downtown live-music staple at 111 W Main St (from the same crew behind Backporch Social) celebrates a decade of dueling tunes and cocktails, with an anniversary party set for Thursday, Aug 27. Read more…
RRISD holds steady with a 'B' from the TEA — the district maintained its overall rating in the state's newly released accountability scores as students head back to class. Read more…
Eagles Nest Street extension moves forward — the city is advancing plans to extend Eagles Nest Street, another piece of Round Rock's push to unclog local traffic. Read more…
City weighs a higher tax rate for 2026-27 — Round Rock officials are considering an increase as they hammer out next year's budget; worth watching if you own a home here. Read more…
🏡 Real Estate Corner
Thinking about buying, selling, or simply curious what homes are selling for around town? Our Real Estate Corner highlights notable local listings, market insights, and trends shaping the Round Rock housing market.
3526 Aquamarine Dr, Round Rock 78681
$899,000 · 4 bed · 3 full + 2 half bath · 4,000 sqft
Fitting for back-to-school week: a Walsh Ranch stunner zoned to A-rated Cactus Ranch Elementary, Walsh Middle, and Round Rock High. All four bedrooms plus a private study sit on the main level — rare single-level living at this size — with a chef's kitchen (granite, double ovens), a spa-style primary bath, and a 3-car garage that includes one air-conditioned bay for the gym or workshop of your choosing. It backs to a greenbelt, the community pool is down the street, and the price just dropped $20K.
See the listing →
🪨 Poll of the Week
Round Rock trivia: a famous 1974 horror movie was filmed at a farmhouse on Quick Hill Road — right where La Frontera stands today. Which one? (Answer at the bottom of the email 👀)
That's a wrap for this week. Reply and tell us how the first day of school went — tears, cheers, or straight to Kalahari? See you next Wednesday! 👋
-Doing Round Rock Team
P.S. Have you seen our latest post on Instagram? Give it a look (and a follow) →
🪨 Trivia answer: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre! The infamous farmhouse from the 1974 horror classic stood on Quick Hill Road — the very land where La Frontera's shops and restaurants sit today — and filming took place there in the summer of 1973. In 1998 the house was cut into pieces, hauled about 60 miles west to Kingsland, and painstakingly reassembled on the grounds of the Antlers Hotel, where it still stands. So yes: every time you grab dinner at La Frontera, you're on Leatherface's old stomping grounds. Read the full story →
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