5 Online Classes Taught By Local Austin Businesses

With some businesses still not open for in-person interaction, it can be hard to find things to do on weekends, especially since we’re still enjoying those long summer days.

Fortunately, the creative and innovative Austin community has put together plenty of opportunity for you to be creative, get in shape, or try new things. Here is a list of classes and events you can attend 100% virtually, all of which support your local Austin-area businesses and entrepreneurs.

(1) Art Workshops with The Cathedral

The Cathedral (literally a restored 1930’s church) is a gorgeous, swanky space located off of 16th Street in East Austin. Its mission is to “provide an inspiring space for Austin’s thriving creative and startup community, expand opportunities for our artists and continue to give back to our community by incorporating art and business workshops, exhibits, partner events, meditation, yoga, and much more.”

Essentially, it’s a collaboration space and workplace for creatives and entrepreneurs across Austin.

Like the rest of us, they had to adapt to the times. As a result, they’ve put together many online workshops to help you explore your creative side.

The courses range from two-hour workshops to four-week courses, all of which are taught by local female artists. From painting to mixed media, get creative!

Learn more here.

(2) Donation-Based Tango, Salsa, and Yoga Classes with Esquina Tango

Esquina Tango is a small, colorful dance studio in East Austin that is bursting with culture and is home to a thriving community of dancers of all levels. For the last few months, Esquina has taken its classes to Facebook Live. Almost every day there are yoga classes, tango and salsa classes, and concerts showcasing Latin music and culture.

It’s also operating on a donation-based honor system. Rather than charging a certain amount per class, it offers students classes for “free” with their PayPal link readily available.

Embrace the good will and good moves here.

(3) Wine 101 with House Wine

If you’re looking to get a little classy (or just relax after a stressful week), opt in to one of these weekly wine classes, hosted by Austin’s own House Wine.

Opened in 2008, this wine bar sits right in the heart of Austin at Barton Springs and Lamar. Stop by the Friday before your class to pick up your wine (already portioned!) and a cheese plate, then tune in via Zoom the next day to become a sommelier for a couple of hours.

Get more information and sign up here.

(4) Virtual Cooking Class with Intero

Intero is an Italian restaurant on Cesar Chavez that has only been on the scene since 2018. They have, however, been quick to embrace the quarantined Austin community by offering virtual cooking classes.

You can sign up for a main dish and/or side dish course taught by the chef and owner of Intero, and join in from your own kitchen via Zoom. You can either pick the ingredients up from the restaurant the day-of or request the grocery list ahead of time and do the shopping yourself. The latter option allows for your friends and family outside of Austin to join!

To get cooking, click here.

(5) Various Music Classes (Youth and Adult) through Mother Falcon Music Lab

The Mother Falcon Music Lab is a project founded by the Austin band Mother Falcon. It aspires to support individuals in their journey to express themselves through music. Right now, MFML is hosting online classes for people of all ages and skill levels, centering around “animation, album art, songwriting, sampling, scoring, podcasting, improvisation, and more.”

To explore the list of classes and sign up, check out their site.