Round Rock Family Fun and Blood Drive

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Austin, TX: It seems a bit strange, even early to be exploring bats. It only seems weird if you are unfamiliar with how weird Austin is, or that bats are a local favorite. Bats are an Austin favorite. There are bats under Congress Street Bridge in downtown Austin with a colony of around 1.5 Mexican free-tailed bats. Starting in late March, until early fall there are daily and nightly bat tours.

As weird as it sounds, in Austin, bats are kind of like friends. Weird. Austin is "The Bat Capital of America"

So when you mention bats around Austin, people tune in instead of tuning out. There's a new bat attraction coming to Round Rock, just outside of Austin. While people may be concerned about bats sucking your blood, this is a little different. At this bat festival, you get to give your blood. There's a blood drive.

Bat Fest 2021 is on Saturday, June 5th.

Brushy Creek Community Center is hosting a family fun event with live music, the Austin Bat Refuge, a bounce house, train rides, a dizzy bat race, a 5K fun run, and bat education.

The 5K fun run begins at 8 am. You can register Register Online

Fees are reasonable:

5K Fee: $10 Individual | $20 Family
10K Fee: $20 Individual | $40 Family

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Brushy Creek Community CenterPhoto by author.

The blood drive is run by We Are Blood of Austin and is from 9 am to 3 pm and by appointment.

What's better than family outdoor fun, and time outdoors? A bat education, of course.

You and the kids can learn about Texas native bats.

You may not have known that there are six kinds of bats native to the area:

Big Brown Bat

Big Brown bats are still relatively small, with a wingspan between 13 and 15 inches. They are strict insect eaters and can draw blood when they bite.

Cave Myotis

Cave myotis bats have pointed ears, somewhat resembling the ears of a Chihuahua dog. They have small, beady-looking eyes. Fur colors range from brown to black, with a lighter patch underneath.

Tri-Colored Bat

You might have guessed these bats have three distinguishable colors. At a distance, their coats appear to be golden brown or deep orange. However, individual hairs are actually dark at the base, yellow-brown in the middle, and then dark again at the very tips.

Evening Bat

Evening bats both have glossy brown coats with black on their faces, ears, and wings. They also both form maternal colonies and like to hang out in caves or trees.

Southeastern Myotis

The Southeastern Myotis bats have a “fabulous” coat and dense, wooly fur that gives them a somewhat fluffy appearance. They have light-colored underbellies that help them stand apart as distinguishable characteristics.

Mexican Free-Tailed Bat

Mexican Free-Tailed bats are the colony found under the Congress Street Bridge. Their tails extend beyond their tail membrane; this extra length is believed to help them feel where they’re going as they back-up into nooks and crevices.

Come out on Saturday, June 5th for family fun, get educated about bats, and give blood. Stay active and get some exercise by coming early for a 5K.