• Pelvic Floor Strengthening
• Ear Seeds Customized Programs
• Shockwave Therapy
• Light Therapy
• and More in the near future!
www.rosedaleacuwell.com 512-623-1996
5118 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78756
For more than a decade, Dr. Lucas Brown at Rosedale Acupuncture & Wellness has helped Austin residents find relief when they thought they had run out of options. From chronic pain and peripheral neuropathy to women's health concerns, arthritis, sciatica, long COVID, and complex chronic conditions, our mission has always remained the same: to help people regain their quality of life through personalized, natural, and evidence-informed care.
Rosedale Acupuncture & Wellness has officially opened the doors to our new flagship location at 5118 Burnet Road in Central Austin, just a few blocks north of our previous office. While our address has changed, our commitment to the Austin community remains exactly the same.
Our new location was designed with one goal in mind: creating a better experience for our patients. With significantly improved parking, expanded treatment areas, and additional private rooms, we can now provide more comfort, convenience, and access to care for the individuals and families who trust us with their health.
The expansion also allows us to introduce exciting new services that complement our established acupuncture and wellness programs. Patients can now experience Ear Seeds, a gentle therapy designed to provide ongoing support between treatments through targeted stimulation of specific points on the ear. We are also proud to introduce Pelvic Floor Strengthening Therapy, a non-invasive option designed to support pelvic health, bladder control, postpartum recovery, and overall quality of life for both women and men.
In addition, our new Shockwave Therapy service provides another innovative treatment option for individuals struggling with chronic musculoskeletal pain, stubborn injuries, tendon conditions, and mobility limitations.
Our vision for the new Burnet Road location extends beyond simply offering additional treatments. We are building Austin's destination for restorative and complementary medicine—a place where patients can find comprehensive support, individualized treatment plans, and a team committed to helping them achieve meaningful, lasting results.
We invite you to visit our new home and discover how personalized acupuncture and complementary medicine can help you move better, feel better, and get your life back.
Built on the belief that strength goes beyond the workout, FitRanch combines expert-led strength and conditioning classes with premium recovery services including infrared saunas, cold plunge therapy, and compression recovery. FitRanch is locally owned, founded by a long-time Austin-area fitness coach, and designed to build community as much as fitness, featuring a 4,000 sq/ft private outdoor turf training area. Now welcoming founding members!
Scan to visit our website and learn more.
(512) 702-6501 | thefitranch.com 1610 W North Loop Blvd
There is something special about seeing the world through the eyes of a child or the unconditional love of a pet.
As adults, life often moves at a relentless pace. We juggle schedules, responsibilities, deadlines, and the endless demands of everyday life. Yet children and animals have a remarkable way of reminding us to slow down and pay attention to what truly matters.
Kids approach each day with curiosity, imagination, and a sense of wonder. They ask questions we cannot answer, dream without limitations, and find excitement in the simplest moments. Pets offer a different kind of gift. They greet us with enthusiasm after the longest days, provide comfort when words fall short, and teach us the value of loyalty, patience, and companionship.
Our family knows this firsthand. Between raising a child, caring for our dogs, and helping support an aging family member, I am constantly reminded that some of life's greatest lessons come from those who depend on us most. They teach us empathy. They encourage us to be present. They remind us that love is often expressed through small, everyday acts of care.
This issue celebrates the joy, growth, connection, and responsibility that come with welcoming children and pets into our lives. Whether they have two legs or four, they make our homes louder, messier, busier, and infinitely better.
As summer winds down and a new school year begins, I hope you'll take a moment to appreciate the young people and furry companions who fill your days with laughter, purpose, and love. They may not realize it, but they make our world a much brighter place.
Happy reading.
JULIE ROYCE, MANAGING EDITOR @ATXCITYLIFESTYLE
August 2026
PUBLISHER
Zack Fogelman | zack.fogelman@citylifestyle.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Julie Royce | julie.royce@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Kali Kasprzyk
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Stacy Berg, Janie Jones
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
President Matthew Perry
COO David Stetler
CRO Jamie Pentz
CoS Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Evan Deuvall
LAYOUT DESIGNER Amanda Schilling
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Megan Cagle
Bes Builder is built on the belief that exceptional projects come from exceptional people. From our in-house team to the trusted vendors and trades we partner with, every detail matters and every person involved is held to a higher standard. Our focus on quality, communication, and craftsmanship ensures each project is built with care, precision, and pride from start to finish.
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ABERCROMBIE & FITCH AWAY BLUE NILE BOSS BREITLING BRILLIANT EARTH CB2 CHANEL
DIPTYQUE ĒMA FAHERTY FLOWER CHILD FREE PEOPLE GORJANA HAYWIRE JO MALONE
KIEHL’S MEJURI MIZZEN + MAIN NIKE BY DOMAIN NORTHSIDE NORDSTROM
OLIVER PEOPLES OMEGA PAIGE RAILS REFORMATION RH THE GALLERY SEPHORA
SWEETGREEN TAG HEUER TECOVAS VUORI WARBY PARKER
OVER 130 STORES AND RESTAURANTS, WITH MANY EXCLUSIVE TO AUSTIN.
1: Donna Howard and Dr. Shilt at the Second Annual Legacy Golf Classic, where $225,000 was raised. 2: Sheriff Sally Hernandez and Heather Bellino, CEO of Texas Advocacy Project at Handbags and Backpacks for Hope. 3: Mueller's newest eatery, Thoroughfare, hosted its grand opening on June 4th. 4: The Beyond culinary team + Chef Jay from Nomade Cocina. 5: Goodnight Loving Vodka employee, Brittani Castilla, serving drinks at Blues on the Green. 6: PADEL39 hosted their grand opening on June 11 with a World Cup watch party. 7: The 12th International Day of Yoga celebration on June 21 at the Texas State Capitol.
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Education Insider magazine has named Lindsay Hay, M. Ed., Head of School at Paragon Prep, its 2026 Head of School of the Year. Hay, who joined Paragon 16 years ago after careers in film and retail, said the honor reflects a mission she didn't expect but deeply values: helping students discover their potential.
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Bes Builder and Bes Roofing, in partnership with Mikaela Meyering, will participate in the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s Fortlandia exhibition with Bats in the Attic, a custom-designed fort inspired by Austin’s Mexican Free-Tailed Bats and the shape of a rooftop. The immersive installation celebrates Bes Roofing, Bes Builder’s newer sister company, and invites visitors of all ages to explore the playful space. Fortlandia will run October 2026 through January 2027.
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Longhorn Imaging is proud to announce the grand opening and ribbon-cutting celebration of their newest location in Leander. This expansion reflects their commitment to providing advanced diagnostic imaging services with exceptional patient care to the growing Central Texas community. They look forward to welcoming local residents, healthcare partners, and community leaders as they celebrate this exciting milestone and continue bringing accessible, high-quality imaging closer to home!
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Ingredients: Goodnight Paloma Lemonade Goodnight Paloma Lemonade
• 1 oz Goodnight Loving Vodka
• .75 oz elderflower liqueur
• 1.5 oz Ruby Red grapefruit juice
• 1.5 oz lemonade
• Sparkling water
• Rosemary sprig
Instructions:
Add Goodnight Loving Vodka, elderflower liqueur, and juices to a shaker filled with ice. Shake well to chill. Strain into a glass of ice and top with sparkling water. Garnish with a rosemary sprig.
Paragon Prep is sending students worldwide, building confidence and resilience well before high school
At Paragon Prep, the world is part of the curriculum.
As the school approaches its 30th year, Head of School Lindsay Hay, M. Ed., is leading an institution that looks nothing like the rigid academic models most parents grew up navigating. Paragon was founded in 1997 by five educators dissatisfied with Austin's private school landscape, where religious affiliation and academic rigor rarely coexisted. They built something different: a non-sectarian, academically challenging environment for students who simply want to learn — not necessarily the gifted-and-talented crowd, but kids willing to work hard.
Hay joined the school 16 years ago, training under two of the original founders before taking the helm herself and later earning a master's degree in educational leadership.
"We want kids who want to go to school for all the right reasons," Hay said. "Not have to worry about bullies, not have to worry about society's pressures of being on their phones all the time — just grow up feeling confident and become the leaders of society."
That mission is anchored in three succinct phrases: work hard, play hard, be kind. Working hard means academically challenging students in engaging classrooms; playing hard shows up in two physical education periods daily, monthly field trips, and class
trips beginning in fourth grade; and being kind, a value added after the pandemic eroded students' social skills, runs through a dedicated social-emotional learning curriculum addressing anxiety and resilience. Class sizes stay intentionally small, between 10 and 17 students per teacher, letting faculty know every child by name and story.
This fall, Paragon expects to welcome 264 students, up from 225 last year. Growth, Hay attributes partly to consolidation within Austin ISD and the state's new Texas Education Freedom Accounts program. But the school's draw runs deeper than circumstance.
In June, Hay led 18 students and family members on an international trip to Japan. The latest in a string of global travel initiatives that began with a May 2024 trip to Costa Rica with 42 seventh- and eighth-graders and continued in Spain in 2025. Next summer, Paragon heads to southern France and Italy, with another trip to Costa Rica on the horizon.
ARTICLE BY JULIE ROYCE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PARAGON PREP
For Hay, these trips are not extracurriculars. They are curriculum.
"When you take a child into a different city overnight, they're learning lessons they cannot learn when someone is there doing it for them," she said. "How do you get unlost? How do you advocate for yourself when you don't have your water bottle? Those are the skills we're building."
One moment from Japan crystallized the mission. A group of middle schoolers hiked to the Fushimi Inari Shrine — a 40-minute climb up ancient stone stairs overlooking Kyoto — among them a girl who had undergone brain tumor surgery months earlier. She made it to the top.
"That was an amazing moment in her young life," Hay said. "She was so proud of her own effort. And they weren't afraid to show it."
Back in Austin, students explore futures closer to home, too. Seventh- and eighth-graders study the ethics of artificial intelligence and build real websites for causes such as the Texas water crisis. Alumni return to teach and mentor; two current staff members are Paragon graduates.
Hay was recently named Head of School of the Year for 2026 by Education Insider magazine, a national recognition she accepted with characteristic humility.
"My career fills my cup," she said. "I just hope every kid finds that, too."
For enrollment information, visit paragonprep.com
Austin Sunshine Camps creates confidence, connection and opportunity for local youth
ARTICLE BY JULIE ROYCE | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF AUSTIN SUNSHINE CAMPS
For nearly a century, Austin Sunshine Camps has been creating life-changing summer experiences for Central Texas youth who might otherwise never have the opportunity to attend overnight camp.
Founded in 1928, the nonprofit organization provides free camp experiences for children ages 8 to 15 who are either in foster care or qualify for free or reduced lunch programs. Today, Austin Sunshine Camps serves hundreds of campers annually at its Zilker Park and Lake Travis locations.
“Our mission is to provide the magic of overnight camp without the barrier of cost,” said David Roberts, chief development officer for Austin Sunshine Camps. “Camp is a place where kids can put down the weight they might be carrying and just be kids.”
That “magic” includes campfires, canoe rides, ropes courses, and friendships, but it also creates something deeper: confidence, belonging, and leadership development.
One camper, Theo, arrived at camp shy, withdrawn, and unsure if he wanted to stay. After leaving early during his first two summers, Theo eventually completed an entire camp session and
later returned as a counselor-in-training. Due to his schedule, he will return this summer as part-time staff, assisting full-time staff and mentoring younger campers facing similar struggles.
Roberts said stories like Theo’s are common because the organization intentionally builds what it calls a “camper-to-community leader pipeline,” encouraging former campers to return as mentors and staff members.
Volunteer Clement Wan has witnessed that transformation firsthand during his seven years supporting the organization.
“You actually really get to see how appreciative the kids and their parents are around something they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do,” Wan said.
For Roberts, the camp’s impact extends far beyond summer.
“We fully believe that our campers are the future of the city,” he said. “Camp gave them the belief in themselves that they can accomplish things in other parts of their lives. And that’s magical.”
To learn more about Austin Sunshine Camps, volunteer opportunities, or ways to support campers, visit www.sunshinecamps.org
Where, for generations, the pace of Austin has softened into water, stillness, and unhurried restoration
Escape for the day or a weekend. Day passes, spa experiences, group celebrations and staycations.
Rachel Oliver thought she knew what she was getting into when her family adopted Cricket, a shelter rescue. Shortly after, he was chasing and herding her 7-year-old son through the house and backyard, nipping at his heels. Her son, who has sensory processing challenges and anxiety, would scream and run, which only made Cricket more determined. The family tried positive reinforcement. Nothing changed.
"The only alternative was to return Cricket to the shelter," Oliver said. "We did not want to do that."
What the Olivers needed, it turned out, wasn't a better-behaved dog. They needed someone to help them understand their own role in the chaos. They found that someone in Donovan Miller.
Miller is the owner of Fidelio Dog Works , an Austin-based training company he purchased in 2018. In the years since, he has grown Fidelio from a solo practice into a six-person team built around a philosophy that challenges most people's assumptions about why dogs misbehave.
"We train dogs, and we coach humans," Miller said. "Humans are harder."
That conviction shapes everything from the first call. Rather than scheduling a start date, Fidelio begins with a home visit, observing where the dog sleeps, how the household runs, and what happens when guests walk through the door. The intake, Miller says, looks more like a session with a psychologist than a sales call.
"I think it's really hard for us as humans to accept that the problems we're seeing in front of us are caused by us," he said. "Whether it's over-coddling, too much freedom, or reinforcing the wrong things, the dog is just responding to what we're teaching it."
The Talkington family had that same realization after bringing home Bailey, a mini Bernedoodle puppy, to a household with three kids. They had done their research, waited for the right moment, and still found themselves overwhelmed within weeks.
"Bailey came home sweet, loving, energetic, and without manners," Brad Talkington said. "We didn't want a robotic dog. We wanted a good canine citizen."
The Talkingtons had already contacted other trainers. Every other program wanted a deposit and a training date. Miller wanted to understand the family first, asking about their daily routines, their kids, and the layout of their home.
"He was taking notes on how he could help train Bailey to become part of our family, not just a trained dog," Talkington said. "It was a game-changing moment for us."
That mindset shift, Miller says, is the whole point. Fidelio's board-and-train program runs roughly four weeks, with dogs living and training in a home-like environment and going on regular field trips to parks and neighborhood spots to build real-world skills. Families come in at the two-week mark to start learning how to carry it all home.
"The impact on the humans makes the biggest difference in whether the dog will succeed in the future," Miller said. "Dogs end up great. But if the humans don't follow through, it doesn't end as well."
"We needed the training more than our dog needed it.”
– Rachel Oliver
For the Olivers, the follow-through paid off. Cricket still has his personality. What's gone is the disorder that once had the family questioning whether they'd made a mistake.
"We needed the training more than our dog needed it," Oliver said. "We're no longer questioning our decision to get another dog. We feel like we have many enjoyable years ahead with Cricket as part of our family."
For Miller, that kind of outcome is the measure of everything Fidelio does. Not a perfectly obedient dog, but a family that has genuinely learned to live well with one.
"The dogs, the family, the kids, the grandparents that come over," he said. "All of that can be improved through this process. That's what I love about it."
To book a consultation, visit www.fideliodogs.com
Founded in 1997, Paragon Prep School is a private, nonsectarian school in Austin, Texas that provides an enriched, advanced, and highly challenging education. Our school is known for excellent academics, small class sizes, personal attention for each student, and strong partnerships between parents, teachers, students, and staff. Beyond the classroom, Paragon students build on their success in sports, the arts, clubs, and community service.
www.paragonprep.com | (512) 459-5040 | 7944 Great Northern Blvd, Austin, Tx, 78757
Inside the Texas Hill Country gem where families fall in love with wildlife — and learn to protect it
ARTICLE BY JULIE ROYCE
They arrived 27 days apart. A female calf, Wini, born Feb. 9 to 5-year-old Tana, and a male, Archie, born March 8 to 11-year-old Betty White — two wobbly-legged newcomers who have brought Longneck Manor's giraffe herd to nine and given the Texas Hill Country something genuinely worth clearing your Saturday for.
But spend more than five minutes with Heather Crocker, executive director of the Fredericksburg wildlife destination, and it becomes clear fast: the babies are the headline, not the whole story.
"You need to catch somebody's attention so that they're motivated to listen to you, or to come here," Crocker said. "And then you can give them the message."
That message — conservation as a lived experience, not a lecture — powers everything at Longneck Manor, the AZA-accredited nonprofit sitting just 12 miles from Fredericksburg's Main Street. It is, in the best possible way, far more than a place to feed a giraffe.
Longneck Manor was founded by Rick Barongi, a wildlife conservationist who started as a keeper and rose to the highest levels of zoo leadership, including Director of the Houston Zoo for 18 years, and played a pivotal role in designing Disney's Animal Kingdom. Along the way, he built close relationships with some of the most
important figures in global conservation, among them the late Dr. Jane Goodall, who visited Longneck Manor just nine days before her death and whose endorsement the facility still carries.
"His name and his reputation really helped us catapult a program from an idea on paper into reality," Crocker said. "Renowned conservation experts and hands-on people — they answer his phone call. And that's a really big deal."
What Barongi started with a barn and five animals has grown into something that defies easy categorization. Today, nine giraffes share the property with three Southern white rhinos — all males, all seven years old, and every bit as captivating as their taller neighbors. Crocker likes to ask guests a simple question: how many people on the face of the planet can say they've touched a white rhino horn?
"If you can bring somebody in and they can touch a rhino and feed a giraffe, you're going to make an impact. It's going to make them care about what is happening with these particular species and be more motivated to do something about it." “
Longneck Manor is, technically, a zoo, but guests don't experience it that way. Tours are capped at roughly 12 people, encounters are unhurried, and every visit is curated to create not just a memory, but a genuine shift in perspective. Staff doesn't read from a script — they dig in, answer every question, and follow the conversation wherever it leads.
"When you see a giraffe in a book, it's wonderful, but it doesn't necessarily resonate the same way as if you're one-onone, face to face with one in a really intimate setting," Crocker said. "We hope that when you leave, you've also gotten the message behind why we do this."
What makes Longneck Manor unusual isn't just its intimacy — it's the institutional rigor it maintains at that scale. The facility holds the same AZA
accreditation as the Houston Zoo, making it the smallest AZA-accredited facility in North America. The Houston Zoo spans hundreds of acres and is home to thousands of animals and employees. Longneck Manor took those same operating standards and scaled them to a property run by eight animal keepers and three hospitality staff.
All of Longneck Manor's animals participate in the Species Survival Program, a coordinated network that tracks genetics across AZA institutions to guide breeding recommendations. Animals move between accredited facilities based on scientific need and are never bought or sold.
"We micro'd their operating standards down to a facility our size," Crocker said. "For a small and new facility to achieve that level of accreditation is really something."
Two new giraffe calves give spring and summer visitors a rare window: watching young animals navigate their earliest weeks in a setting small enough to feel genuinely personal. But Longneck Manor is increasingly focused on what happens after the tour ends and how early that education can begin to take root.
Last year, the facility launched its first structured children's programs under a newly hired director of education. Tower Tales brings children as young as three for a story hour centered on African animals, arts and crafts, and a snack — capped at just six children at a time. A homeschool program designed for students roughly 8 to 13, built to satisfy science curriculum requirements, runs as a six-week series and filled almost immediately, drawing families from as far as Dripping Springs and Marble Falls. Both, Crocker says, are just the beginning.
"I don't want to put out an interaction that's less than 100 percent," she said. "So we start small and then grow."
The goal is accessibility — making conservation education available to families who may never book an overnight stay, and building a generation of young people who leave not just with a great photo, but with a genuine reason to care about what is happening to these species in the wild.
LUXURY WITH A PURPOSE — AND A HORIZON FULL OF PROMISE
From the beginning, Crocker recognized that the experience surrounding the animals had to match the animals themselves. She pushed Barongi to treat Longneck Manor as a luxury brand.
One where every detail, from the landscaping to the overnight accommodations, reflects the same intention as the animal care.
"People who are going to spend this kind of money to come here are going to be very used to a certain level of accommodation," Crocker said. "Or they will have saved for six months to be here. And this needs to be amazing for them."
The model is deliberate: a for-profit hospitality side funds the nonprofit conservation foundation, allowing the facility to direct more to wildlife efforts in the field without compromise. Guests can pair a guided tour with a stay in one of the property's limited luxury accommodations — a natural anchor for a Hill Country weekend, with the Fredericksburg wine trail minutes away. Overnight guests enjoy full concierge services and
private stargazing evenings with charcuterie and wine, courtesy of their collaboration with nearby Rhinory 90, a South African-themed winery whose white rhino program makes it a fitting partner.
And the future looks richer still. A new rhino barn is currently under construction, which will allow Longneck Manor to introduce female Southern white rhinos for the first time — with calves a real possibility by the end of 2027. Beyond that, Barongi has his sights set on okapi, one of Africa's most visually stunning and elusive animals, with tapir also on the horizon. On the strength of the facility's reputation and Barongi's relationships within the global conservation community, Crocker says the question isn't whether those animals will come. It's simply a matter of when.
Nine giraffes, three rhinos, and a herd of possibilities. Longneck Manor is just getting started.
Tours run daily at 11 a.m., with an additional 2 p.m. tour on Fridays through Sundays. Limited overnight accommodations are available. For information or reservations, visit www.longneckmanor.com.
Camp Doublecreek’s first summer session delivered exactly what generations of campers have come to expect: nonstop energy, muddy shoes, loud songs, and memories that stick long after the buses head home.
For counselor Lucy Zanker, the opening session captured the spirit that has made the longtime Texas camp a summer tradition for so many families. While she joked that she “lost my voice completely” during the week, she said the experience highlighted the teamwork and enthusiasm shared among the staff.
“This first session” showed “how supportive and helpful my fellow co-counselors were,” Zanker said.
Working with second-grade girls, Zanker said campers especially loved swimming, learning “Cotton Eyed Joe,” and participating in Sing Song, where they performed routines taught by counselors throughout the week.
Beyond the activities themselves, she said Camp Doublecreek focuses on helping campers feel welcomed from the moment they step onto the bus. Counselors teach camp songs, explain traditions, and make an effort to learn every camper’s name — small gestures that help first-time campers quickly feel included.
While summer camp is packed with fun, Zanker believes the experience also gives children opportunities to grow socially and emotionally outside a traditional classroom setting. Campers develop confidence through activities like rock climbing, archery, and horseback riding, while also learning independence, friendship, and resilience.
One unexpected highlight of the week came during a massive afternoon rainstorm. Instead of letting the weather dampen spirits, camp director Dan Neal led games and songs that kept both campers and counselors engaged.
“He definitely gave me a great example of how to create your own pockets of sunshine into even the cloudiest, rainiest days,” Zanker said.
Even as Camp Doublecreek evolves over the years, many traditions remain the same. Camp songs still echo across buses, returning campers reunite with friends each summer, and staff members continue creating the kind of unplugged outdoor experiences that encourage imagination, movement, and connection.
If Zanker had to describe the first session in three words?
“Extra, magic and merriment.”
Kids embraced outdoor adventures, traditions and friendships during the camp’s first summer session
ARTICLE BY JULIE ROYCE
For many Austin families, the morning routine now includes one extra stop, and the passenger in the back seat has four legs. Dog daycare has quietly become as essential as school drop-off or a coffee run, and Austin Pup Culture, a long-standing fixture of North Central Austin, is entering a new chapter under updated ownership and a refreshed vision for modern pet care.
ARTICLE BY JULIE ROYCE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF AUSTIN PUP CULTURE
Zach Biderman, who has worked in Austin’s pet care industry since 2012 and operates several facilities across the city, recently acquired Austin Pup Culture. The appeal was immediate and personal. He lives less than a half-mile away.
“I love that APC is very community-driven,” Biderman said. “It’s been around for 13 years and has really established itself as a premier provider of pet care since opening.”
As dogs have become increasingly central members of family life, the demand for quality daycare and boarding has grown alongside it.
“Dogs have become part of the family over the last 25 to 30 years,” Biderman said. “You’re taking care of kids, you’re stuck at work all day, and you don’t have the time or energy to take your dog on a walk or to the park.”
As the new owner, Biderman is focused heavily on upgrades designed to improve both the customer and canine experience. The 7,500-square-foot climate-controlled indoor facility has received refreshed facility aesthetics, general upgrades, updated signage, and operational improvements intended to maximize dogs’ comfort and playtime. Clients can now request reservations online, while the system automatically tracks vaccinations and sends renewal reminders.
The daily structure is built around Biderman’s core priority: safe, monitored playtime and socialization. Dogs are grouped by temperament and energy level, with active morning play, a midday rest, and additional group time throughout the afternoon. Staff members are trained to recognize each dog’s individual personality and comfort level, adjusting activity and breaks accordingly.
“Whether they’re the crazy, intense players or just watching from the outside, it really is about socializing and being part of the pack,” Biderman said. “The
mental and physical stimulation of play groups will leave your dog tuckered out by the end of the day.”
Austin Pup Culture also places a strong emphasis on transparency and individualized care. New dogs participate in a complimentary evaluation day, allowing staff to assess temperament and ensure the environment is the right fit.
“We want every pup to feel comfortable and happy here,” Biderman said. “If we’re not the right fit, we will let the owner know because ultimately we want what’s best for your dog.”
That approach, paired with experienced staff and local ownership, is what Biderman believes continues to set Austin Pup Culture apart in a rapidly growing industry increasingly dominated by larger corporate brands.
“Our priority is always that the dogs come first,” he said. “Having a local owner means someone who knows what’s happening on the ground and ensuring everything is running smoothly.”
To learn more or schedule an evaluation day, please visit www.austinpupculture.com . Mention this article and receive $25 off your first stay.
From backyard pretend play to recording studios, one Austin nonprofit keeps imagination front and center
Ali Epperson and Stella Maxwell-Putman have spent more than a decade being the adults who say yes to big, messy, creative ideas. Their nonprofit, spilled milk social club, was built on exactly that instinct.
Since 2012, the Austin-based co-founders have built spilled milk social club around a simple but increasingly radical premise: kids need time to just play. The organization, which transitioned from a for-profit business to a nonprofit in 2024, offers after-school care, summer camp, and community education programming centered on free expression, creative collaboration, and child-led fun.
"In today's society, kids' time is filled with scheduled activities," MaxwellPutman says. "We started spilled milk social club with the importance of free play at the foundation."
That spirit extends to their newest offering: spilled milk song club, a five-Saturday songwriting and recording workshop launching in fall 2026. Rooted in the fan-favorite summer camp session
Operation: Rock-N-Roll Nation, song club gives small bands of five to eight kids, guided by local working musicians, the space to write, collaborate, and record an original song at a studio in Austin. The result is a professionally mixed and mastered track that will debut at a culminating Listening Party and be made available on all streaming platforms.
What sets song club apart isn't musical training. "We don't provide instrument lessons," Maxwell-Putman says. "We mainly provide space for young people to create, collaborate, and compromise."
At $250 per child, with sliding-scale options available, the program is designed to reach families beyond spilled milk's existing summer camp community. Enrollment opens Aug. 1. Workshops run Saturdays, Sept. 26 through Oct. 17, with recording sessions Oct. 24-25.
Some of the best songs start with a little mess.
For more information and enrollment, please visit www.nousecrying.com/song-club
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Trey Kennedy makes a living finding comedy in regular life. Marriage. Toddlers. Yoga pants. The Thursday-night scramble between school dropoffs, soccer practice, and whatever has to be done by morning. Twelve years in, it shows: millions of followers across every platform, three stand-up specials, a sold-out Relatable Tour, and a style of humor fans send each other captioned, “Are you watching me?” He delivers the kind of comedy that travels because everyone’s living some version of it.
Katie, his wife of six years, is a former biomedical engineer who also built a modeling career. She’s now raising their kids and co-hosting Correct Opinions alongside Trey — the show where the two of them swap takes on marriage, parenting, and whatever came up that week.
Trey has been at this longer than people realize. An Edmond, Oklahoma kid who grew up playing basketball described himself as a “shy kid who never thought he’d be an entertainer.” He started making videos while attending Oklahoma State University. After building millions of followers on Vine before the platform shut down, he gave himself six months on Instagram and Facebook to see whether he could rebuild from zero. He did. Stand-up soon followed. His first special, Are You For Real?, streams on YouTube; the second, Grow Up, on Amazon Prime; the third, built around the Relatable Tour, wrapped earlier this year. “I’ve been trying to be funny every week for like twelve years now,” he says. A slow climb, made one bit at a time.
ARTICLE BY KALI KASPRZYK PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES
“I’ve been trying to be funny every week for like twelve years now.”
Most of what Trey writes lately starts in his own kitchen. Thomas is three and a half, and he is, in his father’s words, “a movie.” He narrates his own life from the moment his eyes open and mispronounces words in ways his parents now repeat to each other because no one else would believe them. His younger sister, Eva, is what Katie calls “the calm one.” With a third now in the mix, the Kennedys are officially outnumbered.
After six years of marriage, Trey and Katie have learned that the partnership runs best when it gets its own time on the calendar. So once a week, they leave the kids with a sitter and go out for coffee. “You need a system,” Katie says. “It’s about taking time to look each other in the eye. Not the kids. Not the cameras. Just each other.”
The same instinct shapes the work. Most of Trey’s trial and error happens onstage or on Instagram, but the first read is always Katie’s. “There’s only been one time ever I’ve had to be like, ‘you’re not doing that,’” she says. The rest of the time, she just laughs first.
FEATURING TREY & KATIE KENNEDY
Trey and Katie talk about marriage, parenting, and the moments that don’t make the Instagram feed.
Watch or listen to the full conversation wherever you get your podcasts.
