Since the Pecan Street Festival invites all types of quirky and creative Austin artists to sell their handiworks, it makes sense that the fest takes its name from a quirky anecdote about the city's history. When Edwin Waller designed the layout of Austin's streets, he recommended the east-west streets to be numbered and named accordingly. Instead, they were named for trees, until the powers that be realized numbers would be much more practical. So Pecan Street became Sixth Street, where the Pecan Street Festival now makes its home twice a year.

The second installment of the Pecan Street Festival is coming up on September 22nd and 23rd, and it promises something for everyone. The main draw of the festival is its roster of juried artisans from around Austin and beyond, hundreds of them in total. They sell everything from leather goods and metalworks to fiber and clay pieces. In addition to the art, you'll also enjoy live performances by 50-plus bands, grub dished out by 30 local food vendors, and fun activities for kids and adults alike. Admission is free.

Public Domain/Pixabay/Artturi Mantysaari

Like any bookstore, Kinokuniya boasts a large collection of cookbooks, travel books, children's books, and everything in between. There's just one major difference: most of the literature is in Japanese. That's because Kinokuniya originated in Tokyo, where it launched its first store in 1927. Now more than 90 years later, it has more than 80 shops in the U.S.—including an Austin branch that just opened in May.

Like its sister locations, the Austin Kinokuniya stocks books in both English and Japanese, so there's something for everyone. Pick up the latest manga and graphic novels or peruse the international art and design books that line the shelves. You can also stock up on unique Japanese stationery and colorful notebooks, as well as other school supplies. Even if you don't have something specific in mind, you'll still enjoy perusing the assortment of trinkets and toys at Kinokuniya.

Public Domain/Pixabay/PIRO4D

If you've never eaten a popsicle with a whole brownie at the center, have you ever really lived? Steel City Pops sets out to answer that question one coffee-brownie pop at a time. It's just one of the many specialty pops on the menu, a house-made gluten-free brownie surrounded by a frozen layer of brewed local espresso, ground Turkish coffee, a touch of organic cane sugar, and cream.

Since Steel City Pops opened its doors to Austin eaters in May, local folks with a sweet tooth have flocked here for the gourmet popsicles. If you're not into chocolate, try one of the "fruity pops" like the Elderflower, which is actually infused with whole organic dried elderflowers, plus a touch of organic cane sugar and lemon. The menu also offers creamy pops like the horchata, a blend of milk, cream, and rice, cinnamon, vanilla bean, lime, organic cane sugar, and sea salt.

Public Domain/Pixabay/wanderson91