The artisan treats on the menu at Steel City Pops aren't your average popsicles. These are gourmet creations that come in three varieties: fruity pops, creamy pops, and cookie pops. And since Steel City Pops opened an Austin outpost in May, its frosty desserts have already earned acclaim from sweet-toothed locals.

Cool down with a refreshing fruity pop like the Arnold Palmer, a frozen blend of sweet tea and lemonade. Indulge in a creamy peanut butter pop, which features Teddie's All Natural Creamy Peanut Butter with coconut milk, organic cane sugar, water, and sea salt, so it's vegan-friendly. When you're really craving a treat, try the coffee-brownie cookie pop. It actually showcases a whole gluten-free brownie surrounded by a frosty layer of brewed local espresso, Turkish ground coffee, cream, and a handful of other simple ingredients.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr City Foodsters

It's been nearly 30 years since the first Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival. Back in 1990, the newly minted fest consisted of a handful of hot sauce lovers competing for the honor of the Best Homemade Hot Sauce award. The festival looks a little different today. It brings in as many as 10,000 tasters to try the 350-plus hot sauces entered into the contest each year.

Those guests usually go through hundreds of gallons of hot sauce by the time the day is over, a testament to the tastiness of this trending condiment. Come to Fiesta Gardens on Sunday, August 26th to be part of the 28th Annual Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival. Its mix of tastings from local eateries, live music, and hot sauce-centric shopping should be enough to keep you entertained all day long. You get in for free when you bring three food items to donate to the Central Texas Food Bank, or you can donate $5 to the food bank instead.

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Lake Travis Zipline Adventures boasts three of the longest, fastest zip lines in Texas—one is more than a half-mile long. They're just three of the five total zip lines, which zig-zag across picturesque forested areas and sparkling stretches of the lake. Choose a daytime or evening adventure and experience the thrill of zip-lining for yourself.

Whether you enjoy your excursion in the sunlight or the moonlight, the stunning views will be well worth your time. After a brief orientation, your guide will help to get you safely harnessed into the first zip line so that you can start to cruise through the air. Zoom along the lines, drinking in panoramic views of the canyons and ebbing waters below. The zip lines range from 300 feet to more than 2,800 feet, and the tour takes about three hours to complete. Afterward, stick around to splash and play on Lake Travis Zipline Adventures' private beach along the banks of the lake.

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