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Bamboo lovers rejoice. The Bamboo Festival returns to Texas for its 18th consecutive year of celebrating the magnificence and usefulness of this wonderful plant. The festival will be held Saturday, Aug. 28 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Zilker Botanical Garden in Austin, Texas. Admission is free and parking is only $3. This year’s theme is “Growing and Using Bamboo.” Plan to bring your whole family for a day of fun.
The festival is sure to be a fun success with many vendors, speakers, entertainers and contests. Some of the featured speakers include the bamboo artisan, Matthew English; bamboo flutemaker, Mike Jones; and bamboo bow and arrow maker, Jack Farrell.
Vendors provide a wide range of beautiful crafts including Native American flutes, handcrafted bamboo and bone jewelry, bamboo beads and jewelry and original bamboo artwork, to name a few. When you attend the festival, be sure to get some ideas on incorporating bamboo flooring and products into your new home. Austin custom home builder Sterling Custom Homes is more than happy to utilize Read More→
Does Your Home Need An Energy Audit?
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Improving energy efficiency in your Austin custom home can reduce your electricity bill. If you have lived in Austin in the summer, then you know it can get hot and when it is hot outside the AC is running. According to Wikipedia, Austin has 109 days per year when the temperature exceeds 90-degrees and 12 when it exceeds 100-degrees. When it is hot outside, we all want to be cool inside and it is important to also keep the electricity bill low.
Austin City Council recently approved an Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure (ECAD) ordinance to improve the energy efficiency of Austin homes and buildings that receive electricity from Austin Energy.
Homeowners should expect to pay $200-$300 for an audit on a 1,800 square foot home, for larger homes the price will increase. Prices will vary Read More→
Formula 1 Racing Signs Agreement with Austin
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Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™ racing has chosen Austin, Texas to serve as the host city of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™ from 2012 through 2021. This is a historical moment for the sport and the city as it is the first time a facility has been built with the sole purpose of hosting the popular sport.
Austin is well-suited to Formula 1 for many of the same reasons that families like to call Austin Home. From its fine dining, to excellent transportation to the beautiful geography, Austin is a beautiful city to visit and a beautiful place to build the luxury custom home you have always envisioned.
Did you know that Texas has the 11th strongest economy in the world and that it has more Fortune 500 company headquartered there than any other Read More→
It should come as no surprise that while the job market deteriorates across the nation, Austin is acknowledged by Yahoo Hot Jobs as one of Texas’ great cites that proposes expected job growth for 2010. This is no shock to those of us at Sterling Custom Homes as we have been blogging for several months about Austin’s quick recovery from the recession. We have referred to various reports from Forbes, CEO Magazine, The Milken Institute, Adversity Index, Bizjournal.com and other sources which consistently state that Austin has out performed all other major Texas cities and regularly other large cities in the nation.
Leading factors that hove kept Austin soaring throughout the nationwide recession are:
- Low unemployment
- A major research university in the capitol city
- Leading jobs in the high-tech industry Read More→
Made in Texas
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Texas may be known as the longhorn state, but there are lots of things made in Austin that have little to do with cows or cowboys. We are certainly known for our cowboy boots and hats, Texas BBQ and Texas pride. But, did you know that Texas produces a wide variety of products, including chemical, chemical products, petroleum, food and food products, transportation equipment, machinery, and primary and fabricated metals. In fact, the area from Dallas-Fort Worth to Austin has in recent years become known as the “Silicon Prairie. ” This name refers to all of the electronics and computer equipment that are manufactured in the area.
Another “techie area” that you might not associate with Austin is the Made in Texas Film Series. Presented by the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and the Austin Film Festival, this series of seven summer films are made by Texas filmmakers or filmed in Texas. Sponsored by the Texas Film Commission, screenings take place in the Read More→