Happy weekend, Waco! We have plenty of competitions, fashion shows, theater performances, fundraisers, live music and more to keep you entertained all weekend long. Let us know what you’re up to by tagging @wacoan and using our hashtag, #WacoWeekend. You just might be featured in Monday’s Waco Weekend Recap. Enjoy!
Throughout the Weekend
Opera enthusiasts will love Baylor Opera Theater’s production of George Frideric Handel’s chamber opera “Oreste.” Follow Greek hero Orestes as he seeks to remove a curse the gods cast on a tyrant’s kingdom. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Roxy Grove Hall on Baylor campus. Since this work has been performed only once in America at The Juilliard School, Baylor’s production is a Texas and regional premiere. This free event is open to the public. To learn more, call 710-3991 or visit baylor.edu/music.
If you love horses and competitions, attend the Paint Horse Show: Paint the Future. Watch ranch horse, reining and speed events. The Texas Paint Horse Club will host this competition at the Extraco Events Center. The show starts at 10 a.m. Friday. Saturday and Sunday events start at 8 a.m. For details, visit facebook.com/texaspainthorseclub.
Thursday, April 12
Calling all Waco poets! Clear your schedule for April Open Mic, hosted by Waco Poets Society and HOT Poets Society. All forms of written art are welcome: poems, raps, songs, stories and more. The night begins at 6 p.m. on the patio behind the gallery at Cultivate 7twelve. Visit facebook.com/wacopoetssociety for more information.
The department of physics at Baylor University invites you to Science Thursdays: Looking for Life in All the Dry Places. James Fulton, an assistant research professor of geosciences, will lead this one-hour talk. The desert might be a hard climate, but it is certainly not devoid of life. Hear Dr. Fulton discuss how he uses biochemicals to trace variations in desert life over time. Enjoy coffee and cookies with the speaker at 6:30 p.m. before the talk at 7 p.m. This event will be held at the Mayborn Museum. While this event is free and open to the public, admission to the museum is not included.
Dazzling magic of the circus plus exciting music of the cinema creates a spectacular extravaganza! Join the Waco Symphony Orchestra for Cirque Goes to the Cinema and the return of Cirque de la Symphonie. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. at Waco Hall. For details, visit wacosymphony.com.
Friday, April 13
Teens are taking over the South Waco Library! After Hours: Murder Mystery Party welcomes all teens to stop by and have fun. The event will be from 5:45-8 p.m. For details, visit wacolibrary.org.
Who doesn’t love all-you-can-eat crawfish? Support CASA of McLennan County at its fourth annual Crawfish for CASA at 7 p.m. at Downtown 301 Event Center. The fundraiser will include silent and live auctions, all-you-can-drink beverages and dancing with live music by The Spazmatics. Tickets cost $125 each or $1,000 for a table of 10. To learn more, call 399-7219 or visit casaforeverychild.org.
Can you say CaBEARet? Enjoy a revue of musical theater songs at Jones Theatre on Baylor campus beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are “pay-what-you-can.” All proceeds benefit the Leta Horan and Jerry MacLauchlin Endowed Scholarship for Musical Theatre. Suggested donations are $20 for adults and $10 for students. Visit baylor.edu/theatre or call 710-1865 for more information.
Join the Cameron Park Zoo staff as they lead you on a Night Hike through the Lake Waco Wetlands. The hike will begin at 7:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring rain gear, appropriate footwear, water and flashlights. For more information, call 848-9654.
Saturday, April 14
Ready your hiking shoes for TNT – Toughest N’ Texas Trail Run! Choose from a 50K, 20-mile, 10-mile, 10K or 5K race. All races begin and end at the Redwood Pavilion in Cameron Park. After the race, enjoy breakfast tacos, fajitas, beer, soda, water and Texas tea. For start times and registration fees, click here. Contact race director Tim Neckar at 713/724-2611 or at tim@runnerone.com if you have any questions.
Grab a bike and ride with your family at Ride for Relief. The 3-mile loop begins and ends at the World Hunger Relief farm. Create a fundraising team page prior to the ride to help raise money for the farm. Registration is free. Participants are asked to arrive at 8:30 a.m., and an awards ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. For more information and to register, visit worldhungerrelief.org.
Start your morning off at the Waco Downtown Farmers Market! Eat breakfast with friends or discover the unique items at each vendor. The farmers market will be at 500 Washington Avenue from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Stop and smell the roses – I mean the geraniums. Swing by the Hoffman House (810 South Fourth Street) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the Caladium, Geranium and Plant Sale. Proceeds benefit Historic Waco Foundation and help preserve the McCulloch House and Earle-Napier-Kinnard House. Visit historicwaco.org for prices and flower options.
If you loving exploring nature, swing by the Waco Mammoth National Monument for its weekly Wild Residents Trail Walk. Stroll through nature on a 20-minute guided tour and learn about the park’s wild residents. This free tour begins at 11 a.m. Visit nps.gov/waco to learn more.
Celebrate spring at the World Hunger Relief farm with Farm Day! From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., enjoy hayrides, a petting zoo, live music and more. All activities are free, and farm-fresh lunches will be available for purchase. For details, call 799-5611 or visit worldhungerrelief.org.
Puppies and tug-of-war? Now that’s how I’d like to spend a Saturday. Stop by Touchdown Alley at McLane Stadium and participate in Pull for Puppies. Tickets cost $30 per player, and proceeds benefit Fuzzy Friends Rescue. The event takes places from 11 am. to 3 p.m. For details, visit pullforpuppies.com/waco-tx-2018.
Gather your wine-enthusiast friends! Rootstock is back at Indian Spring Park from 12-7 p.m. The annual Texas wine festival will offer wines from 16 of the best Texas-based wineries to try. Tickets cost $25 in advance and $40 at the gate. Each ticket includes 12 wine tastings and a Rootstock wine glass. This event is hosted and organized by Valley Mills Vineyards. To learn more, call 848-4343 or visit rootstockwinefest.com.
Support the American Cancer Society at Relay for Life of McLennan County and Baylor University! The camp site will be set up by 2 p.m., but the opening ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. Cheer on the survivors as they walk the first lap. The luminaria ceremony will take place around 9 p.m. when night falls. Everything will wrap up at the closing ceremony at 2 a.m. For a full schedule of events and for more information, call Tara Krueger at 753-0807 or visit relayforlife.org/mclennancotx.
Do you like seeing the latest fashion and unique designs? Don’t miss 11 Baylor University seniors presenting their original pieces at the Baylor Fashion Show! The shows will begin at 3 p.m. and again at 7:30 p.m. in the Barfield Drawing Room in the Bill Daniel Student Center on Baylor campus. Tickets cost $15 for Baylor students and $25 for general admission. Click here to learn more and to purchase tickets.
Support March of Dimes at the annual March for Babies. Registration is at 5 p.m., and the 3-mile walk will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Cameron Park Zoo. The walk is open to participants of all ages. Funds raised will help more babies enter this world happy and healthy. For more information, call 741-1025 or visit marchforbabies.org/event/waco.
Learn about other cultures at the 23rd annual Gateway to India. This cultural showcase includes free Indian food and musical and dance performance. Watch teams from across the nation compete in the South Asian dance competition. Admission is free. The event will be held at 5:30 p.m. at Waco Hall on Baylor campus. Visit baylor.edu/studentactivities for details.
Swing your club at the sixth annual Putt-Putter Tournament, a miniature golf tournament at Waco Lion Park. Enjoy fun, food and prizes. Entry fee costs $50 for a two-person team. Proceeds benefit the Waco Founder Lions Club Project for Charity. On-site registration begins at 5 p.m., and tee time is at 6 p.m. For more information or early registration, call 776-5341 or email wacofounderlions@gmail.com.
Calling all country music fans! Don’t miss the Cody Johnson & Friends concert at the Extraco Events Center. The lineup includes Cody Johnson, Mark Chesnutt, William Michael Morgan and Shotgun Rider. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the concert begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost between $26 and $76. This concert is a fundraiser for the Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo Scholarship Fund. To learn more, visit extracoeventscenter.com.
Sunday, April 15
Head to Jones Concert Hall on Baylor campus for Chamber Singers. Brian Schmidt, Baylor associate professor of choral music, will lead the chamber choir. This free event is from 3-4 p.m. and open to the public.
Live Music
Thursday
• Pat McKee & Trammell Kelly (jazz), DiamondBack’s, 6 p.m.
• John Dempsy (acoustic), La Fiesta, 6:30 p.m.
• Live Music, The Grape, 7 p.m.
• Brazos Brothers (rock), Klassy Glass, 7 p.m.
• Maggie Rose (country/pop), The Backyard, 8:30 p.m., $15-$20
Friday
• Ryan Davis (country), Kissing Tree Vineyards, 7 p.m.
• Live Music, The Grape, 7 p.m.
• Johnny Rodriguez (country), Waco Hippodrome Theatre, 7 p.m., $30-$40
• Brian and Jeremy (acoustic), La Fiesta, 7 p.m.
• Stumblin’ Jaxon (acoustic/Americana), Waco Winery, 8 p.m.
• Cami Maki (Americana), Papa Joe’s, 8 p.m.
• Dave Wild Trio (jazz), Klassy Glass, 8:30 p.m.
• Sam Riggs (country rock), The Backyard, 8:30 p.m., $10-$15
Saturday
• Indian & the Jones (folk), Kissing Tree Vineyards, 7 p.m.
• Divad Nedloh (acoustic/alternative rock), La Fiesta, 7 p.m.
• Braden Guess (rock/folk), Sip & Swirl, Valley Mills Vineyards, 8 p.m.
• Dueling Hearts (acoustic/bluegrass), Waco Winery, 8 p.m.
• Dustin Terral (acoustic), Papa Joe’s, 8 p.m.
• DJ Daddy T (country), The Backyard, 9 p.m.
Sunday
• Roy Robbins (country), The Backyard, 6 p.m.
