The weather couldn’t be nicer for this #WacoWeekend, and we want to help you get out and enjoy it! First, we mark a somber day on Friday with events to remember the 9/11 attacks. Then, get out and enjoy a scavenger hunt or stay in and watch Baylor Theatre stream a live performance (with your windows open, of course)—whatever your preference, we’ve got you covered with those and many more things to do in our list below.

 
Plan ahead with our events calendar at wacoan.com/featured-events. And when out and about, be sure to tag us (@Wacoan) on social media and use the #WacoWeekend!
 

Events

 

 
1. Honor and remember the FDNY firefighters who responded to the attacks on the Twin Towers at the Memorial 911 Stair Climb at Jacob’s Ladder in Cameron Park. It begins at 8 a.m. with a remembrance prayer by Chaplain Chris Bean. Then, members of the Heart of Texas Det. 975 Marine Corps League will be climbing Jacobs Ladder 24 times to remember those who selflessly gave their lives so that others might live. For more, visit their Facebook page, here.
 

 
2. How exciting was that SpaceX astronaut launch?! Want to see one of those engines up-close? Head to The Mayborn Museum where a recently donated Merlin engine from SpaceX is set up for display in the rotunda. Standing about 8 feet tall and weighing almost 2000 pounds, it was one of nine engines that powered the Falcon 9 first stage that launched the Thaicom 8 communications satellite to orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida on May 27, 2016. After landing on the drone ship, it was returned the Rocket Development and Test Facility in McGregor. “Thanks to the generosity of SpaceX, we are able to bring a bit of the magic and mystery of space travel to the museum,” said Charles Walter, director of the Mayborn Museum. “We hope this addition to our current SpaceX exhibit will inspire future scientists and engineers.” For details, visit The Maybor Museum’s website.
 
3. Missing live theater? Well, you’re in luck! Catch Baylor Theatre perform “Sister Suffragettes,” a celebration of the 19th Amendment on its centennial anniversary, as a free event on YouTube Live. Catch performances Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Links will be posted two hours before the event on the website here and on Baylor Theatre’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.
 

 
4. Prepare to be ‘O’tterly excited for a Scavenger Hunt fundraiser at Cameron Park Zoo Saturday From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., your purchase of a $20 team ticket buys you one plush otter and an entrance to the event, with the proceeds going towards the construction of a new education building. For more information, visit this link.
 
5. If having a relaxing picnic with your family and your favorite teddy bear by your side doesn’t sound like the perfect Sunday plan, then I’m not sure what does! The Historic Waco Foundation is hosting a Teddy Bear Picnic from 2-5 p.m. at the lawn of East Terrace. Join them for some crafts, snacks, and overall family fun. $10 per family. Visit this link to purchase tickets.
 
6. Confident in your fishing skills? Then the upcoming Tuff Man Series might be for you. This Sunday from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Lake Waco, you could have the opportunity to win $5,000 if you’re awarded first place. To register, visit this link.
 
7. Help keep Waco beautiful and join other volunteers for the Oscar DuConge Park Cleanup Saturday from 12-1:30 p.m. The New Black Collective and Keep Waco Beautiful have teamed up to help beautify this park at 1504 JJ Flewellen Road in East Waco. Volunteers should wear closed toe shoes, dress for warm weather and bring a reusable water bottle to fill with provided water. For details, visit the Facebook event here.
 
8. Fire up the Zoom app and learn more about oral history projects around the state with the Texas Oral History Association 9th Annual Virtual Conference including the Texas Liberator Project which documents narratives provided by Texas veterans of the Second World War who were witnesses to and actors in the liberation of the Nazi concentration and death camps. In her lecture, “The Texas Liberator: Witness to the Holocaust,” Dr. Aliza Wong from Texas Tech University will speak about the project, its creation and furthering Holocaust and genocide awareness and education. The conference takes place Friday and Saturday hosted by Baylor University Institute for Oral History is free and open to the public. To get the Zoom link, register at here.
 
9. A drive- in movie might be the perfect way to socially distance and have a great time with some loved ones. Join the Waco Family and Faith International Film Festival at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church this Friday from 7:30-10 p.m. for the premiere of Malcolm J. Goodwin’s ‘Be the Light’. Entrance is free. For more information, click here.
 
10. Saturdays would not be quite complete without a visit to the Waco Downtown Farmers Market. Visit the vast array of vendors between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. to grab anything from some last-minute ingredients for dinner, to a new headband. Located in front of the McLennan County Courthouse and the ALICO building, find details on the website.
 

Live Music

 
Friday
Kody West with Carson Jeffrey, The Backyard Bar Stage & Grill, 8:30 p.m., $12-$15
 
Saturday
Josh Grider, The Backyard Bar Stage & Grill, 8:30 p.m., $10-$15
Dueling Pianos, Waco Hippodrome Theatre, 7:45 p.m.
Venus E, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop in Hewitt, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
The Brazos Brothers, The Minnow at Lake Waco, 7:30 p.m.