Calendar

A multi-facted celebration bringing the HSU community together from across the world.

USMS is a Mounted Shooting organization that provides a fun, safe, family-oriented environment for competition. The sport of Mounted Shooting is a fast-growing, high horsemanship, equine sport. 

Enter the Lair if you dare. The Umpteenth Annual Haunted House at Play Faire Park has been revamped into the Dragon's Lair, a Labyrinth of Horror. Be prepared for a scare and watch out for dragons. 

Hosted by Hendrick Regional Blood Center. Starve a vampire, donate blood! 

Prepare to walk through the halls to hear the kitschy witches. Come get your family-friendly scare, enjoy trolley rides, wander through the corn maze, stop by the children's play area, watch movies on the grounds, grab bites to eat at the food trucks, and tour the wonderful Swenson House.

 

 

Enjoy live music featuring Jackson Hatch.

Enjoy great food and live music featuring Dale Watson & His Lone Stars.

Head to Fat Boss's every Friday as their house DJ Billy D provides everything from hip-hop, pop, and top 40 to house music. Fat Boss's loves and support the military and they're excited to have their very own active duty DJ with them every Friday evening. 

Calling all knights, princesses and friendly dragons to downtown for a special celebration and 3D storybook mural unveiling! Several events are planned to celebrate new railway tunnel underpass lighting, a dragon-and-castle-themed mural in the pedestrian tunnel behind the T&P Depot, and a new 20-foot kinetic sculpture at the Abilene Convention Center, 'In Cloud Light IV.' 

Register for a private breakfast with costumed characters and a crowning and knighting ceremony. Take your photo atop the mural dragon. Make crafts and enjoy live music from Abilene ISD performance groups. 

Prince, princess, knight and other storybook costumes encouraged! 

Watch or play! This Professional Disc Golf Association-sanctioned event attracts skilled frisbee throwers from throughout the region. The Rotary Club of Abilene sponsors the championship disc golf tournament, which helps raises capital for disc golf course improvements. All players must be PDGA ranked or have played in a PDGA event in 2020. 

Bring the whole family and start the day with a 3-mile hike along Cedar Creek Waterway. Mayor Anthony Williams will be your guide. Leashed dogs are welcome to join. Due to the terrain of the trail, strollers and bikes are not allowed. 

The zoo will come alive with costume contests, a pumpkin craft, wild animal experiences, and pumpkin chunkin'. The zoo is pleased to add more attractions this year, a portion of which are decorated regions that will each have their own theme. There will be a new twist on the costume contest by including their ambassador animals - LIVE. There will also be performances by Princess Bubbles and her grand wand that feature mystical bubbles that can be morphed into something greater. Professional dancers will sweep through the Festival de Animales region. There will be life-sized piñatas, great for photo-ops. And, finally, the zoo will be including a presentation of two animals, Macho the Rhino and Athena the Burmese Python. DJ Swink will be playing spooky classics and Halloween mixes each weekend.

Little ghosts and goblins will be able to gather goodies at vendor trick-or-treat stations spread throughout the zoo, providing ample space for social distancing.

Scarecrows inspired by Cartoon Characters and created by local students will be installed on the grounds of the Taylor County History Center this October! The opening event on Saturday, October 23rd from 10:00am-5:00pm is free and open to the public and will include a variety of family friendly fall activities and games. Scarecrows will be on view throughout the grounds of the Taylor County History Center until Saturday, November 6, 2021.

Join the Abilene Preservation League at the Elks featuring a signature brunch from Front Porch Coffee Co. Enjoy fall fashions presented by your favorite Abilene boutiques, while savoring mimosas and bloody marys. This brunch is sponsored by the Dian Graves Owen Foundation. Purchase tickets here. 

This 1-mile run/walk organized by the McMurry University Cross Country teams is to remember former McMurry cross country runner, Kristin Mitchell. In doing so, they would like to raise awareness to the importance of mental health and suicide prevention. All entry fees and donations go directly toward New Horizons. 

Enjoy this craft show, bake sale and ministry fair featuring over 60 local vendors. There is something for everyone including handmade soaps, embroidery, jewelry, home-baked goodies, wood crafts, unique gifts, and much more. There will be a silent acution to benefit FCN music ministry. Be sure to get there early!

Best-selling Abilene author, Penny Parker Klostermann, will sign copies of her delightful children's book There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight at Texas Star Trading Co.

 

Bring your dogs for a day on the creek benefiting the All Kind Animal Initiative. The Winery will have live music, food trucks, raffles, and a silent auction. There will be a Halloween costume contest for the pups and nail trims by Frontier Vet Clinic.

KAO Lounge is turning one. Bring out the whole family for daytime fun at Matera Gardens. Activities include:

• Pumpkin patch by The Pumpkin Man
• Dunking booth benefiting New Horizons
• Scavenger Hunt
• Three-legged race
• Water balloon toss

1st place winner of games will receive a prize.

Take a short walk and experience some of the absolute best flavors the big country has to offer. Each tour is a unique culinary adventure that combines food with history, architecture, and culture. You’ll stroll through downtown learning and chatting while filling your belly with some delicious food from some of the top eateries in all of Abilene! 

Join Cultura Local ABI and the Texas Dragon/Lion Dance Team as they share and introduce the art of Dragon Dancing to our community.

This walking tour highlights the revitalized and still growing SoDA District side of downtown and the incredible flavors it has to offer. 

Enjoy BBQ and live music by Boone Dugan on the patio.

Enjoy live music on the SoDA Stage featuring Rightfield. 

Enjoy live music featuring Danny and John.

Celebrate KAO Lounge's one-year birthday. There will be a costume contest, specialty cocktails, cornhole, mummy races, and more.

Enjoy great food and live music featuring Pilotcar.

You're invited to a spooky good time. Celebrate Halloween with a tour of the Dragon's Lair, a labyrinth of horror. If you survive, check the stage for Ashen the Fall. Costumes are highly encouraged. 

Break out your collared shirts, khakis, and golf shoes. The Chamber’s beloved Busted Putter Golf Tournament is back this year. This premier tournament for the Big Country aims to bring together local business leaders to enjoy fresh air while forging connections with local Airmen.

Each team will be paired with a Dyess Hero and each player on each team received:

• Sunglasses from Maui Jim on-site
• Complimentary breakfast and morning cocktails
• Range balls
• Goody bag
• Seating and meals for the awards luncheon

Not a golfer? Not a problem. There are plenty of ways to get involved no golf skills required:

• Gain exposure for your business with sponsorship opportunities priced to fit every budget
• Showcase your company’s services to others by donating a prize for the goody bag
• Get involved by volunteering

Shoot a hole-in-one and win!
Players have a chance to win any of the following prizes if you get a hole in one at select holes.

• A vehicle of $30,000 in value
• Round trip air fare for a domestic flight
• New set of Iron Golf Clubs
• $500 gift certificate in the Golf Pro Shop

Proceeds will support the Military Affairs Committee which includes the World’s Largest BBQ that thanks over 5,000 local military heroes and their families.

A John Prine infused set starring Jim Sadler and Evan Christian.

Time to dust off those boots and sign up for Country Western Dance Lessons. From the Texas Two-Step to the Cotton-Eyed Joe, these classes will make you the most sought-after partner on the dance floor. Learn the Texas Two-Step, Waltz, Polka, Schottische, Cotton-Eyed Joe, and more. All skill levels are welcome.

Bring something to dye or purchase something white from the shop. Whatever you bring, make sure it's natural (cotton, rayon, hemp, etc). Extra charges for multiple and oversized items.

Dress in your best costume, trick-or-treat and enter to win the contest. Games, prizes, and candy are provided by community organizations and trick-or-treating at participating retailers. Located in the Women’s Dillard’s Courtyard. Sponsored by Coca-Cola.

The Abilene Public Library will kick things off with a viewing of the hit film Beetlejuice starring Michael Keaton, Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin. In this Tim Burton film, the spirits of a deceased couple are harassed by an unbearable family that has moved into their home and they hire a malicious spirit to drive them out. This film is rated PG and has a run time of 1 hour and 32 minutes. Stick around after the movie and see if you can make it through a themed Escape Room.

Stock Horse of Texas (SHTX) is the oldest versatile stock horse association in the country – a true original that continues to innovate. Stock Horse of Texas is designed for riders of all experiences to learn and compete in an environment that is friendly, affordable, and designed to fit all levels of riding.

Rise Church will be hosting a Fall Festival full of games, fun and candy.

Enjoy BBQ and live music by Braxton Keith on the patio.

Enjoy an evening of live music as Olivia Harms plays an acoustic show at The Ice House at Lone Star Dry Goods.

Come enjoy wine and belly laughs at The Winery at Willow Creek. Purchase tickets through the Facebook event.

Party like it’s 1750! Maestro Itkin will lead a string orchestra from the harpsichord as patrons enjoy local brews, Oktoberfest eats, and the scenic Grace Rooftop.

Bring family and friends to a haunted trail and other activities to enjoy and support local ACU fraternity, Frater Sodalis.

Enter the Lair if you dare. The Umpteenth Annual Haunted House at Play Faire Park has been revamped into the Dragon's Lair, a Labyrinth of Horror. Be prepared for a scare and watch out for dragons. 

Abilene Independent School District Halloween Classic Girls Golf Tournament. High school girls golf competition. 

This is a double elimination tournament held at the Red Bud Softball Complex.

Based on the Paramount movie screenplay by Jonathan Lynn (based on the Hasbro game), this play is written by Sandy Rustin, with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price. Directed by Amanda Keith. 

Summit ET Bracket Racing SERIE/SUMMIT Jr. Drag Racing at Big Country Raceway.

This workshop will teach you how to master your camera and start shooting like a pro. 

What's Included:

• 4 hours of in-depth photography training
• Learn how to use your specific camera
• A guided photoshoot downtown
• Lightroom and photo editing tips and tricks
• All the live Q&A you want

Grab your pup and head to Sockdolager Brewing Company for their annual dog costume party.

Enjoy brunch at the brewery featuring the Toasted Traveler's brunch menu and Pappy Slokum boo-mosas and boo-cheladas. There will also be a costume contest for dogs and humans. 

Take a short walk and experience some of the absolute best flavors the big country has to offer. Each tour is a unique culinary adventure that combines food with history, architecture, and culture. You’ll stroll through downtown learning and chatting while filling your belly with some delicious food from some of the top eateries in all of Abilene! 

Join the Abilene Association of Realtors for their 4th Annual Harvest Fest. They will have free food, live music, games, candy, bounce houses, and an Abilene Fire Department Fire Engine.

This walking tour highlights the revitalized and still growing SoDA District side of downtown and the incredible flavors it has to offer. 

Aldersgate Abilene will be hosting its annual trunk or treat this year. Food, games, candy, and more.

Grab your spooky squad, your thinking witch hats, and plan to spend your evening wining, dining, and testing your knowledge of all things scary and gross.

Come trick-or-treat through the campsites, learn about creatures of the night, and have a few screams on the haunted trail. Help support the Friends of Abilene State Park at their annual Halloween event! There will be educational programs, candy, and lots of screams! Bring flashlights as it will be dark and wear comfortable shoes for walking.

This will be a combined concert with four choirs performing: Children's Chorus, Youth Chorale, Classical Chorus of Abilene, and the organization's newest pop-style a cappella ensemble, BackBeat. The Concert will feature a setting of the traditional spiritual text 'Hold On Just a Little While Longer,' by local composer, conductor, and church musician, Remel M. Derrick. Mr. Derrick, an ACU alum and AHS assistant choir conductor, is published by Walton Music, and this particular piece was featured in a reading session at the Texas Choral Directors Association. 

Enjoy BBQ and live music by Lyndsey Buchanan on the patio.

Summoning all goblins, ghosts, fairies, clowns, and creatures of the night. Jump on a broom, creep or float over to Potosi Live's Halloween Costume Party with KISS Rock and Roll Over Tribute Band. Prizes awarded for best couples costume, scariest costume, most original costume, and funniest costume. 

Swenson BooBash is THE Halloween party for adults. Enjoy an expansive costume contest with 10 categories, dancing, hors d’oeurvres, and beverages in the most elaborate Halloween venue in Abilene. This is a 21 and over event - IDs will be checked at the door.

Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy and Dean. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined.

In honor of Dia de los Muertos, North's Funeral Home is hosting a Legacy Ceremony with an altar, music, and reflection of those that have passed and to honor their memory and legacy. Free to the public, and you are encouraged to bring all photos of those you love and a small token from them to place on the altar.

This is a progressive, practice/play league. The first 20-30 minutes of each Monday will allow time for a team practice followed by games. This progressive approach allows for young players to build their fundamental skills of passing, shooting, rebounding and defense, while also learning strategies of the game through league play. Players will register as individuals and will be placed on teams by AYSA staff. Monday evenings, Nov.1 - Dec. 6. Boys and Girls: Age Groups 5-6, 7-8, 9-10,11-12.

A John Prine infused set starring Jim Sadler and Evan Christian.

Bring something to dye or purchase something white from the shop. Whatever you bring, make sure it's natural (cotton, rayon, hemp, etc). Extra charges for multiple and oversized items.

Gather with church and ministry leaders to hear how partnering with the Perspectives Study Program has impacted their church and their own personal lives. Special guest: Steve Hawthorne, the Perscriptives Curriculum Co-Editor. RSVP here. 

Don't miss out on your one stop shop for holiday shopping! Bring your list and shop merchants who are ready to make your Christmas wondrous!

One night to make your spirits bright with early vendor access. Cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and live entertainment for your enjoyment.

Support high school golf players from the region at this annual Abilene High School Bill Wallace Invitational Boys Golf Tournament.

Celebrate this season's trends with Junior League of Abilene's Annual Style Show. Guests will enjoy a dashing style show presented by Dillard's, as well as a scrumptious catered lunch. Admission includes entrance to Market Hall immediately following the luncheon.

John Erickson, author of Hank the Cowdog books, will sign copies of Bad Smoke Good Smoke, a non-fiction account of recent devastating prairie fires in the Texas Panhandle. John lost his home and other property to one of the fires. John will also sign copies of Hank the Cowdog books, which will be available for sale.

Based on the Paramount movie screenplay by Jonathan Lynn (based on the Hasbro game), this play is written by Sandy Rustin, with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price. Directed by Amanda Keith. 

Celebrate the season at this Christmas craft event with over 20 vendors, a silent auction and more.

The Veterans Day Parade will go North on Cypress and South on Pine. The parade emcee will be in front of Abilene Reporter-News. 

Come shop a unique outdoor vendor market in the 'basement' of Matera Gardens, below Sockdolager Brewing Company! The lower level of this location will be filled with a variety of vendors on Saturdays from March-November. 

 

Food, fun, and medieval frivolity! Try Abilene-made honey wines and cider by Amber Dragon Meadery. Gnaw a turkey leg while playing golf. Watch sword fighting and belly dancing. Enjoy the life of a Viking warrior if just for a day - SKAL!

Parade given and directed by the Taylor County Veterans Office. 

Take a short walk and experience some of the absolute best flavors the big country has to offer. Each tour is a unique culinary adventure that combines food with history, architecture, and culture. You’ll stroll through downtown learning and chatting while filling your belly with some delicious food from some of the top eateries in all of Abilene! 

This walking tour highlights the revitalized and still growing SoDA District side of downtown and the incredible flavors it has to offer. 

Make plans to attend Great Gatsby Night at Amendment 21 where they relive the roaring 20's with the proper attire, music and drinks. 

Enjoy great food and live music featuring Curtis Grimes.

A John Prine infused set starring Jim Sadler and Evan Christian.

Bring something to dye or purchase something white from the shop. Whatever you bring, make sure it's natural (cotton, rayon, hemp, etc). Extra charges for multiple and oversized items.

Join the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council in downtown Abilene for its annual Celebrate the Arts in Abilene luncheon. The organization will honor the Abilene Art Award volunteers of the year and recognize the arts organizations that received grants from the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council.
The ACAC also will give guests a sneak peek at the books and costumes to be featured at the 2022 Children’s Art & Literacy Festival, which will celebrate the work of next summer’s illustrator on exhibit, Sophie Blackall.

Enjoy a fun evening supporting the Children's Hospital at Hendrick at Re/MAX's 10th Annual event. The event includes prizes for the top poker players, a silent auction and a brisket nacho bar provided by 5 C's Smokehouse.

Enjoy this intimate acoustic show at Noral Hall featuring Kelvin Thomas and Annalis Chavez.

This is a double elimination seeded bracket tournament held at Red Bud Softball Complex.

Presented as originally released in 1939. Epic Civil War drama focuses on the life of petulant Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara. Starting with her idyllic life on a sprawling plantation, the film traces her survival through the tragic history of the South during the Civil War and Reconstruction, and her tangled love affairs with Ashley Wilkes and Rhett Butler.

This walking tour is a fun, poetic and informative adventure of Downtown Abilene that includes history, current creativity, local business knowledge.

Take a short walk and experience some of the absolute best flavors the big country has to offer. Each tour is a unique culinary adventure that combines food with history, architecture, and culture. You’ll stroll through downtown learning and chatting while filling your belly with some delicious food from some of the top eateries in all of Abilene! 

This walking tour highlights the revitalized and still growing SoDA District side of downtown and the incredible flavors it has to offer. 

Celebrate no shave November at SunnHaus Brewing. Taquero Mucho Jesus will be there with the best tacos in the Big Country. The Kings Barbers will be on hand to judge the glorious manes and winners will receive prizes and trophies. The Record Guys will be there from 7 to 10 pm spinning your favorite vinyl hits.

Mission Inspired dinner celebrating one million dollars of mission impact through the Alzheimer's Association's annual Steppin' Out for Memories fundraiser. This event will serve as the kickoff for the 2022 Steppin' Out for Memories season! Tickets required.

Enjoy this intimate acoustic show featuring Phillip Vo at Nora Hall.

Performing for their first time in Abilene, enjoy live music from The Riverside on the SoDA Stage.

A John Prine infused set starring Jim Sadler and Evan Christian.

Bring something to dye or purchase something white from the shop. Whatever you bring, make sure it's natural (cotton, rayon, hemp, etc). Extra charges for multiple and oversized items.

HSU began hosting this high school girls basketball tournament in 1952 and in 1975 AISD initiated the Key City Invitational. Hardin-Simmons University and Abilene ISD have since joined forces to host this long-standing Girls Basketball Classic tradition.

Don't miss this pop-up consignment event that has over 15,000 square feet of upscale consignment items up to 90% off retail. 

This is a small and semi-intimate tattoo expo bringing 60 award-winning tattoo artists all to one location for your tattoo needs. All different styles from realism, traditional, black and grey, to color tattoos. Hosted by Ink Masters Tattoo Show. Hand sanitizer will be placed throughout the showroom.

Love & Boards is bringing you a fall-themed charcuterie workshop at SunnHaus Brewing. The workshop includes everything needed to make your own fall-themed board as well as expert instruction. There will also be live music in the brewery from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. 

Youth boys and girls basketball tournament with players competing in the Dodge Jones Youth Sports Center. 

Military Appreciation Day at the Taylor County History Center in Buffalo Gap with free admission for current and former military members and their families.

Ethnos is a student production organized by the International Students Association of ACU that showcases various forms of artistic cultural performances by ACU's international students and other cultural groups from the Abilene community.

A John Prine infused set starring Jim Sadler and Evan Christian.

Bring something to dye or purchase something white from the shop. Whatever you bring, make sure it's natural (cotton, rayon, hemp, etc). Extra charges for multiple and oversized items.

Abilene Turkey Trot winds through the Lytle neighborhood in Abilene, Texas. It is a great race for a fun time with family and friends. Proceeds benefit the West Texas Rehab Center and the Abilene Runners Club. 

Summit ET Bracket Racing SERIE/SUMMIT Jr. Drag Racing at Big Country Raceway. 

Mark your calendars for this exciting Christmas event in the SoDA District. The event will include:

• Outdoor Christmas Market
• Food & Drinks
• Crafts & Activities for Kids
• Live Music
• Outdoor Viewing of Elf
• Santa

A John Prine infused set starring Jim Sadler and Evan Christian.

Chat with an advisor and get all the information you need to jump-start your new career. Enroll now to begin an exciting new career in medical or dental assistant, nursing, veterinary technician, and many more. Many degree options are available fully online. Masks and social distancing will be observed.

Bring something to dye or purchase something white from the shop. Whatever you bring, make sure it's natural (cotton, rayon, hemp, etc). Extra charges for multiple and oversized items.

You’ll feel at home for the holidays when you discover the charm of Christmas in downtown Abilene in the 33rd Annual Christmas Lights Parade. This year's Christmas Lights Parade is about Memories: to appreciate what is, what was, and what will be. Merchants, museums, and galleries will open their decorated doors for an evening of holiday cheer, fun activities, and shopping. Highlights include a parade of lights, musical performances, and free goodies. Organized through the dynamic teamwork of the Abilene Downtown Association and parade with Fox West Texas.

 

The Key City Classic is back after a cancellation in 2020 due to Covid. This will be one of top high school boys basketball tournaments in the state of Texas. The 2019 tournament was a huge success for the community. There were 16 teams from around the state that came and participated in the tournament for three days.

Abilene Comic Con brings you all the pop culture fun of comic conventions to the great Key City. Attendees can expect a range of guests from actors and voice actors from their favorite shows, movies and anime. Guests will be at the show throughout the weekend to meet fans, sign autographs and take photos. Celebrity guests will also be hosting panels where attendees will also be able to ask questions.
Fans of the popular anime Jujustu Kaisen will have the chance to meet Kaiji Tang, the voice of Satoru Gojo as well as Anne Yatco, the voice of Nobara Kugisaki.

In addition to meeting celebrities, attendees will have access to dozens of artist and exhibitor booths to shop for all their 'nerdy' needs. Fans of the Dragonball Universe will rejoice that Universe 7 props will be bringing their life-sized Saiyan Pod and Frieza Hover Pod for attendees to see and take photos in.

All attendees are encouraged to break out their best cosplays and enter the cosplay contest to win great prizes as well as bragging rights!

Youth boys and girls basketball tournament with players competing in the Dodge Jones Youth Sports Center. 

Buy, sell, trade, or browse a full show! 

All aboard! Take a ride with the Abilene Philharmonic featuring the soundtracks from your favorite Christmas movies: The Polar Express, Home Alone, Elf, Frozen, and much more! Pajamas optional. Philharmonic musicians take the stage. Featuring Paul Rowe, vocalist, and Abilene Chamber Singers. 

When bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) acts out the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother (Catherine O'Hara) makes him sleep in the attic. After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no family has come true. But his excitement sours when he realizes that two con men (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) plan to rob the McCallister residence, and that he alone must protect the family home.

A John Prine infused set starring Jim Sadler and Evan Christian.

Head to the Taylor County Coliseum and watch the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, ZZ Top, perform live for their 50th Anniversary Tour! 

Coming off of his hugely successful outdoor run, the Hot Summer Nights Tour 2020, as the first-ever stand-up comedian to embark on a drive-in comedy tour, renowned comedian, podcast host, and author Bert Kreischer announces The Berty Boy Relapse Tour.

Singers Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) join sister act Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy Haynes (Vera-Ellen) to perform a Christmas show in rural Vermont. There, they run into Gen. Waverly (Dean Jagger), the boys' commander in World War II, who, they learn, is having financial difficulties; his quaint country inn is failing. So what's the foursome to do but plan a yuletide miracle: a fun-filled musical extravaganza that's sure to put Waverly and his business in the black!

This walking tour is a fun, poetic and informative adventure of Downtown Abilene that includes history, current creativity, local business knowledge.

Campers will adorn their campsites, screened shelters, and yurts with lights and decorations. The public is invited to take a drive-through tour of the park. This year the park will return to serving as a drop-off location for Toys for Tots and we'll be accepting donations to the Abilene Food Bank on the night of the event. 

A John Prine infused set starring Jim Sadler and Evan Christian.

The zoo is Celebrating Christmas! Enjoy Christmas lights and festivities such as real reindeer, hot toddies, Santa, s’more stations with real fire pits, cookie decorating, and Christmas memories that will last a lifetime. Bring the whole family to enjoy the most magical time of the year at the Abilene Zoo!

Military Appreciation Day at the Taylor County History Center in Buffalo Gap with free admission for current and former military members and their families.

A John Prine infused set starring Jim Sadler and Evan Christian.

High school invitational basketball tournament. 

A John Prine infused set starring Jim Sadler and Evan Christian.

A young Greek woman falls in love with a non-Greek and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.

The world’s most famous Brass group comes to Abilene!

Youth boys and girls basketball tournament with players competing in the Dodge Jones Youth Sports Center. 

This event raises more than one million dollars making it possible for the West Texas Rehab Center to serve more than 530 patients each day regardless of their financial circumstance. 

Watch as incredible artists paint giant works of art right before your eyes. This one-of-a-kind, interactive experience is accompanied by live musical performances, powerful vocals and high-energy choreography. 'Artrageous' takes you on a visual journey of inspiration, creativity, and engagement that will leave audiences of all ages singing, dancing, and clapping along.

Relive all the wonderful music of Oz in one magical concert event. Hear your favorite melodies from the Wizard of Oz, Wicked, the Wiz, and Return to Oz. Join Abilene Philharmonic as they follow the yellow brick road.

Youth boys and girls basketball tournament with players competing in the Dodge Jones Youth Sports Center. 

Premier annual regional venue providing an opportunity to showcase many aspects of Agri-business and wildlife management. More than 120 Exhibitors, CEU's, Demonstrations, Ag Scholarship Luncheon and Women's Fair.

When cool, smooth 'Pete the Cat' moves in with the perfectly normal Biddle family, he rocks their world with his strumming and strutting. Everybody loves Pete, except for Jimmy, the world's most organized 2nd grader. But when Jimmy draws a blank in art class, Pete takes him on the inspirational road trip of a lifetime! The whole family will love Pete's hilarious jazzy antics in this toe-tapping musical.

Youth boys and girls basketball tournament with players competing in the Dodge Jones Youth Sports Center. 

Enjoy Holst’s Planets like never before with choreographed visuals presented by visual artist Adrian Wyard.

 

Based on the Oscar-winning film starring Richard Gere, is a breathtaking production that celebrates triumph over adversity and includes one of the most iconic and romantic endings ever portrayed on screen. Featuring the Grammy Award winning, #1 hit single ‘Up Where We Belong’, and a score based on the 1980’s catalogue of music that gave voice to a generation, the live stage production is a new adaptation by multiple Tony Awards nominee Dick Scanlan (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Everyday Rapture), based on the original screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart. The musical is directed by Scanlan with choreography by Patricia Wilcox (Motown, A Night with Janis Joplin).

Zack Mayo’s got smarts and a body built for US Navy pilot boot camp, but he also has too much swagger… until he meets a drill sergeant who’s determined to drill his arrogance out of him. Zack finds comfort in the arms of a local factory girl. But it isn’t until tragedy befalls a fellow candidate that Zack learns the importance of love and friendship, and finds the courage to be his best self and win the heart of the woman he loves.

The finest swap meet in West Central Texas! 

Watch the best lifters in the state compete at the Texas High School Powerlifting State Championships.

McMurry University hosts its annual Women's Leadership luncheon where two female students are awarded the Dr. Sandra S. Harper's Women Leadership Scholarship. This year's speaker will be Vianei Braun.

Join Junior League of Abilene for a morning of reading, crafts and snacks!

Dog Man: The Musical is a hilarious new production based on the worldwide bestselling series from Dav Pilkey, the creator of Captain Underpants. Kid comic book writers George and Harold set out to write a musical based on their character, Dog Man, who loves to fight crime and chew on the furniture.

Love transcends the harsh realities of war and prejudice in this sweeping Pulitzer Prize-winning tale centered around two unlikely love affairs. Set on a tropical island during World War II, this timeless Rodgers & Hammerstein classic features some of the most beautiful music ever composed woven into an inspiring story cherished the world over. Winner of ten Tony Awards®, the beloved score’s songs include “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” and “There is Nothin’  Like a Dame” amidst big, Broadway performances and a chorus of American sailors and Navy nurses ready to take you to Bali Ha’i.

Youth boys and girls basketball tournament with players competing in the Dodge Jones Youth Sports Center. 

ACU, HSU, and McMurry Choirs. Jeffrey Snider, baritone.

 

Wine, Women, & Shoes is the best mix of a Girls Night Out and one of your favorite charities! Wine tasting, savory bites, silent auction, live auction, Key to the Closet raffle, handsome Sole Men, and more...it is the most fun you will have all year! You don't want to miss it!

Enjoy an evening of arias, hors d’oeuvres, and specially curated wines, hosted by Maestro Itkin, all under the stars of the Paramount Theatre.

Featuring attractive staging and a humorous script, 'The Little Mermaid' will take audience members to an undersea world of mermaids, colorful sea creatures and comical villains. The award-winning production follows the dreams of a young girl who believes there is a better life for her out of the water. Of course, there is a handsome prince, an evil baddie and load of laughs along the way. With stunning scenery, eye-catching costumes, original songs and lots of audience participation, this show makes for a thoroughly entertaining family day out. 

Faith Fang, violin. 2018 Nelda Hodges Young Artist Competition Bronze Medalist.

Chausson Poeme
Ravel Tzigane
Tchaikovsky Francesca da Rimini
Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture

This exhibition will highlight the early history of the State Epileptic Colony in Abilene through over 50 photographs from The Grace’s permanent history collection. 

This exhibition highlights what we now call “traditional” wedding dresses belonging to various individuals in Abilene and the surrounding areas from the late 1890s to the 1930s, most of which are in the permanent collection at The Grace Museum. 

'Where glittering barrooms graced the night, Amid the songs of dance-hall queens; Where rugged men with boots and beards, Watched the swiftly moving scene, They bought their joy and paid in gold, When they came to Abilene.' The words of this 1936 poem by Walt Cousins still ring true, with urban development continuing to make its way into nearly every corner of Abilene. As the historic keystone of West Texas, this town has featured hundreds of unique businesses, has been home to entrepreneurs for all of its rich history, and has always welcomed many travelers to enjoy all that it has to offer.

This exhibit features a selection of early Abilene businesses that were prominent members of downtown commerce from 1900-1940. It also highlights the overall advancement, growth, and modernization of Abilene through objects and photographs from the permanent collection of The Grace Museum as well as photographs from other Texas institutions and publications.

This exhibition was curated by students Maia Bell, Kelci Campbell, and Kendyll Jacobs from Dr. Amanda Biles’s Introduction to Public History: Interpreting American Pasts course at Abilene Christian University.

See Eleanor (Ellie) Hamby's new exhibit, 'Women of the World,' in the Wright Photography Gallery. 

Join the Center for Contemporary Arts on Facebook Live for Dirty Drawers, their weekly figure/gesture drawing session each Monday with their new Teaching Artist, Sergio Hernandez.

This national competition had over 350 entries submitted from over 30 states. 150 works were selected for exhibition in the Center’s Breed Gallery. Dallas- based artist, Liz Trosper served as juror for this year’s competition and is exhibiting her art in the Center’s Gallery 4 in correlation with the CCAN exhibition. Trosper’s exhibition is titled The Soft Machine.

CCAN 2021 Awards:

Acrylic: Ron Crouch, Men drinking wine (cold room)

Digital: Lauren Dana Smith, Burn This

Fiber: Jacob Wan, Secrettes

Mixed Media: Claire Kennedy, Painting in ceramic 1

Oil: Kristine Schneider, Covenants in the Wilderness

Pastel: T Smith, In the Year 2020

Photography: Lake Newton, The Lives of Others (01)

Watercolor: Hollan Holmes, Near Rhone Bailey Mesa

3-Dimensional: Alex Krajkowski, Untitled from knots

Best of Show: Kes Efstathiou, Laptop Cyanotype

Juror’s Award: Thomas Frontini, The Witch Gate, Sorceress Painter

Merit Award: Benjamine Lester, Reading

Golden Books

 In 1942, the first full years of American involvement in World War II, a groundbreaking line of children’s picture books arrived on store shelves to cheer and comfort a nation and revolutionize the business of juvenile publishing forever. Fueled by the bold application of mass-market sales and distribution techniques to a sleepy backwater industry, Golden Books retailed for a fraction of the cost of traditional children’s books and could be found almost anywhere that young parents shopped: at five-and-dimes, drugstores, and supermarkets.

Easily as appealing as the affordable price tag was the books’ bright, unfussy signature design and the extraordinary art they featured—the works of some of twentieth-century America’s leading illustrators. Three of the most prolific Golden artists—Garth Williams, Tibor Gergely, and Feodor Rojankovsky- were wartime refugees who had fled to New York as the conflict in Europe began. Several more—Gustaf Tenggren, J.P. Miller, Aurelius Battanglia, Martin Provenses, and Mary Blair- were Disney Studio alumni who played key roles in the making of Snow White, Pinocchio, and other animation classics before opting for the picture-book artist’s life of greater creative freedom. Richard Scarry launched his remarkable worldwide illustration career as a Golden artist. Eloise Wilkin achieved enduring cult status as one.

Today, innovative illustrators like Dan Yaccarino and Bob Staake are creating new books for the imprint that first inspired them as children to love books and make art. -Leonard Marcus

For this exhibition, ‘Journey’, Kate Breakey draws from several bodies of work made over a several decades of image making. Breakey has always altered her photographic images. Over her 40 year career, her techniques include hand coloring – laying the surface with pencil, oil paint or pastel, gilding images on glass (orotones) encaustic wax, and embroidering on silk, which she attributes too her early art school training in printmaking and painting.

The Center for Contemporary Arts is celebrating Día De Los Muertos with virtual content and free fine art kits with activities all ages can enjoy to celebrate Día de los Muertos from home. Supplies limited, first come, first served.

ArtWalk is a monthly mini arts festival downtown hosted by the Center for Contemporary Arts. Bring the entire family to historic downtown where restaurants, shops, museums, galleries and entertainment await you! Adult beverages available for purchase thanks to The Local. Special thanks to Lone Star Dry Goods for sponsoring live music.

Brunch with the Center of Contemporary Arts and watch an artist paint-off. They'll have brunch food, beer from Sockdolager, bottomless mimosas, and the paint-off. The Center galleries will be open throughout the event to view the CCAN exhibit as well. The galleries will be filled with art by more than 100 artists from across the nation. 

Celebrate the more than 100 artists from Abilene and across the United States whose work is on view for CCAN 2021 before it's gone! Also, on-view will be the special exhibition by CCAN 2021 juror, Liz Trosper. Meet some of the artists from the exhibition and hear juror comments at 4 pm.

ArtWalk is a monthly mini arts festival downtown hosted by the Center for Contemporary Arts. Bring the entire family to historic downtown where restaurants, shops, museums, galleries and entertainment await you! Adult beverages available for purchase thanks to The Local. Special thanks to Lone Star Dry Goods for sponsoring live music.