Calendar

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.

Find a gift for any exchange parties you may attend throughout the season. Global Samaritan invites you to check out all the white elephants gifts they have to offer.

Two of Santa’s elves have arrived at the Mall of Abilene to spread holiday cheer. Sue and Paul will be located throughout the mall for you to find. Make sure to like the Mall of Abilene Facebook page to find Sue and Paul’s location every couple of days. If you find them snap your picture with them and post in the event for a chance to win a jolly gift. Sponsored by Coca-Cola.

Download or pick up a coloring sheet for a chance to win dinner with Santa Claus. One winner will be drawn from the returned coloring sheets for dinner with Santa on December 17 from 5:30 pm to 6:15 pm. Download the coloring sheet here or pick one up at the Mall of Abilene.

Stop by The Woodlands in the Women’s Dillard’s Courtyard for your chance to visit Santa and make sure you're on the nice list. Don't forget while visiting Santa to grab photos for the holidays. Every Tuesday is a special photo day:

• Nov. 23: Pajama Day
• Nov. 30: Santa Hat Day
• Dec. 7: Friend Day
• Dec. 14: Flannel Day
• Dec. 21: Pajama Day

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.

 

This event has been canceled. 

Enjoy BBQ and live music by Brett Patterson on the patio.

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.

Run through the beautiful lights of Winter Lightfest at this inaugural run. The course is just under three miles and it takes participants through the light park twice with a small portion run outside the light display. Proceeds benefit the Wylie Education Foundation and United Way of Abilene.

Join Abilene Cultural Affairs for a night of Family Fun on the Farm at this annual event at the Storybook Garden. There will be a train ride by Santa's Workshop with costumed characters, an opportunity to meet Santa Claus, a book reading by Mrs. Claus, a snowmachine, May Farms Petting Zoo, crafts, refreshments, and live entertainment. Registration is required. 

 

Christmas Lane features over 120 outdoor Christmas displays. Donations and sponsorships for this event go to the Abilene Volunteer Services Council (the only non-profit for the people who live at AbSSLC). 2021 is a drive-thru-only event. You must remain in your vehicle at all times.

Enjoy music on the patio featuring Dayne Pack.

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!

This 'Joy for the Journey' cabaret will be an evening of faith and joey with Joel Edwards, an ACU Theatre alum coming in from New York City.

Join the Christian Women's Job Corps for a fun morning of pancakes with the Grinch and stay around afterward to shop the Christmas Market. 

 

Celebrate the season eating pancakes with the Grinch followed by perusing the Christmas Market. 

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

An outdoor community market that comes together on the first Saturday of every month. Enjoy shopping, food, live music, and art while supporting the community.

Buy, sell, trade, or browse a full show. Owned and operated by Kim and Monty Sansom.

Four local children's authors will sign copies of their books at Texas Star just in time for Christmas. Authors include Stephanie Ellison (Always Forever), Cindy Mims (Chase That Puppy), Jami Moss (The Tree of Life), and Sue Harris (Nan's Christmas Snowflakes).

Enjoy an evening of family-friendly Christmas fun with memories to last a lifetime. Vendors, concessions, cookie decorating, Santa photos/visits, petting zoo, hay/train ride, Christmas lights, s'mores, games, and much more. Proceeds benefit the Abilene State Supported Living Center.

Enjoy music on the patio featuring Colton Fox.

The African Students' Association (ASA) is hosting its annual event, CHOMA – African Food & Music Festival. This event is dedicated to bringing awareness about the diverse African cultures and opportunities to get a taste of Africa through different African cuisines, music, and fashion. The ASA hopes to encourage and empower everyone to get connected at Abilene Christian University and help the Abilene community bring more exposure to a beautiful array of cultures.

Enjoy BBQ and live music by Matt Stapp on the patio.

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! 

Enjoy BBQ and live music by Jim Sadler and Adam Flores on the patio.

John Thompson will sign copies of his new memoir, Memories of a Texas Oilman at Texas Star.

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.

Enjoy music on the patio featuring Chrissy Phillips.

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!

Model train layouts and displays with operating model trains in various scales, including main giant HO-scale layout of over 1,000 square feet. Huge collection of Brio wooden trains for kids to play with. This year is the club's 30th anniversary.

 

All ages Christmas event and AYSA fundraiser. 3V3 basketball competitions, fast 4's volleyball competitions, basketball shootout, Christmas pictures, food, prizes and more. 

Enjoy a doughnut with Santa at the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature. The first 100 children will receive a special book from Santa and there will also be a fun holiday project in the art studio.

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

Abilene Kennel Club is partnering with Re/Max to provide pet food for dogs and cats who need a little more this year. Donated bags of dog or cat food (minimum 5 lbs) will go to Meals on Wheels for their clients with pets and you receive a complimentary photo of your dog with Santa & Mrs. Claus.

Tour the Historic Swenson House all dressed up in full Christmas decor. 

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. 

Enjoy music on the patio featuring Matt Stapp.

Enjoy BBQ and live music by Madison Hodges on the patio.

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

Enjoy BBQ and live music by Della Rose on the patio.

Enjoy music on the patio featuring Braydon Zink.

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.

Enjoy music on the patio featuring Brett Patterson.

Enjoy BBQ and live music by Mila Harrison on the patio.

This camp is for athletes looking for extra skill-specific training. Emphasis will be placed on repetition, technique, maximum efficient mobility, and proper mechanics.

Learn high-level techniques for breaking down defenses and creating easy scoring opportunities for yourself and your teammates.

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

Enjoy BBQ and live music by Ryan Kolek on the patio.

High school invitational basketball tournament. 

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

Annual winter cutting event.

Enjoy BBQ and live music by Holt Jones on the patio.

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.

Annual cutting event. 

Enjoy great food and live music featuring The Killer Dueling Pianos.

 

Fundraising event to help provide a safe house and help survivors of human trafficking.

Enjoy an acoustic show by Texas singer/songwriter Drew Kennedy.

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

A casual gathering for anyone who loves Texas history. January 2022 short-talk topic: Guns on the Frontier, Texas trivia contest (individuals or teams of up to 4 people), prizes awarded.

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.

Vendor booths, face painting, prizes, showcase games, a Special Olympics athlete game, bounce houses, food, and more. This event is the largest fundraiser for the Abilene Youth Sports Alliance. All money raised will go towards the many programs and services that they provide the community throughout the year.

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.

Reflect upon the year's challenges and celebrate the city's successes as Mayor Anthony Williams and Dr. Mark Dotzour present the State of the City and Economic Outlook.

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

A casual gathering for anyone who loves Texas history. February 2022 short-talk topic coming soon, Texas trivia contest (individuals or teams of up to 4 people), prizes awarded.

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.

This show features displays of gem and mineral specimens, lapidary, wire-wrapping, and silversmithing displays, as well as vendors selling specimens, jewelry, rock slabs, and more. Fun for all ages.

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!

In 2022, the Alzheimer's Association is Blazin' the Trail for a Cure and plans are underway for the Steppin' Out for Memories you've come to know and love to return to its more traditional format. Make plans for a casual evening of delicious food, exciting auctions, dancing, live entertainment, and more under the stars at Refuge Ranch's newest revitalized event venue -- beautiful, rustic Fort Refuge.

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.

The Official Qualifying Tour for the Symetra Tour. Providing Development and More Opportunities in Women’s Professional Golf. Estimated $50,000 Purse. 

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

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

Inspired by the beloved film, Waitress tells the story of Jenna, an expert pie maker who dreams of a way out of her small town. A baking contest and the town’s new doctor may offer her a fresh start, but Jenna must summon the strength to rebuild her own life. Don’t miss this uplifting celebration of friendship, motherhood, and the magic of a well-made pie.

Audience Recommendation:Performances are recommended for a general audience. As an advisory to adults who might bring young people, WAITRESS is recommended for ages 13 and up due to the mature content in this production, as the show contains an abusive marriage, adult humor,some sensuality and an extramarital affair, parental guidance is suggested. If you're a fan of the original film, you'll find the stage adaptation an absolute blast – whether you are planning a girl’s night out or a couple’s date night. All persons entering the theater, regardless of age, must have a ticket.

The WWTGA tournament is a four to five day women's golf tournament. The location rotates among the Host Club members. On the first day, the ladies play a qualifying round. It includes the 16 (or 32) low handicap index players and any other players who elect to qualify that have an index of no higher than 15.9. The format is then match play divided by flights.

The world famous Classical Mystery Tour Returns to Abilene! Hear all your favorite Beatles hits such as Penny Lane, Yesterday, Imagine, I am the Walrus and much more! From early Beatles music on through the solo years, Classical Mystery Tour is the best of The Beatles like you‘ve never heard them: with a live symphony orchestra!

Great music for a great cause. The largest fundraiser to benefit Harmony Family Services, Inc. an organization that provides foster care and emergency shelter for children. Students and teachers from Abilene and the surrounding area perform ensembles, solos, and original compositions on eight pianos on stage. Pianos are provided by Lubbock Piano Gallery and First Baptist Church Abilene.

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. 

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.

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

The Abilene Fine Arts Museum (now The Grace Museum) began collecting art in 1938 with the stated purpose of collecting important works of art “for the good of the citizens of Abilene.” This exhibition features a variety of recent art acquisitions into The Grace Museum’s permanent collection, paying homage to our 83 years of collecting American art with Texas connections.

This exhibition features highlights from The Grace Museum’s photography collection including work by Ansel Adams, Henri-Cartier Bresson, William Eggleston, Fritz Henle, Elliott Erwitt, Russell Lee, Marian Post Wolcott, Sebastião Salgado, Graciela Itrubide and Keith Carter.

This solo exhibition of artwork by Kate Breakey will take you on a journey of her various obsessions: astronomical images, skies, clouds, oceans, trees, nests, shells, flowers, and animals. Curated as a circular visual poem, each individual image will lead you to the next one. The collection of images in the gallery can be viewed as a shrine to Breakey’s reverence for the beauty, wonder, and diversity of the natural world.

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.

Tools and Weapons of Paleolithic & Later American Peoples - Join the Taylor County History Center for an informal talk by Chautauqua Speaker Lou David Allen. Allen will be presenting a program about the Tools and Weapons of Paleolithic & Later American Peoples. He will discuss his unique theory of projectile weaponry used by early peoples, and several objects from his personal collection that have been found in the West Texas region will be displayed for attendees to view.

This traveling exhibition of photographs by renowned documentary photographer Russell Lee draws from the magnificent archive that he donated to the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History just prior to his death in 1986. Russell Lee Photographs offers a rare glimpse into the remarkable images he produced in 1935 and 1936 when he first took up a camera and goes on to highlight the vast body of important work that Lee produced from 1947 through 1977.

Russell Lee Photographs is an exhibition by the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin, presented in partnership with Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Tools and Weapons of Paleolithic & Later American Peoples - Join the Taylor County History Center for an informal talk by Chautauqua Speaker Lou David Allen. Allen will be presenting a program about the Tools and Weapons of Paleolithic & Later American Peoples. He will discuss his unique theory of projectile weaponry used by early peoples, and several objects from his personal collection that have been found in the West Texas region will be displayed for attendees to view.

This traveling exhibition of photographs by renowned documentary photographer Russell Lee draws from the magnificent archive that he donated to the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History just prior to his death in 1986. Russell Lee Photographs offers a rare glimpse into the remarkable images he produced in 1935 and 1936 when he first took up a camera and goes on to highlight the vast body of important work that Lee produced from 1947 through 1977.

Russell Lee Photographs is an exhibition by the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin, presented in partnership with Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.