Leisure in Lubbock

That’s Entertainment – West Texas Style

“I guessed happiness was Lubbock, Texas in my rearview mirror But now happiness was Lubbock, Texas growing nearer and dearer And the vision was getting clearer in my dream And I think I finally know just what it means And when I die you can bury me in Lubbock, Texas in my jeans” – Mac Davis, Texas in My Rearview Mirror (1980)

From musical roots to cowboy boots, Lubbock offers a multitude of attractions and events for all tastes and preferences.

Every day more than 200,000 Lubbock citizens believe the final lines of Mac Davis’ Top Ten song. They were either born here or got here as quickly as possible, but they all know that native son Mac Davis had it right!

And while many cities have their claim to fame, few can match the rich musical heritage of Lubbock and the South Plains area. Indeed, Buddy Holly is the most popular Lubbock native to hit the big time (there’s a bronze statue of him downtown), but he’s only the beginning! In addition to Holly and Davis, other established artists hailing from West Texas include Waylon Jennings, Joe Ely, Roy Orbison, Tanya Tucker, Virgil Johnson, Terry Allen, Pat Green, Lone Star’s Ritchie McDonald, Bobby Keys (saxophone player for the Rolling Stones), and the Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines. Like Holly, many are memorialized with plaques on Lubbock’s West Texas Walk of Fame.

Music remains a mainstay of Lubbock nightlife. The Depot Entertainment District has become a favorite place for Lubbock musicians and area diners. With its bright neon lights, smorgasbord of restaurants, and West Texas attractions, this unique entertainment district includes The Buddy Holly Center, Cactus Theater, restaurants, nightclubs, artists’ studios and much more.

Located in the Depot Entertainment District, the Cactus Theater carries on the tradition that has made Lubbock the Giant Side of music! The Cactus Theater features live music from nostalgic eras, as well as live theatre and musicals. Originally constructed in 1938 as a “second run” motion picture theater, the Cactus had a 20-year run as a movie theater until television and six new drive-ins drove the theater out of business in 1958. A group of investors purchased the theater, retaining its balcony, sloped floor and stage, and restored the Cactus into a live performance theater. The old projection booth was redesigned to hold spotlights, and a state-of-the-art sound and light system was added along with 400 modern seats and concession stand. The finishing touch was a beautiful wraparound mural depicting Caprock Canyon.

Entertainment abounds at the state-of-the-art United Spirit Arena, home to TTU basketball and volleyball teams and other local, regional and national events. The USA has hosted sell-out crowds for well-known performers such as Aerosmith, Cher, Elton John, The Eagles, George Strait, Kiss, Matchbox 20, Shania Twain, and The Moody Blues to name just a few.

Established in 1946, the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra (LSO) performs a full season of classical works featuring guest artists from around the world. Each season features five pairs of classical concerts, a Holiday Pops concert, and a Spring Pops concert. The LSO also provides multiple educational offerings to students and educators throughout West Texas. Each season, the LSO delivers Listen Live! Education Concerts, chamber ensemble performances, and numerous community outreach events to thousands of children as well as adults throughout the region. The American Symphony Orchestra League classifies the LSO as a group VI orchestra, boasting a professional orchestra comprised of talented musicians who represent the business community, public school staff and faculty, and the faculty and student body of Texas Tech University, as well as a full-time administrative staff.

The Lubbock Youth Symphony Orchestra (LYSO), a program of the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra that was founded in 1988, provides high quality orchestral and ensemble training for young musicians.

The LYSO Symphony Orchestra, an advanced full orchestra; the Philharmonic Orchestra, an intermediate string orchestra; and the Prelude Strings, a string training orchestra, maintain a membership of just under 200 members. The program expanded to include the Prelude Strings in 1993, and 2006 marked the ninth season of the Philharmonic Orchestra. Participants include students of Lubbock public and private schools, as well as students from Levelland, Plains, Lorenzo and Shallowater, Texas, and some from as far away as Clovis and Hobbs, New Mexico. The LYSO Program Orchestras give two formal concerts each year, and the Symphony Orchestra concert schedule has expanded to include the annual Fourth on Broadway Fireworks Concert for an audience of approximately 75,000 people. The LYSO Symphony Orchestra has presented several side-by-side concerts with the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra. Other side-by-side ventures include performing with symphonies from Abilene, Amarillo, Ft. Worth and Waco. The LYSO program has had the pleasure of accompanying Ballet Lubbock for several performances, including Ballet Lubbock’s Silver Anniversary Performance.

Cultural Arts, Cowboys and More

Beyond the music scene, Lubbock’s nightlife includes theater, both community and professional. Broadway theatre comes to town each year when Celebrity Attractions links efforts with Civic Lubbock Inc. to provide a season of national touring attractions from September to May. Texas Tech University’s Department of Theatre and Dance produces an annual series of dramas, comedies and dance productions. TTU’S Hemmle Recital Hall offers a variety of performances and productions throughout the year. For 75 years, the TTU Maedgen Theater has enlightened, educated and entertained West Texans by staging a wealth of theatrical productions, ranging from well-known classics to new, creative works by emerging artists.

Lubbock Christian University (LCU) also provides the Lubbock community with an annual schedule of theater, music and art events on its campus. Each fall the LCU Communications/Fine Arts Department produces a homecoming musical, and every February LCU Master Follies involves over 300 LCU students in the university’s most popular student event. The Pioneer Gallery, located in the LCU Library, hosts a variety of traveling art and photography exhibits throughout the school year. In addition, LCU student performance groups in the areas of music and drama can be seen all around the community entertaining at special events.

Lubbock’s oldest live theater venue, Lubbock Community Theatre, also offers various plays at the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center. Ballet Lubbock and several ballet folklorico troupes add another dimension to the performing arts.

Ballet Lubbock opened its new studio in March 2005, allowing the company to expand its dance classes. Each year, the company produces The Nutcracker, which features students from its ballet school. Folklorico dancers entertain at a variety of functions throughout the year. Held every March, the Viva Atzlan Dance Festival draws folklorico groups from across the state.

Yet another well-established tradition bows in the spring – the Lubbock Arts Festival, a multi-event celebration that includes works by local, regional and national visual and performing artists, as well as a children’s area. It provides low-cost entertainment for visitors and serves as an outlet for local cultural organizations to publicize their own programs.

Also in the spring, professional cowboys and cowgirls descend on Lubbock to compete in the ABC Pro Rodeo, a PRCA event featuring saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, bull riding, barrel racing and children’s events. The Downtown Chapter of the American Business Club has sponsored the event for more than 60 years. Downtown streets welcome thousands who turn out each summer for Fourth on Broadway, Lubbock’s Independence Day celebration. The day-long event features a parade, street fair, and an evening fireworks display and concert.

The lights go on in galleries, studios, retail businesses and restaurants in downtown Lubbock and beyond as they open their doors for an evening of art, music and food the first Friday of each month. From 6 to 9 pm, First Friday Art Trail makes its monthly return to showcase fabulous works of art created locally in the unique and inspiring galleries, studios, and restaurants of downtown Lubbock.

From the Depot Entertainment District to the Civic Center District, art “trailers” easily follow the trail on their own with a map provided at each location, or hop aboard the First Friday trolleys that make continuous runs between the downtown stops on the trail. The event is free and open to the public.

And then there’s the National Cowboy Symposium, Llano Estacado Wine & Clay Festival, Shakespeare in the Park, Ranch Day, Fiestas Del Llano . . . the list goes on. With myriad museums, galleries, award-winning wineries and other unique sights, Lubbock offers visitors a look at the region’s past, present and future. Among the top attractions are –

• American Museum of Agriculture – Given Lubbock’s rural roots, a museum that displays machinery and artifacts dating back to the pioneering years of agriculture is a natural fit. Unique exhibits include pedal tractors, over 300 toy tractors, restored tractors, and horse-drawn equipment.
  
• Broadway Festivals Inc. (BFI) – A non-profit corporation whose purpose is to organize, conduct and finance downtown celebrations to focus attention on the historical significance and overall importance of the central core of Lubbock. BFI’s two major events are the 4th On Broadway Celebration, held each Independence Day; and the Lights on Broadway Holiday Celebration, traditionally held in conjunction with the Texas Tech Carol of Lights. More information on BFI is available at www.broadwayfestivals.com.
  
• Buddy Holly Center – Home to a collection of artifacts relevant to the life and music of Lubbock’s most famous native son and legendary rock ’n’ roller Buddy Holly. Also recognized are other performing and visual artists and musicians of West Texas. Changing exhibitions in the visual arts provide an arena for celebrating the technical virtuosity and creative talents of regional artists.
  
• Buddy Holly Statue and West Texas Walk of Fame – The brainchild of Holly’s friend Waylon Jennings, this tribute contains a larger-than-life-sized bronze of Buddy Holly surrounded by commemorative plaques honoring other Lubbockites and West Texans – The Crickets, Mac Davis, Waylon Jennings, Glenna Goodacre, The Maines Brothers, to name a few – who have made significant contributions to the entertainment industry.
  
• Joyland Amusement Park – Located in picturesque Mackenzie Park, this family-oriented amusement park offers a selection of more than 30 rides, including a water coaster and carousel. Food and games are also available.
  
• Lubbock Area Veterans War Memorial – There is perhaps no greater sacrifice than of those who serve in the military, especially during times of war. The Lubbock Area Veteran War Memorial, the largest such memorial outside of Washington, D.C., was built to honor the thousands of South Plains residents who made such sacrifices. The inscription on the front, quoting General George S. Patton, says it all – “Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.”
  
• William Cameron McCool Memorial – Located just west of the Veterans Memorial and behind Lubbock’s Freedom Fountain in Henry Huneke Park, the memorial was dedicated in May 2005 to the astronaut and graduate of Lubbock’s Coronado High School, Willie McCool. He died on February 1, 2003 on the Space Shuttle Columbia.
  
• The Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts (LHUCA) – Housed in a renovated fire department administrative building, the center fosters the arts in the South Plains region through education, exhibition and performance. The building has recently completed renovations that include a beautiful new theater and exhibition hall. Work continues on a new clay studio. LHUCA features and supports the works of all creative artists – visual, performing, cultural, literary and others from the South Plains. Resident organizations include El Ballet Folklorico Nuestra Herencia, Llano Estacado Clay Guild, Lubbock Arts Alliance, Lubbock Community Theatre, Prairie Winds Chorus, South Plains Foundation, and West Texas Watercolor Society.
  
• Lubbock Garden and Arts Center – This public cultural arts center located in Clapp Park offers programs for young and old, including garden classes, summer camps, and competitions in art and photography. The center provides meeting spaces for many groups including garden clubs, quilting guilds, art associations and others. Weddings and other special events take place in any of several areas including the Rose Garden, Tea Terrace, Lubbock Memorial Arboretum Gazebo and St. Paul’s on the Plains.
  
• Lubbock Lake Landmark – This premier North American site yields evidence of ancient peoples and extinct animals that existed on the South Plains more than 12,000 years ago. The Robert Nash Interpretive Center includes exhibits, a gallery, and children’s learning center. Self-guided trails and summer archaeological dig sites provide additional interest.
  
• Museum of Texas Tech – This museum serves as an educational, scientific and cultural and research element of Texas Tech University. It consists of several components – the main museum building, the Moody Planetarium, the Natural Science Research Laboratory, the research and educational elements of the Lubbock Lake Landmark, and the Val Verde County research site.
  
• National Ranching Heritage Center – Experience the real west at this 30-acre outdoor museum and historical park. Established to preserve the history of ranching and pioneer life in North America, the park contains 36 structures including a train depot, bunkhouse, one-room schoolhouse, windmills, and authentically restored and furnished homes relocated from prominent Texas ranches, reflecting life from the late 1700s through the early 1900s. Also located at the center is a life-size herd of bronze longhorn steers commemorating the Texas trail drive era of the 1860s and 1880s.
  
• OMNI Theater and Science Spectrum – This non-profit science education museum offers more than 250 interactive exhibits, providing a playground of the senses for patrons of all ages. Check out its living science exhibit, The Brazos River Journey, which provides history, biology and geography of the longest river in Texas. This exhibit features more than 30 aquariums and terrariums plus video stations and interactive kiosks. The permanent exhibit, Science of Sports, takes visitors behind the scenes of the wide world of sports.
  
• Silent Wings Museum – A collection of nearly 10,000 artifacts and thousands of documents and photographs preserve the history of the American military glider program. The Silent Wings Museum, which began as a project of the National World War II Glider Pilots Association, Inc., was transferred to the City of Lubbock in 2000 and relocated to the Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport grounds. The glider program was an important part of the U.S. Army’s victory during World War II – from 1942 to 1945, about 80 percent of the 5,000 glider pilots who served in the military received advance training at the South Plains Army Airfield.
  
• Southwest Collection/Special Collections – Origins of these collections date back to the earliest days of Texas Tech. The history of the university and the American Southwest is preserved and stored here for researchers and the general public to view. Old photographs, diaries, maps and artifacts are available for visitors. The Southwest Collection is also home to the Vietnam Center and Vietnam Archives, home to the largest and rapidly growing collection of original documents, published and unpublished works, and microfilm research collections relating to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Sports and Recreation

Sporting News has consistently ranked Lubbock in its “Mighty 99” Best Sports Towns in the United States. As for college sports, Texas Tech University (TTU) athletics has enjoyed great success since joining the Big 12 Conference. In 2003, the Red Raiders were one of only four NCAA Division I schools to reach post-season play in football, baseball, and men’s and women’s basketball.

Under Coach Mike Leach, the Red Raiders field one of the most potent football offenses in the country and have enjoyed thrilling come-from-behind wins in the 2006 Insight Bowl and the 2007 Konica Minolta Gator Bowl.

In men’s basketball and baseball, some new faces are leading the helm. Pat Knight has taken the reins from his famous father, Bobby Knight – the winningest coach in NCAA basketball history – and Dan Spencer is filling the shoes of coach Larry Hays, the fourth-winningest coach in NCAA baseball history,

The Lady Raiders basketball program has been a standout in the past decade, winning the Big 12 Championship in 1998 and 1999, and the NCAA Championship in 1993. Coach Kristy Curry joined Tech in 2006 and is building the program after seven successful years as head coach at Purdue University. Texas Tech had the second-highest home game attendance in the nation among NCAA Division I women’s basketball programs in 2005-2006, and is perennially among the country’s highest.

Texas Tech athletes reach the top echelons of national sports. In 2004 Olympian and pro track star Jonathan Johnson was a Tech track standout, garnering nine All-America honors before concluding his college career in 2005, and a number of Red Raiders qualified to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Volleyball, track, golf, tennis and softball teams also continue to please the local crowds.

The Lubbock Christian University (LCU) Lady Chaparrals softball team finished its inaugural softball season with 60 wins and a national championship. The men’s Chaps finished their season 53-4, setting the school’s single season mark for winning percentage (93 percent) and for the least amount of losses (four).

The LCU athletic program also features exceptional men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, volleyball, and men’s and women’s golf. The university boasts 25 national championships and consistently takes teams to post-season play. In 2005 the LCU Lady Chaps basketball team had a Cinderella season, finishing the season at 23-12. The team was runner-up in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Tournament.

The Lubbock Western All-Stars Western Little League All-Star finished third in the world at the 2007 Little League World Series.

To top it all off, Lubbock is now home to the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. The hall inducted its second class of college baseball standouts in 2007.

Lubbock’s typically sunny weather offers endless opportunities for those who love the outdoors. There are more than 65 public parks covering more than 3,000 acres, including 2,466 developed acres, as well as six public and three private golf courses, 200 public and private tennis courts, and four public swimming pools.

Additionally, there are 382 surface acres of water at 24 sites, with numerous stocked play lakes providing a beautiful setting for recreational anglers, while bird-watchers marvel as the Canada geese fill the lakes from mid-October to late-February.

Buffalo Springs Lake is a natural, spring-fed oasis nestled in beautiful Yellow House Canyon on a fork of the Brazos River. Buffalo Springs Lake Recreational Area offers fishing, boating and camping with full hookups, showers and restrooms. Bird watchers will enjoy the Audubon Society Nature Trail.

Developed as a future water source for the city, Lake Alan Henry lies 58 miles southeast of Lubbock. Activities include fishing, hiking and camping on primitive sites overlooking the lake. Situated on the South Fork of the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River, the lake extends 11 miles between the rocky sides of the river channel and has 56 miles of shoreline. Its trails transport hikers through rugged beauty. Texas Parks and Wildlife began stocking the lake in 1993, and Alan Henry is in its prime as one of the best lunker-producing bass lakes in Texas.

Lubbock’s Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of activities for children and adults at six community centers, while the city and private organizations also offer various amateur leagues for adults and children.

Those who enjoy hitting the links will find Lubbock’s offerings inviting. TTU’s Jerry S. Rawls Course has snagged a number of accolades since its opening in 2003, including being ranked 23rd in Golf Magazine’s best 50 golf courses in the U.S. for $50 or less, the third-best college course in America by Golf Week and the second-best new affordable public golf course in the U.S. by Golf Digest. The 18-hole course is home to TTU men’s and women’s golf teams. Lubbock has three other private golf courses – Lakeridge, Hillcrest, and Lubbock Country Club; two semiprivate courses – Elm Grove Golf Club and Reese Golf Center; and three public courses – Meadowbrook, Shadow Hills and StoneGate.

Visit www.playlubbock.com for information on additional recreational opportunities in Lubbock.

Media

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, published daily by Morris Communication Service, covers the South Plains region as well as national and state news.

Cable television services are provided by Suddenlink, formerly Cox Communications. The City of Lubbock has a governmental affairs station, and LISD operates LISD-TV. Lubbock also supports PBS, KTXT-TV Channel 5, which operates from the Texas Tech University campus.

In addition, radio offers a variety of programming including classical, contemporary, Christian, country, rock, as well as a variety of talk programs.

Additional media target specific communities, such as television stations Telemundo KXTQ-TV 46, KBZO Univision 51, and radio stations La Tricolor 1460 AM, KAIQ Estrella 95.5 FM Magic 93.7 – all serving the Hispanic community. Newspapers such as Southwest Digest and The Golden Gazette serve the African American and the senior citizens communities, respectively.

For information on programming, advertising and subscription rates, check the Business Directory beginning on page 74 of this publication for contact information on various media outlets.

Accommodations, Shopping and Dining

Whether you are traveling on business or pleasure, the Lubbock area has a full range of accommodations to fill your needs. From national brands by Hilton and Marriott to Broadway Manor, Lubbock offers lodging choices to suit all types of styles and budgets.

In line with the city’s general growth trend, new hotels have sprouted up recently, giving Lubbock more than 4,000 rooms. Several properties offer indoor and outdoor swimming pools, gym memberships, and world-class meeting and conference facilities. Additionally, many accommodations are situated near medical, educational and retail areas.

Leading those opportunities for shopping is South Plains Mall, Slide Road and South Loop 289, (806) 792-4653. The region’s largest mall has undergone three major expansions since opening in 1972. Home to more than 150 specialty stores including the Gap and Abercrombie and Fitch, as well as five department stores, the 1.2 million-square-foot mall is now a super regional center located in southwest Lubbock.

There’s also Kingsgate Center, 8201 Quaker Avenue with more than 50 stores including Banana Republic and Ann Taylor; Cactus Alley, 2600 Salem at Brownfield Highway, (806) 797-8203; Caprock Shopping Center, 50th Street and Elgin Avenue; and The Antique Mall of Lubbock, 7907 West 19th Street, (806) 796-2166, offering West Texas’ largest selection of antiques.

As for dining out, Lubbock’s restaurant scene runs the gamut from intimate, upscale establishments to casual outdoor cafés. There also are mom-and-pop grills, popular chain restaurants, or everyone’s local favorite – dinner and drinks on neon-lined Buddy Holly Avenue.

With more restaurants per capita than any other city in the U.S., Lubbock offers a variety of cuisines to satisfy all tastes and price ranges.