Entertainment
Dia de los Muertos exhibits, festival in this week’s Amarillo entertainment events
AC’s traditional Day of the Dead exhibit to open with a reception on Oct. 31
The Common Lobby Gallery at Amarillo College will come alive for a student art show celebrating the Day of the Dead – Dia de Los Meurtos – which opens with a reception at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 31. The public is welcome to attend.
Refreshments will be served at the exhibit’s opening reception, and attendees are encouraged to wear costumes, although Steven Cost, professor of art, points out that Day of the Dead, even through it often coincides with Halloween, should not be confused with it. “This is not about Halloween,” Cost said. “It’s about personal stories concerning death. We’ve asked our students to submit artwork symbolic of memorials, and occasionally students who have recently lost loved ones find the assignment to be therapeutic and healing. I have at least one such student this semester, and I’m sure this has been the case for other of our students as well over the years.
“The support our community has provided these past 20-plus years for this particular event has been greatly appreciated,” he said, “and we are looking forward to a large turnout for our opening reception again this year.”
Dia de Los Meurtos is a Latin American holiday honoring dead loved ones, encouraging them through their journey in the afterlife with both costumed revelry and prayer. This marks the AC Art Department’s 22nd observance of the holiday. Each year, the Day of the Dead art show invites AC student submissions of framed drawings – 16” x 20” or 18” x 24” – primarily in color pencils, markers, charcoal, graphite, and ink. Each piece in the exhibit will be accompanied by a short essay that explains the art’s inspiration.
The exhibit will be on display through Dec. 9 in the Common Lobby Gallery, which is located in the foyer at the entrance to the Concert Hall Theater in the Music Building on the Washington Street Campus.
Celebrate Día de los Muertos at Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum
CANYON – The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum invites the community to celebrate Día de los Muertos from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2. The vibrant, multi-day event honors the lives of loved ones who have passed, and the celebration will feature traditional altars (ofrendas) to bring together friends, families, and the community to reflect, remember, and rejoice.
On Nov. 1, the museum will host a reception 6-8 p.m., providing an intimate evening to view the ofrendas. Hors d’oeuvres will be served, accompanied by music and drinks. Tickets are $10 and free for PPHM members & WTAMU students. Visit panhandleplains.org/events to RSVP.
A special Family Day will be held on Nov. 2, where the museum will offer free admission 9 a.m.-5 p.m. for all visitors, encouraging everyone to experience the rich cultural traditions of this important Mexican holiday. Visitors will have the opportunity to view beautifully decorated ofrendas that pay tribute to loved ones who have passed, created by families and local community members.
The museum is located on the West Texas A&M University campus at 2503 4th Ave. in Canyon. For more information, visit www.panhandleplains.org.
Texas Panhandle’s annual Day of the Dead Festival set for Nov. 2
Via los Muertos! Texas Panhandle’s annual Day of the Dead Festival is scheduled to take place 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 at 714 N Filmore St. in Amarillo. Admission is free and open to the public.
The second annual event is hosted by Festival Dia de los Muertos Amarillo, Tx, Amarillo Council for the Latino Arts and Balu Productions. Along with the celebration, attendees can enjoy live music, dance performances, local artists and vendors, craft stations, beautiful traditional altars to honor loved ones, a Catrina Costume Contest and more.
For updates, look for Festival Dia de los Muertos Amarillo, Tx on Facebook.
New WT art exhibition puts spotlight on language, design
CANYON — An exhibition by a new West Texas A&M University art faculty member will highlight the power of words. “Lost & Found” by Younus Nomani will be on view Oct. 28 to Nov. 30 in the Dord Fitz Formal Art Gallery in WT’s Mary Moody Northen Hall. An opening reception is set for 5 p.m. Nov. 7.
Nomani is the newly hired assistant professor of graphic design in the Department of Art, Theatre and Dance in WT’s Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities. He said the exhibition “comes from my interest in some foundational questions, like how art is realized or how words are realized, and as soon as they are, they’re forgotten.” Nomani’s drawings, videos, audio works, photographs and collages all are inspired by language that the Delhi native, who speaks three languages himself, has observed since moving to America about four years ago, particularly in urban areas.
Fitz Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and by appointment Fridays and Saturdays. Email jrevett@wtamu.edu.
Cinergy hosting Ultimate Tailgate Event Nov. 3
Cinergy Entertainment & Cinemas is turning game day up a notch with an Ultimate Tailgate Event in Amarillo on Nov. 3. The event runs noon to 4 p.m. at the Amarillo location, 9201 Cinergy Square and is a day promised to be packed with food, games, prizes, and sports-filled fun for the whole family.
Festivities include treats for sale from an outdoor Taco Truck and Fair Food Truck; games and activities such as Cornhole, Football Toss, Sports Cage, Giant Basketball Shoot and Axe Throwing; a Mega Obstacle Course and the Generator, for tougher challenges; a 360° Photo Booth with a Cowboys theme; giveaways of Cowboys gear; a spin-the-wheel raffle (for those who show up in a Cowboys jersey); live music with a local DJ spinning tracks before and during halftime; a kids’ zone; and more.
Then, attendees can watch the game on one of the Cowboys Hall of Fame Truck’s nine screens or on the patio bar TVs. For adults, the patio bar will be serving up Cowboys-themed drinks and Miller Lite specials. To learn more, or to become a Cinergy Elite Rewards Member, visit cinergy.com.
ALT’s ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ on stage through Nov. 3
The Amarillo Little Theatre’s next production will have audiences laughing and on the edge of their seats for the comedy classic, “Arsenic and Old Lace,” now through Nov. 3 at the Amarillo Little Theatre Allen Shankles Mainstage, 2019 Civic Circle.
This dark comedy by Joseph Kesselring is set in 1940s Brooklyn: When theater critic Mortimer Brewster comes home to announce his engagement, the announcement is upended when he discovers a corpse in his elderly aunts’ window seat. Further complications arise as he deals with a brother who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt and another murderous brother returning home after plastic surgery to hide from the police.
Remaining show times include 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1-2; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3. Reserve tickets by phone at (806) 355-9991 or online at www.tickets.amarillolittletheatre.org .
Regional Art Faculty Show revives a celebration of creative talent
CANYON — In partnership with the West Texas A&M University Art Program, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum (PPHM) is hosting the Regional Art Faculty Show. After a brief hiatus, this year’s exhibition is curated by PPHM’s Curator of Art, Deana Craighead. The show runs from Oct. 4 to Jan. 5, 2025 in the museum’s Southwestern Gallery, located at 2503 4th Ave., in Canyon.
The show features contemporary artworks in various media from participating schools including Amarillo College, Angelo State University, Eastern New Mexico University, Institute of American Indian Arts, Midwestern State University, New Mexico Highlands University, South Plains College, Texas Tech University, and West Texas A&M University. For more information about PPHM, visit www.panhandleplains.org.
National Geographic photo exhibit on display at Arts in the Sunset
Arts in the Sunset visitors will witness some of the most surprising animal behavior in the National Geographic exhibition, “The Greatest Wildlife Photographs,” now on display in the Ann Crouch Gallery and free and open to the public.
The very best wildlife pictures from the pages of National Geographic magazine have been chosen to be displayed in this exhibition, according to the Amarillo Arts Institute news release. The celebratory look at wildlife includes images taken by National Geographic’s most iconic photographers such as, Michael “Nick” Nichols, Steve Winter, Paul Nicklen, Beverly Joubert, David Doubilet and more.
“The Greatest Wildlife Photographs” will remain open at Arts in the Sunset until Dec. 22. To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org or follow them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Amarillo Symphony to present Epic Movie Music concerts Nov. 22-23
Soar to the stars with your favorite soundtracks from “Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” “Back to the Future,” and more during the Amarillo Symphony’s Epic Movie Music nights. Attendees are encouraged to come in costume and enjoy this family-friendly concert, set for Nov. 22 and 23 in the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, and tickets are on sale now. Guest ensemble will be the Amarillo Master Chorale. For more, see panhandletickets.com .
Price is Right Live coming to Civic Center on March 14
The Amarillo Civic Center Complex will play host to The Price is Right Live interactive stage show on Friday, March 14, 2025 at 7:30 p.m., the venue announced this week. Tickets went on sale Friday at panhandletickets.com .
“Come on Down” and be a part of this family friendly stage show (non-televised) offering fans across America a chance to make dreams come true and relive feelings of nostalgia, while experiencing the same thrilling excitement of winning big, up close, locally and in-person. During Amarillo’s stop, the show will give randomly selected contestants a chance to play everyone’s favorite games like Plinko, Cliffhangers, The Big Wheel and even the fabulous Showcase. Lucky audience members can even win prizes right from their seat.
Special packages are available; see the show’s website for details or follow them on social media platforms including Facebook, X and Instagram.
Amarillo set to have its first ever LEGO convention in January
Amarillo will have its first ever LEGO convention when the Amarillo Brick Convention arrives at the Amarillo Civic Center Complex on Jan. 4 and 5. According to organizers, it will be the ultimate event for LEGO lovers of all ages, and tickets are expected to sell out.
A portion of the proceeds will be going to Creations for Charity, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that buys new LEGO sets for underprivileged children around the world during the holidays. For the Amarillo convention, “professional LEGO artists will be coming in from around the United States to display their amazing LEGO creations and to meet with fans. There will also be meet-and-greets with LEGO celebrities,” a news release says. LEGO fans will be able to get creative in the Construction Zone, with thousands of bricks available, as well as live builds to watch and engage with. Galleries will have also been set up with life-sized LEGO models on display. Other attractions include LEGO merchandise for sale, including retired sets and goodies from multiple different vendors; a Star Wars Zone; Castle Build Zone; and a Fan Zone, with epic LEGO creations built by local fan builders.
Advance tickets are $14.99 online at www.brickconvention.com/amarillo .
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