Bid farewell to 2025 with your choice of parties all around town, from quiet dinners to gala fundraisers to raucous rock concerts.
Amarillo Little Theatre: The second-annual NYE at ALT holiday gala will feature Pocket Break, DJ Cassandra, heavy hors d’oeuvres by Chef Bud, an open bar, a diamond raffle, whiskey/wine pull, silent auction and more. (7:30 p.m. Wednesday, ALT Adventure Space, 2751 Civic Circle; tickets $100, tables available; 806-355-9991)
Amarillo Tavern: La Obra Norteña brings some heat to the Amarillo Tavern. (9 p.m. Tuesday; 2624 E. Amarillo Blvd.; 806-383-0512)
Atomic Yellow: Amarillo rockers Gardens Grove, Trenchrat, Berzerk, Social Anxiety and more will make noise for the holiday. (7 p.m. Wednesday; Sunset Underground at Arts in the Sunset, 3701 Plains Blvd.; cover $10; atomicyellowict@gmail.com)
Blind Pig: Caleb Michael & The Arrested provides the tunes for the bar’s holiday celebration. (10 p.m. Wednesday; 609 S. Independence St.; 806-412-4251)
Broken Spoke Lounge: Country singer Jim Bean takes a shot for the holiday. (9 p.m. Wednesday; 3101 S.W. Sixth Ave.; no cover; 806-373-9149)
Cactus Cove Inn & Suites: Amarillo Escape and Mystery hosts a “Killer Track” mystery dinner (7 p.m. Wednesday; 2501 E. Interstate 40; tickets $65; 806-905-6089)
Cattlemans’ Club: Enjoy a pool tournament, drink specials and more. (7 p.m. Wednesday; 3803 E. Amarillo Blvd.; clubcattlemans@gmail.com)
Tommy Guns: Amarillo’s newest speakeasy opens for its first night. (7 p.m. Wednesday; 9400 Canyon Drive; 806-351-2647)
Don Harrington Discovery Center: Ring in the new year with all-day science demonstrations and more. (9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday; 1200 Streit Drive; admission free for members, $16 for adults, $10 for children; 806-355-9547)
Hoots Pub: Sing along with B-Man Karaoke and enjoy a champagne toast at midnight. (8 p.m. Wednesday; Hoots Pub, 2424 Hobbs Road; no cover)
Matador Cocktail Lounge: DJ Grenuda & DJ Element will spin tunes at this downtown party. (7 p.m. Wednesday; 626 S. Polk St.; ticket packages vary; 806-699-1119)
Metropolitan Steak & Seafood: Swing in the new year with Esquire Jazz Band. (8:30 p.m. Wednesday; 9181 Town Square Blvd., Suite 1201; reservations $22; dinner reservations suggested; 806-242-0117)
Nina Lune Art Gallery: The Enchanted Masquerade party will feature dancing and live performance art. (7 p.m. Wednesday; 601 S. Prospect St.; free; 806-341-1934)
Old Tascosa Brewing Co.: El Salto will offer tunes at this holiday get-together. (9 p.m. Wednesday; Old Tascosa Brewing Co., 3100 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-681-4050)
Rockwell Event Center: Tribute bands Mötley Krüe and Kidd Sixx will howl in the new year. (8 p.m. Wednesday; 16307 Interstate 27; tickets $16.43 and up; 806-683-2156)
RR Bar: The Black Light Masquerade will feature free masks, a champagne toast and live music from Piles of Potential. (10 p.m. Wednesday; 701 S. Georgia St.; 806-342-9000)
Savór: Enjoy a five-course Dinner in the Dark event. (8:30 p.m. Wednesday; 7669 Hillside Road, Suite 600; reservations suggested; 806-310-2600)
Cask & Cork: Enjoy a three-course meal to celebrate the new year. (Wednesday; 5461 McKenna Square, Suite 101; reservations $89; 806-410-1113)
Smokey Joe’s Cafe: The Solano Project will rock in the new year. (9 p.m. Wednesday; 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-331-6698)
Tabletop Tavern Game Cafe: Looking for a quieter night? Take on your fellow gamers for the holiday. (2 p.m. Wednesday; 410 15th St. in Canyon; tabletoptavern24@gmail.com)
Toscana Italian Steakhouse: Executive Chef Marcus Snead will offer a four-course dinner. (6 and 8:30 p.m. Wednesday; reservations $99; 806-414-2200)
Tripp’s Harley-Davidson: Celebrate both the new year and the motorcycle shop’s 70th anniversary. (9 p.m. Wednesday; 6040 W. Interstate 40; 806-352-2021)
Western Horseman Club: Amarillo country favorites Next to Kin headline the festivities. (10 p.m. Wednesday; 2501 E. Interstate 40; cover $25; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
This week’s other can’t-miss options:
Sunrise Hike: 7 a.m. Thursday; Palo Duro Canyon State Park, 11450 Park Road 5; free with park admission; 806-488-2227
“No Resolutions, Only Revolutions” Open Mic: 7:30 p.m. Thursday; Idol Art Studio, 1201 S. Polk St.; 806-236-4128
First Friday Art Walk: 5 to 9 p.m. Friday; 3701 Plains Blvd.; free; 806-354-8802
Autumnal: 9 p.m. Saturday; The 806 Coffee + Lounge, 2812 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover $10; 806-322-1806
Colten Wilcher and Cory Mangum: 9 p.m. Saturday; Rounders, 2801 S. Virginia St.; no cover; 806-352-3317
The JR Herrera Band: 9 p.m. Saturday; Blind Pig, 609 S. Independence St.; 806-412-4251
The Stonewall Hippies: 9 p.m. Saturday; Hoots Pub, 2424 Hobbs Road; cover
Movie options:
At presstime, no new films are scheduled to open this weekend, so movie fans are likely to take some time to catch up on some of the year’s best releases.
In that spirit, here’s my Top 10 for the year (well, 11 thanks to one tie). Most have screened or are currently screening here; if not, most are available to stream.
1) Sinners: The most exciting, viscerally entertaining film I saw all year, with metaphorical layers that I can’t stop thinking about. (Streaming on HBO Max; rentable on all platforms)
2) One Battle After Another: Extraordinarily timely, uproariously funny and fantastically riveting. (Streaming on HBO Max; rentable on all platforms)
3) Eddington: Just a gut punch of horrifying relevance. (Streaming on HBO Max; rentable on all platforms)
4) The Secret Agent: Another twisted take on living in revolutionary times. I saw it in Dallas, but hopefully, you’ll be able to catch it at home soon. (In limited release)
5) Black Bag: Steven Soderbergh’s spy thriller is just insanely fun. (Streaming on Prime; rentable on all platforms)
6) Weapons: What an unexpected delight, and who can deny Aunt Gladys? (Streaming on HBO Max; rentable on all platforms)
7) Lurker: Apparently, my 2025 was all about twisted tales. This one offers a delicious take on parasocial fan worship. (Streaming on MUBI; rentable on all platforms)
8) Marty Supreme: OK sure, the title character is loathsome, but the magic of Josh Safdie’s direction and Timothée Chalamet’s performance makes you root for the SOB anyway. (In theatres now)
*9) Frankenstein: Guillermo del Toro’s take on the iconic horror tale truly comes to life thanks to Jacob Elordi’s sensational performance (Streaming on Netflix)
*9) Wake Up Dead Man: The latest Knives Out mystery is the best yet, and Bridget Everett’s voice cameo is one of the most powerful scenes in any film this year. (Streaming on Netflix)
10) Superman: The most hopeful film on this list and the best take on the Man of Steel since Christopher Reeve. (Streaming on HBO Max; rentable on all platforms)
Honorable mention: Bugonia, not Yorgos Lanthimos’ best, but still damn entertaining (streaming on Peacock, rentable on all platforms); Final Destination: Bloodlines, crazy fun (streaming on HBO Max, rentable on all platforms); The Naked Gun, the one on this list I most wish I’d seen in theaters (streaming on Paramount+, rentable on all platforms); Twinless, featuring a powerful double performance by Dylan O’Brien and one hell of a twist (rentable on all platforms); The Wedding Banquet, heartfelt and wonderful (streaming on Paramount+, rentable on all platforms).
