Summertime fun is finally here, with a slew of outdoor music offerings, Sod Poodles games, plenty of festivals and tons more all throughout June. But don’t overlook the wrap-up of the annual arts season, with major productions and events throughout May. Keep up with all the fun by subscribing to the free weekly Brickly and biweekly Flavorillo newsletters.
May
Dreamgirls: Amarillo Little Theatre tackles this iconic ’80s musical, inspired by the dramatic story of Diana Ross & The Supremes and celebrating the excitement and heart of R&B music. It’ll be staged May 1 to 19 in the ALT Allen Shankles MainStage, 2019 Civic Circle. Other arts highlights include continuing performances of West Texas A&M University Theatre’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum from May 1 to 4 in the Branding Iron Theatre; the WT Art Program’s spring Bachelor of Fine Arts exhibition from May 2 to 24 in the Dord Fitz Formal Art Gallery; the monthly First Friday Artwalk on May 2 at Arts in the Sunset, 3701 Plains Blvd.; the return of WT’s Showcase of Music on May 2 in the Amarillo Civic Center Complex Auditorium, 401 S. Buchanan St.; WT Choirs’ spring concert May 4 in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall; and WT Concert and Symphonic Bands’ spring concert May 7 in Northen Recital Hall.
Dwight Yoakam with The Mavericks: It ain’t no cryin’ shame that the alt-country greats team up for a night of guitars, Cadillacs and great music May 15 in the Civic Center Complex Coliseum. Other music highlights include 512: The Selena Experience, a 30th-anniversary tribute to the late Tejano star on May 2 in the Santa Fe Depot pavilion, 401 S. Buchanan St.; contemporary Christian artist Jeremy Camp on May 8 in the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Buchanan St.; R&B star Ginuwine with Savannah Cristina and more May 9 and country star Randall King with David Lewis on May 10 at Azteca Music Hall, 500 N. Farm-to-Market Road 1912; the weekly outdoor jazz series Music at Wellington Square Courtyard beginning May 14; Amarillo-born rock star Travis T. Warren on May 21 and Texas country singer Tristan Roberson on May 23 at the Golden Light Cantina, 2906 SW Sixth Ave.; Texas country act The Reid Freeman Band on May 24 at Hoot’s Pub, 2424 Hobbs Road; and tribute act Def Leggend on May 31 at Shark Beach Burgers, 1505 E. Farm-to-Market 1151.
Bad Magik Music Festival: The annual celebration of the Amarillo music scene returns May 24 to Sam Houston Park, Line Avenue and Western Street, offering vendors, food trucks and a full lineup of the city’s indie bands. Other event highlights include the Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Cinco de Mayo Fajita Festival on May 3 at Hodgetown, 701 S. Buchanan St.; El Barrio Lions Club’s Cinco de Mayo Celebration on May 3 at El Alamo Park, 1621 S. Houston St.; May the 4th Be with You on May 4 at the Don Harrington Discovery Center, 1200 Streit Drive; Amarillo SPCA’s annual Muttfest on May 4 at Starlight Ranch Event Center, 1415 Sunrise Drive; Amarillo Sod Poodles action against the Tulsa Drillers from May 6 to 11 and the Frisco RoughRiders from May 27 to June 1 at Hodgetown; big-haired psychic Theresa Caputo on May 7 in the Civic Center Complex Auditorium; comedian Rob Schneider’s You Can Dooooo It tour on May 9 in the Globe-News Center; the Gals shopping expo on May 10 at Arts in the Sunset; Planes, Trains and Automobiles open house May 10 at the Amarillo Railroad Museum, 3160 I Ave.; comedian Chonda Pierce’s Queen of Clean Comedy tour on May 16 at The Church at Quail Creek, 801 Tascosa Road; The Hope and Healing Place’s Half Marathon on May 10 in downtown Amarillo; Irish dance extravaganza Celtic Throne II on May 29 in the Globe-News Center; and the 24 Hours in the Canyon bike race May 30 and 31 in Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning: Tom Cruise swings for the fences (most likely from a helicopter) in what could be the final installment of this madly successful action franchise, opening May 23. Other movie highlights for the month include horror film Rosario, action flick Shadow Force and the latest Marvel offering Thunderbolts* on May 2; horror-comedy Clown in a Cornfield, action-comedy Fight or Flight and musical Juliet & Romeo on May 9; horror sequel Final Destination: Bloodlines, thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow and mystery The Ruse on May 16; live-action remake Lilo & Stitch on May 23; and horror film Bring Her Back and legacy sequel Karate Kid: Legends on May 30. Plus, don’t miss 50th-anniversary screenings of Monty Python and the Holy Grail on May 4 and 7.
June
Texas Route 66 Festival: The celebration of the Mother Road returns, with 10 days of activities planned all across the Panhandle, including classic car shows, the Coors Cowboy Club Cattle Drive and Parade on June 7, live music, bus tours and a grand finale on June 14 in the Route 66 Historic District. Other events to watch out for include the Coors Cowboy Club Ranch Rodeo from June 5 to 7 in the Amarillo National Center on the Tri-State Fairgrounds, 3301 SE 10th Ave.; Sod Poodles action against the San Antonio Missions from June 10 to 15 and the Arkansas Travelers from June 24 to 29 at Hodgetown; the American Quarter Horse Association Versatility Ranch Horse World Championships from June 15 to 21 in the Amarillo National Center; Ink Masters Tattoo Expo from June 26 to 29 at Ashmore Inn & Suites, 2301 E. Interstate 40; the Pride on the Plains festival on June 28 at Memorial Park, 26th Avenue and Washington Street; and the Props and Pistons Car Show & Fly-In on June 28 at Tradewind Airport, 4105 Tradewind St.
Aaron Watson: The Texas country superstar brings his Buy the World a Round tour to his hometown for a June 7 show at Azteca Music Hall, featuring fellow Amarillo boy Kevin Fowler. Other music highlights for the month include contemporary Christian acts Crowder and Matt Maher on June 5 in the Civic Center Complex Auditorium; country-folk band Blue Cactus on June 5 for an HPPR Living Room Concert at the Atomic Yellow in Arts in the Sunset; ’90s country star Suzy Bogguss in intimate shows June 12 and 13 at Buffalo Grass Music Hall, 123 Main St. in Panhandle; alt-rockers Blue October’s Argue with a Tree tour on June 13 in the Globe-News Center; and Texas country stars Corey Hunt and The Wise on June 13 at Golden Light Cantina. Plus, don’t miss the Sounds of the Summer outdoor concert series, including Starlight Theater (Tuesdays in June, July and August in Sam Houston Park); June Jazz (Tuesdays in June at Amarillo College); High Noon on the Square (Wednesdays in June and July at the Old Potter County Courthouse, 501 S. Fillmore St.); Music in the Gardens (June through August at Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive); and the continuing Music at Wellington Square Courtyard.
Texas: The outdoor musical returns for its historic 59th season in Pioneer Amphitheatre in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Performances are set for Tuesdays through Sundays from June 6 to Aug. 9. Other arts events include the monthly First Friday Art Walk on June 6 at Arts in the Sunset; and Amarillo Little Theatre’s Leading Men of the Past Ten fundraiser concert June 7 in the Allen Shankles MainStage.
28 Years Later: The fast-moving zombie franchise returns with a much-awaited new installment opening June 20. Also hitting theaters in June are John Wick-adjacent Ballerina, horror flick Dangerous Animals, Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, and exorcism nightmare The Ritual on June 6; a live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon and rom-com Materialists on June 13; sci-fi animated adventure Elio on June 20; and racing drama F1 and sci-fi thriller M3GAN 2.0 on June 27. Special events include a 25th-anniversary screening of Dogma opening June 5; Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade on June 14, 15 and 18; and 30th-anniversary screenings of Clueless on June 29 and 30.
