By Arden Berry | Arts & Life Editor
As schedules fill with coursework and summer fun turns to studying, Waco continues to offer a variety of events that students can attend for an escape. With that in mind, as your syllabi pile up, The Lariat has a different kind of weekly schedule to fill your free time with.
Here are some fun events to ease you into the semester:
“Sea Monsters Unearthed” | Aug. 24-30 | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Mayborn Museum Complex, 1300 S. University Parks Drive | $12 adult admission | “Sea Monsters Unearthed” takes you to an ancient underwater world, complete with a 23-foot mosasaur skeleton. Catch this exhibition created by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History before it leaves Waco.
Silent Reading Club: Tea & Tales | Aug. 25 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Waco-McLennan County Central Library, 1717 Austin Ave. | Free | This event is for curious readers who cannot resist a bit of gossip. The library provides spoiler-free summaries that spill the tea on the books available to choose from. Pick a book, take a seat, have some iced tea and enjoy the drama.
Wednesday Night Farmers Market | Aug. 26 | 5-8 p.m. | Bridge Street Plaza, South M.L.K. Jr. Boulevard & Elm Avenue | Take an evening stroll down Bridge Street Plaza, enjoy some live music and get some food from the market vendors this Wednesday. The Waco Downtown Farmers Market has been going strong since 2011 and added Wednesday evenings at Bridge Street Plaza to the mix in 2023.
Adult Skate Night | Aug. 27 | 8-10:30 p.m. | Skate Waco, 401 Towne Oaks Drive | $10 | If schoolwork has you stuck and you’re looking for a way to blow off steam, glide over the Skate Waco for adult skate night. Grab your friends, strap on some skates and roll your worries away.
Dear Evan Hansen | Aug. 27-30 | Times vary | Waco Civic Theatre, 1517 Lake Air Drive | $30 tickets | Looking to beat the heat? Take a seat in the cool Waco Civic Theatre for a heart-wrenching, Tony Award-winning musical put on by the Waco community. And if you leave wanting even more tearjerking musical numbers, I recommend listening to the musical’s unused tracks on the car ride home.
Pecos & the Rooftops | Aug. 28 | 8:30 p.m. | The Backyard Bar Stage and Grill, 511 S. Eighth St. | $24.57 General Admission | Jam to some live country-rock music at The Backyard with Lubbock band Pecos & the Rooftops.
Giovannie and the Hired Guns | Aug. 29 | 8:30 p.m. | The Backyard Bar Stage and Grill, 511 S. Eighth St. | $29.88 General Admission | For more live rock, join Giovannie and the Hired Guns at The Backyard. According to their website, the Texas band offers sound from alt-metal, country, Latin pop, Americana and more.
LEGO Brick Convention | Aug. 29-30 | Times vary | BASE at Extraco Events Center, 4601 Bosque Blvd. | $15 plus taxes and fees online, $20 at the door | With its huge Lego displays, photo ops, special guests and hands-on zones, this event is perfect for Lego lovers looking for weekend plans. Have fun and play well!
