By Chip Chandler — Digital Content Producer
Here’s a roundup of activities to keep you hopping this Father’s Day weekend, from street fairs to parades to Shakespearean plays.
Texas Route 66 Festival
Celebrate the Mother Road with a street party Saturday.
The Route 66 fest — stretching from Georgia to Western streets — will feature a car show, a swap meet, sidewalk shopping, a scavenger hunt and a 1950s and '60s costume contest.
While on the strip, check out these live bands:
- Wild Bill's Fillin' Station, 3514 S.W. Sixth Ave.: Lee Scheetz & Borderline from 1 to 4 p.m.
- Broken Spoke Lounge, 3101 S.W. Sixth Ave.: Surfin' 66 from 1 to 3 p.m. and Mason Jar & The Shine Brothers at 9 p.m.
- Smokey Joe's, 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.: Lucid Moment at 1 p.m., Mesquite County at 2 p.m., Loaded Six at 3 p.m., Skeleton Krew at 4 p.m., Bone Head at 5 p.m., Da Boogiemen at 6 p.m. and Moon Dog at 8 p.m.
Public parking will be available at Georgia and Bryan streets as well as school parking lots on Fifth Avenue.
Admission is free.
Junefest
Celebrations commemorating Juneteenth, which recognizes the announcement in Texas of the end of slavery, will continue through Sunday.
On tap this weekend:
- Juneteenth Talent Show, 7 p.m. June 17 at Palo Duro High School, 1400 N. Grant St. Admission is $5.
- Juneteenth Parade: “Honoring Our Past, Building Our Future,” 10:30 a.m. Parade runs from North Ninth Avenue and Hughes Street to Bones Hooks Park, 2000 N. Hughes St.; activities in the park continue from 12:30 to 6 p.m.
- Church in the Park, 11 a.m. June 19 at Sanctuary of Praise, 1301 N. Taylor St.
Call 806-640-81814.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Dakota Brown, a young actor who has starred in productions at West Texas A&M University and Amarillo Little Theatre (in addition to his current featured role in Texas), butchered the role of Puck the last time he attempted it.
Of course, that was back when he was a sophomore in high school who had never done a Shakespearean play before, much less the impish instigator in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
“I have always been told I would play a good Puck … and ever since (that first production), as I’ve been looking back and progressing, I’ve wanted to play him again,” Brown said. “Mostly, I want to do it justice because I was so young and I don’t know that I knew what I was saying at the time.”
Brown’s one of about 25 cast and crew members from Texas who’ll stage Midsummer at 2:30 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Monday in the Happy State Bank Studio Theatre in WT’s Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex. The Texas gang has put the show together in about two weeks under the direction of WT musical theater instructor Andrew Barratt Lewis. (For more, check out this feature I wrote earlier this week.)
Tickets are $10. Call 806-655-2181.
All Things Artful
Denton-based skunkgrass band Boxcar Bandits will headline the All Things Artful art festival Saturday.
The event is a fundraiser for Amarillo Art Institute, and its six full-time instructors and other guest instructors will give demonstrations. Attendees can shop for works in a variety of media, including painting, pottery and leather goods. A silent auction will feature artwork donated by students, instructors and other community artists.
Admission is $40, which includes pizza from 575 Pizzeria, craft beers from Budweiser and homemade ice cream (in a keepsake bowl crafted at the institute).
Other activities and events
Wildcat Bluff Nature Center will host a Walk on the Wild Side art show from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday. Stroll along Libb’s Trail to view works by a selection of Amarillo artists, including painters, photographers and sculptors. Admission is $3 at the center, 2301 N. Soncy Road. … Amarillo Zoo will celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday with a special offer for dads. During the Fathers and Floats event, which runs from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, dads will receive a free 16-oz. root beer float. Admission at the Zoo, 2401 Dumas Highway, is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors and $2 for children ages 3 to 12. Call 806-381-7911. … The Lake Meredith Aquatic and Wildlife Museum, 104 N. Robey Ave. in Fritch, will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a special exhibition and street dance. The celebration runs from 1 to 9 p.m., including a street dance from 7 to 9 p.m. featuring Amarillo band Eddie & The Eat. Call 806-857-2458. ... Performances of Texas continue at 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Visit www.texas-show.com. … Outdoor activities include regular hours at Amarillo Zoo, Wonderland Park and Sports World, as well as at parks across town.
