By Chip Chandler — Digital Content Producer
From foot races to bicycle crawls, fall farms to spy games, political theater to stand-up comedy, this weekend (and week ahead) is packed with activities.
Fundraisers
- There's still time to register for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure for Greater Amarillo, set to kick off at 8 a.m. Saturday for the competitive 5K and 9:15 a.m. for the 5K run/walk and one-mile run/walk through downtown Amarillo. Registration can be done in person from 4 to 7 p.m. today, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, and 7 to 9 a.m. Saturday at Amarillo National Bank Plaza II, 500 S. Taylor St. Click here for more details.
- The Horns 'N Heels Gala, which benefits Advo Companies, is set for 6 p.m. Friday at Advo, 5241 S. Washington St. The evening includes a catered meal, a style show and karate demonstrations by Advo's clients. Sponsorship levels are $1,000 and above. The weekend also includes World Series Team Roping at 10 a.m. Friday (including pro ropers) and 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at Will Rogers Range Riders Arena, 313 Texas Loop 335. Admission is free. Call 806-342-0600.
- A hamburger and hot dog lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday will raise money for the Amarillo Police Department benefit fund. The lunch will be held in the Amarillo Civic Center Complex Grand Plaza, 401 S. Buchanan St.
- Chow down on a slew of chicken wings at the fourth annual Wing Wars fundraiser for Amarillo Montessori Academy. The event runs from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at a new location, the showroom for Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Galleries, 5823 Canyon Drive. Tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for children, or $60 for early-bird admission at 3 p.m.
- The Greater Amarillo Foster Parent Association will hold a French toast breakfast fundraiser at 8 a.m. Saturday at Central Church of Christ, 1401 S. Monroe St. Admission is $5 for all you can eat French toast, sausage, bacon, milk, juice and coffee.
- 575 Pizzeria's eighth-annual P3 Pubcrawl, kicking off at 1 p.m. Sunday, will take bicyclists from the pizzeria's Wolflin location, 2803 Civic Circle, to Golden Light Cafe, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave., and to I Don't Know Sports Bar & Grill, 1301 S.W. Sixth Ave., before returning to 575. (Here's a map of the route.) Live music will be available at each stop. Proceeds benefit One Chair at a Time.
- The Plemons-Eakle Neighborhood Association's historic home tour runs from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, featuring tours of homes at 1620 S. Polk St., 1700 S. Polk St., 1620 S. Tyler St. (the historic Barfield house), 2200 S. Polk St. and 1311 S. Madison St., as well as Central Church of Christ, 1401 S. Monroe St. Tickets are $17 in advance from any PanhandleTicket outlet (or online here) or $20 the day of the event at any house. Parking is available at the church.
Other events
- Amarillo Little Theatre continues its run of Gore Vidal's The Best Man with performances at 7:30 p.m. today, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the ALT Mainstage, 2019 Civic Circle. The drama focuses on a bitter primary race between a patrician Secretary of State (played by Justin Loe) and a fiery upstart senator (played by Cy Scroggins); here's my preview.
- Amarillo Zoo will celebrate the endangered black-footed ferret from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the zoo, 2401 Dumas Drive. The ferret, once thought to be extinct, was rediscovered on Sept. 26, 1981 in Wyoming, and now an estimated 1,000 or more are in captive breeding and release programs. The Amarillo Zoo is one of only 24 zoos in the country permitted to exhibit the ferret. Saturday's activities include keeper chats, wildlife shows, children's crafts and more.
- The Amarillo Tri-State Fair & Rodeo continues from 8 a.m. to midnight today through Saturday. Admission is free until 1 p.m. through Friday; otherwise, admission is $10 ages 13 to 54, or $5 ages 6 to 12 or ages 55 and older. Ride wristbands are $30 daily; midway hours are 4 p.m. to midnight on weekdays and 1 p.m. to midnight on weekends. Mega Passes (including daily admission to the fair and all rides except for the power ride) are $65 through Sept. 15 and $70 afterwards. The fair also offers special admission rates nearly nightly. Check here for full details.
- Maxwell's Country Family Fun & Maze opens at 10 a.m. Saturday for a ninth season, this year with a new giant maze that includes a barnyard bingo game. More than 80 acres at the farm are used for educational, hands-on activities, including sing-along hayrides, the pumpkin patch, apple cannons, a jumping pad, ziplines, giant slides and more. Tickets are $14.95 (plus tax) including unlimited rides on the ziplines or $11.95 (plus tax) without. The farm, located 12908 S. Bell St., is open 5 to 9 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 9 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 30. Call 806-373-9600.
- Gee Family Farm (formerly the Amazingly Fun Farm) will open for a new season of fun at 10 a.m. Saturday. The farm, located at Loop 335 and South Whitaker Road, will offer a family-friendly maze (no more haunted one for fans of the scares, but there will be a flashlight-led nighttime maze from 8 to 10 p.m. Fridays), a special trail for families with young children, farm-relatd activities, a hay slide, a zipline and more. Admission is $10 (plus tax). Hours are 2 to 7 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and 2 to 7 p.m. Sundays. Call 806-346-5677.
- Amarillo Community Market will move slightly again to the parking lot at the Santa Fe building, 10th Avenue and Tyler Street, on Saturday to accommodate the Komen race (see above). The market, which will feature about 70 vendors, will be open early and run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Don Harrington Discovery Center will celebrate espionage with its latest traveling exhibition, opening Saturday. Top Secret: License to Spy is based on a James Bond-style fantasy of exotic locations and high-tech equipment as kids try to solve a mystery; here's my preview. Admission is $11 for adults or $8 for children 8 to 12, students age 13 to 22, military and seniors. Call 806-355-9547.
Comedy shows
- Comedians Jake Daniels and Justin Rivera will bring their Joker & Jester Comedy Tour to Dimmitt for an 8 p.m. Friday show at Gerry's First Place, 208 S.E. Fourth St. Cover is $5.
- Carlos Valencia, who I interviewed earlier this week, will perform at 8 p.m. Sunday at No Dogs Allowed, 700 S.W. 10th Ave., for the Comedy Nights with Shea White series. Cover is $3 or $5 for couples, including one free well drink.
- Doug Stanhope will return to town for a 7 p.m. Tuesday show at Golden Light Cantina, 2908 S.W. Sixth Ave. Tickets are $30, plus fees, and available at Stanhope's website. Look for my interview with the foul-mouthed comic later today.
Chip Chandler is a digital content producer for Panhandle PBS. He can be contacted at Chip.Chandler@actx.edu, at @chipchandler1 on Twitter and at www.facebook.com/chipchandlerwriter on Facebook.
