By Chip Chandler — Producer
Here's a quick take on your 10 best entertainment bets in the next 10 days.
1. Wonderland Park
Celebrate the last days of summer by screaming your fool head off on the Texas Tornado before the amusement park closes for the season on Sept. 2.
2. Amarillo Sod Poodles
The Soddies will wrap up the regular season with games against the Tulsa Drillers on Aug. 29 and the Arkansas Travelers from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2 at Hodgetown, 715 S. Buchanan St. The first two South Division Finals playoff games are set for Sept. 4 and 5 at the home stadium, as well. (For more on the Sod Poodles, watch the season premiere of The Handle, Panhandle PBS's weekly newsmagazine.)
3. Paw Patrol Live
Hopefully, the wet-dog smell won't be too overwhelming when the animated TV stars come to life for "The Great Pirate Adventure" for five shows between Aug. 30 and Sept. 1 in the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Buchanan St.
4. Amarillo Crime Stoppers Car Show
The 11th annual show, which benefits Amarillo Crime Stoppers and Student Crime Stoppers, will feature hundreds of cars, from classics to the latest, on Aug. 31 throughout the Amarillo Civic Center Complex, 401 S. Buchanan St.
5. Boys Ranch Rodeo
Children ages 5 to 18 will compete in a variety of events, from mutton busting to bronc riding, at the 75th annual rodeo on Aug. 31 on the Boys Ranch grounds, about 43 miles northwest of Amarillo on Farm-to-Market Road 1061. Festivities begin at 10 a.m., including the accompanying Adventurefest, a family-friendly midway event with food, games, educational activities and more. Rodeo action begins at 2:30 p.m. following a noon barbecue lunch, which is included in the ticket price.
6. Tribute to the Greatest Generation
Patrick Swindell & Esquire Jazz will perform big band music at this annual celebration of the end of World War II at 6 p.m. Aug. 31 at Texas Air & Space Museum, 10001 American Drive.
7. It Chapter Two
Go back to Derry as the grown-up Losers Club comes home to face off again against Pennywise in this highly anticipated sequel opening Sept. 6 (previewing Sept. 5). Opening this weekend: inspirational drama Bennett's War, sci-fi / horror thriller Don't Let Go and Spanish-language romantic comedy Todos Caen. Special engagements will include an extended-cut re-release of Spider-Man: Far from Home beginning Aug. 29; an It Chapter One re-release beginning Aug. 30; a Quentin Tarantino marathon featuring Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2, Pulp Fiction and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood on Aug. 30; a TCM Big Screen Classics screening of Lawrence of Arabia on Sept. 1 and 4; and an 80th anniversary screening of The Wizard of Oz at 2 p.m. Sept. 1 at the Mulkey Theater, 110 S. Kearney St. in Clarendon.
8. Friends of Fogelberg
The annual prostate-cancer benefit concert will feature more than two dozen Amarillo musicians in a country-tinged production at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 6 in the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Buchanan St.
9. Up in the Air for Family Care
The 10th annual hot-air balloon festival will move to Starlight Ranch Event Center, 1415 Sunset Drive. Festivities, which will begin at 4 p.m. Sept. 7, will include a balloon glow and balloon rides (weather permitting), food trucks, bounce houses, kids' activities and music from KISS tribute act Destroyer.
10. Gary Allan
The country star will perform at 8 p.m. Sept. 7 in the Amarillo Civic Center Complex Auditorium, 401 S. Buchanan St. Other concerts of note: Mike Fuller on Aug. 29 and Devlon Jones on Aug. 31 at Esquire Jazz Club, 626 S. Polk St.; singer-songwriter Szlachetka at 10 p.m. Aug. 29, Texas country star Zane Williams at 10 p.m. Aug. 30, Texas country rockers The Dirty River Boys at 10 p.m. Aug. 31, Americana singer-songwriter Ross Cooper at 10 p.m. Sept. 5 and Americana singer-songwriter Max Stalling at 10 p.m. Sept. 6 at Hoots Pub, 2424 Hobbs Road; '60s tribute band Paisley Craze's Peace and Love tour at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30; an HPPR Living Room Concert with jazz-blues duo Paper Moon Shiners at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 30 at Chalice Abbey, 2717 Stanley St.; Ragland with Native Crowds and Gunner Fore & The Interstate at 10 p.m. Aug. 30, Amarillo indie bands Vamping and Laeom at 10 p.m. Aug. 31 and bluegrass band Wood & Wireat 10 p.m. Sept. 5 at the Golden Light Cantina, 2908 S.W. Sixth Ave.; hard rock bands A Special Case and Visions Scarred at 10 p.m. Aug. 30 at Skooterz, 4100 Bushland Blvd.; Amarillo party band The Tweeks with Motor of Love and Johnny Reverb at 6 p.m. Aug. 31 at Smokey Joe's, 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; '90s country sensation Travis Tritt at 8 p.m. Aug. 31 and Americana pioneer Ray Wylie Hubbard at 8 p.m. Sept. 6 at Starlight Ranch Event Center, 1415 Sunset Drive; and mountain soul singer Ruby Hornsby at 7 p.m. Sept. 3 at Zombiez Bar & Grill, 711 S.W. 10th Ave.
Chip Chandler is a producer for Panhandle PBS and a member of GALECA. He can be contacted at Chip.Chandler@actx.edu, at @chipchandler1 on Twitter and on Facebook.
