With Fourth of July behind us, things look to be a little calmer this weekend, but there are still plenty of festivities for Amarilloans to enjoy. These include celebrating a notable local hero’s birthday, a horse that shaped America’s history, an annual bull riding fundraiser and more.
For this weekend’s opening film, a live-action version of Disney’s “Moana,” Cinergy Amarillo will have a tropical morning celebration July 11 featuring island-inspired fun, luau decor, and leis, as well as ongoing themed menu items and a kids’ pack. The Tascosa Drive-In will be showing “Minions & Monsters” and “Disclosure Day,” according to their latest summer movie schedule.
Esquire Music Co will present the Band Directors’ Big Band live at Wellington Square Courtyard, located behind Fast Eddie’s at 1619 S. Kentucky St. in Amarillo at 7 p.m. Friday, July 10. The program features West Texas A&M University School of Music professors James Barger and Russ Tewleit with area band directors. Admission is $15 at the door. Guests may bring drinks, snacks and lawn chairs.
Here are five other things to note for the weekend of July 9-12 in the Amarillo area.
Weekend celebration in Claude
July 9-11: 94th Annual Caprock Roundup Celebration in Claude — A short drive on U.S. 287 from Amarillo will bring crowds to Claude for a weekend full of festivities, including the Farmer’s Market kickoff on Thursday evening (6-8 p.m. on the Armstrong County Courthouse Square), a horseshoe tournament Friday night (6 p.m. at Bert Wooldridge Arena) and a full Saturday of fun on the square. Crowds can enjoy July 11 events starting with vendors and food trucks at 9 a.m., a parade at 10 a.m., as well as a pet show, live music, a barbecue lunch, pageants, the Youth Ranch Rodeo, and more. Bring you own coolers and chairs. For a full schedule of events as well as access to advance rodeo and concert tickets, visit www.claudetexas.com .
Museum to remember Rick Husband for his birthday
July 11: Rick Husband birthday celebration at Texas Air and Space Museum — The museum, located at 10001 American Drive at the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, is inviting the public on Saturday to observe the birthday of astronaut and local hero Rick Husband. They will be serving cupcakes and offering tours of the NASA Shuttle Training Aircraft, in which he flew 49 training missions. Visitors may also participate an American Aviation History Hunt. Based on biographical information from NASA and the airport named for him, Rick Douglas Husband was born July 12, 1957, in Amarillo. At age 17, he earned his pilot’s license while flying at Tradewind Airport. He graduated with honors from Amarillo High School in 1975, earned a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from Texas Tech University in 1980, and a masters in mechanical engineering from California State University, Fresno, in 1990. In May, 1980, Husband was commissioned a second lieutenant in the USAF and selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in December 1994. He was pilot on STS-96 (1999) and crew commander on STS-107 (2003), logging 24 days, 51 hours and 33 minutes in space. He died Feb. 1, 2003, in the Columbia disaster over the Texas Panhandle. Museum admission is by donation, and hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 806-335-9159.
AQHA hosts Family Fun Day
July 11: Family Fun Day and more at the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum — During the free community event Saturday at the facility, located at 2601 E Interstate Dr. in Amarillo, families will be able to enjoy appearances by Two Bits, hands-on activities including horse-themed crafts and activity books, meeting a real American Quarter Horse and more. The event, running 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will also serve as a celebration of America’s 250th birthday and the horse that helped shape our nation’s history. They will also have a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the brand-new space, the Wagonhound Paddock, officials in attendance and a live horse-and-rider demonstration. For more information, call 806-376-5181.
Koben Puckett PBR returns
July 11: Koben Puckett PBR at Amarillo National Center — The 12th annual event takes place at the fairgrounds on the second Saturday in July. Gates are set to open at 6 p.m., with the event starting around 7:30 p.m. According to their website, last year, they had 2,630 people attending, with more watching through the live-stream on the PBR app, and raised $31,000 for Press On Foundation. The organization works to raise funds to help individuals recovering from spinal cord injuries. The annual event is named for Canyon cowboy Koben Puckett, a former bull rider whose career was cut short by a spinal cord injury during a PBR classic event. The 2025 professional bull riding action had a payout of $20,000. Advance tickets for this year’s event are $25-$55 through the Tri-State Fair outlet at 806-376-7767. Admission is half price for children ages 12 and younger. See their Facebook page for details, or their website at https://kobenpuckettpbr.com/amarillo .
Collectors Expo at Civic Center
July 11-12: West Texas Collectors Expo at Amarillo Civic Center — Collectors, gamers, artists and fans this weekend will again head to the Amarillo Civic Center, which will be set up with all sorts of collectibles, cards, vendors, and fun for the whole family. Seek out some rare memorabilia or your pop culture favorites, or meet your friends to enjoy shared fandoms, from Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering to Dungeons & Dragons, retro figures, sports cards, original art and more. The doors open at 10 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday, and one-day passes or VIP weekend passes are available. Learn more at https://westtexascollectorsexpo.com/ .
Other events to note on the calendar:
Seasons continue for the “TEXAS” Outdoor Musical, Wonderland Amusement Park and other nearby attractions.
For more event listings, go to visitamarillo.com .
Kristina Wood is managing editor of the Amarillo Globe-News, whose coverage includes Amarillo and Canyon, and into the Texas Panhandle. Have a story idea? Send it in at newmedia@amarillo.com .
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: 5 things to do in Amarillo and Claude this weekend
Reporting by Kristina Wood, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kristina Wood, Amarillo Globe-News | USA TODAY Network
