In between Earth Day and next week’s anticipated reopening of the Amarillo Zoo & Sanctuary, the weekend of April 23-26 is filled with plenty of activities in the Amarillo area, including Arbor Day on Friday.
The West Texas Ranch Rodeo features a full slate of competitions, entertainment, vendors and more over its three-day run, while the Amarillo Botanical Gardens celebrates the spring season.
Meanwhile in Lubbock, George Strait fans will be lining up for his two highly anticipated concerts there this weekend, so there could be increased traffic on the highway for those performances.
Here are a few things to mark on your calendars this week.
Power of the Purse with ‘Phantom’ stars
April 23: Power of the Purse luncheon and fundraiser — The popular annual event will feature Broadway legends Sandra Joseph and Ron Bohmer this year delivering the keynote address. The former stars of “The Phantom of the Opera” will share their journey through stories and songs from their celebrated careers and personal lives on and off the stage. Youth performers from Amarillo Little Theatre will join them on stage for a special performance. Over the years, Power of the Purse has raised millions of dollars for scientific research, medical education and community programs through the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health. The ticketed event, which has pre-purchased table sponsorships, also has a purse auction and sale featuring new and gently used handbags, which are donated annually by local supporters, celebrities and businesses.
West Texas Ranch Rodeo gets bigger and better
April 23-25: West Texas Ranch Rodeo, Amarillo National Center at Tri-State Fairgrounds — The West Texas Ranch Rodeo, a premier WRCA-sanctioned event, has a full slate of events this weekend of of elite competition, westernheritage, youth involvement, and entertainment. This year, they are welcoming the Women’s Ranch Bronc Championships, which will feature 10 riders each night working to earn valuable points toward qualifying for one of rodeo’s biggest stages. Friday night’s performance will honor Women in Agriculture, and join the fun at the Red Boot Affair, provided by Visit Amarillo. They’ll also be hosting 20 WRCA Ranch Rodeo teams in a single-go, two-performance format, competing for $50,000 in cash prizes, premier gear and tack awards — as well as a chance to punch their ticket to the World Championship Ranch Rodeo in Amarillo in November. There’s also the World Championship Blacksmith Competition, with 110 of the nation’s top farriers competing in the horseshoeing contest; the WRCA Youth Ranch Rodeo; the new Tumbleweed Tex Youth Roping; 4-H and Collegiate Horse Judging and Plant Identification competitions; Cowboy Gear Classes; Ranch Rodeo Extravaganza with vendors from across the country; and more. For schedules and details, visit wtranchrodeo.com . Look for more on this in an upcoming story.
Masterworks by a Master Chorale
April 24-25: An evening of masterworks at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts — The Amarillo Symphony and Amarillo Master Chorale are teaming up to present an evening of “transcendent choral masterworks” in two concerts, starting at 7:30 p.m. Internationally celebrated conductor Nicolas McGegan will lead both ensembles in performances of Arvo Pärt’s “Da Pacem Domine,” Johannes Brahms’s “A German Requiem,” and a world premiere from West Texas A&M University student composer and Amarillo native John Sauma, titled “Dance of the Flames.” Tickets start at $27 and are available at amarillosymphony.org or by calling the Symphony Office at 806-376-8782.
Botanical Gardens celebrates spring
April 25: Garden Fest 2026 at The Amarillo Botanical Gardens — The gardens at 1400 Streit Drive rings in spring will a full day of plant sales, garden workshops, a food truck, kids’ crafts and more. The gate opens at 9 a.m. and will remain open until 2 p.m. or sell out. Geraniums will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, for $15. They’ll also be hosting more than 25 vendors during the event, including Anna of the Earth, Art & Jewelry By Janean Thompson, A’s Brewjee Coffee Co., Circle 21 Candles, Crossdiamond Farms, Fuku Farm, Laurie Dellis Pottery and Fused Glass, Revival Mill & Bread Co., Sewn By Em, Windswept Prairie Plants and many more. Admission is $5 at the gate, with members and kids 5 and younger getting in free.
Additionally, around the same time, the Randall County Master Gardeners will be hosting its annual plant sale at AmTech Career Academy, 3601 Plains Blvd., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free.
Raising, support, awareness for autism
April 25: Autism Walk by Spectrum Support Society in Arden Road Park — From 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, the nonprofit group will host the 2026 Autism Walk, a community event dedicated to promoting awareness, understanding, and inclusion for individuals with autism and their families. Everyone is invited to walk, connect, and celebrate neurodiversity through a day filled with family fun, community spirit, and meaningful advocacy. The event features a chance to enjoy music, bounce houses and family-friendly attractions, food trucks, a community resource fair, vendors, raffles, games and much more. The nonprofit said this event aims to raise awareness for autism acceptance and inclusion while supporting programs that empower individuals and strengthen families across the Texas Panhandle. Whether you walk, donate, volunteer, or cheer others on, you’ll be making a difference. For more, visit the nonprofit’s page on Facebook. Around 600 people have already registered, and registration is still open, which is free or by donation, at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-autism-walk. For more on the group, see https://www.spectrumsupportsociety.org/ .
Other events of note on the calendar:
Note: The Sweat Love & Laugh Tour concert with Keith Sweat & Bill Bellamy, originally set for April 24, has been moved to Sept. 11 in the Amarillo Civic Center Auditorium.
For more event listings, go to https://www.visitamarillo.com/ .
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: 5 things to do in Amarillo area for weekend of April 23-26
Reporting by Kristina Wood, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
