With the Route 66 centennial festivities now in the rearview mirror for the Amarillo area, things are calming down a little bit, event wise — but there’s still a bunch going on and summer in full swing.
Western related events return to the fairgrounds and downtown Amarillo with two competitions; a notable touring act is taking the stage at the Globe-News Center; and Juneteenth events are marked with a parade and daylong celebration.
You can also check out the new interactive, 400-foot Route 66 mural in Amarillo any time, at your convenience, to take in the 66 stories shared within its walls, along with the shops and businesses on Sixth Street.
Families will be lining up for the highly anticipated summer blockbuster Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story 5,” which opens this weekend in theaters including Cinergy Amarillo, Cinemark Amarillo Hollywood 16 and XD and the Tascosa Drive-In.
Here are five things to mark on the calendar for June 18-21.
Miss Rodeo Pageant visits downtown
June 16-20: 2026 Miss Rodeo Texas Pageant in downtown Amarillo — One of the state’s premier rodeo queen competitions begins its local three-year run this weekend, which perfectly captures Texas’ Western heritage. Pageant contestants, families, and rodeo fans will be taking part in several events over the five days at the downtown Embassy Suites and other locations, including visits to the Big Texan and a Sod Poodles game, preliminary competitions and the coronation event on Friday, June 19 for the 2026 Miss Rodeo Texas, Miss Rodeo Texas Teen and Miss Rodeo Texas Princess. Some of the events are open to the public, with tickets purchased either in advance on their website or at the door. See https://missrodeotexas.com/ for more details.
2026 AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse World Championships
June 21-27: 2026 AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse World Championships — Also including the AQHA Ranching Heritage Challenge Finals and AQHA Cattle Level 1 Championships, presented by Four Sixes Ranch, the American Quarter Horse Association’s weeklong event combines three premiere ranch horse events into one. It takes place over the course of several days at the Tri-State Fairgrounds, with vendors at the Western Gift Market, exhibitors, a daily Food Truck Rally, family-friendly fun and more. Guests can enjoy delicious food while watching top ranch horses and riders compete in one of AQHA’s premier events. Admission and parking are free and open to the public. See https://www.aqha.com/disciplines/showing/shows/vrh-world for details. With more than 230,000 members, AQHA brings a significant boost to the Amarillo area. For 2025’s event, it brought nearly 2,500 entries, 341 exhibitors, 386 horses and a purse worth over $475,000, with a total economic impact of more than $2 million.
Juneteenth festivities in Amarillo
June 19-21: Juneteenth celebrations in Amarillo continue — The 10 days of events marking the Juneteenth holiday include an Empowerment Week, parade, celebration and more. Friday will feature the 2nd annual Juneteenth Brunch at 11 a.m. at the Black Historical Cultural Center in the North Heights neighborhood, 901 N. Hayden. Saturday brings two of the main events for Amarillo: Parade participants will line up at 8 a.m. at the Black Historical Cultural Center, and the parade starts at 10 a.m. Then, the Juneteenth Park Celebration kicks off at 11:30 a.m. in Bones Hooks Park, 2000 N. Hughes, where the community can enjoy live entertainment, food vendors, family fun, community resources and more. A Northside Toy Drive 4-Man scramble “Father’s Day edition” tees off at 8 a.m. that day at the Ross Rogers Golf Course. The celebration wraps up Sunday with events including a Father’s Day church service at 10 a.m. in Bones Hooks Park. For more information, visit the 2026 Juneteenth Celebration – Amarillo, TX page on Facebook.
Legendary Count Basie Orchestra at GNC
June 20: The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra at Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts — More than 40 years since pianist and bandleader William James “Count” Basie’s passing, his namesake group is still going strong. The Count Basie Orchestra, today directed by Scotty Barnhart, has won jazz polls and multiple Grammy Awards, performed for royalty, appeared in several movies, TVs and festivals and more. The most recent honors are a 2026 Grammy nomination of Best Large Jazz Ensemble for “Basie Rocks” and a 2024 Grammy Win of Best Large Jazz Ensemble for “Basie Swings the Blues”! The Amarillo concert, featuring guest vocalist Carmen Bradford, starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and tickets are on sale at panhandletickets.com .
Silos hosting car show, corn hole games
June 20: Events at The Silos at Happy — At another venue brought back to life, within 30-minute driving distance south of Amarillo, The Silos at 37750 South US 87 in Happy will be hosting two consecutive events for the community this weekend: the 2nd annual Anything Goes Auto Show and (inaugural) Corn Hole Tournament. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, the venue will welcome vehicles vying for cash prizes and players vying for prizes and bragging rights. Featuring live music by The Shane Rogers Band, food truck Gerb’s Grub Truck, a full bar, vendors and more. According to their website, the restored rustic barn wedding venue features soaring ceilings, original architectural details, and versatile indoor and outdoor spaces. The venue is card only, but vendors on site for Saturday’s events will accept cash for purchases. Find out more on their Facebook page or https://www.thesilosathappy.com/store-4-1 .
Even more things to note on the calendar:
Sites with ongoing seasons include Wonderland Amusement Park, Amarillo Magic Co. and the “TEXAS” Outdoor Musical. For more events, go to https://www.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 the Amarillo area over June 18-21 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
