The Fourth of July weekend is here, so there’s lots to enjoy to celebrate America 250 in the Amarillo area and beyond with fireworks and drone shows, food trucks, music, parades and more. And while Texans are no stranger to summer heat, be sure to have plenty of water on hand to stay hydrated and scope out possible sources of shade to cool off throughout the day.
But first, a few traffic and parking closures of note to keep in mind when heading to the festivities in Amarillo and Canyon on Friday and Saturday:
The City of Amarillo is adjusting hours for John Stiff Memorial Park and related city facilities for the Amarillo Red, White, & Boom! July 4 celebration. On Friday, July 3, the McDonald Lake parking lot and the surrounding area, including the walking path around the lake and bike trails, will close at 1 p.m. and remain closed through midnight Saturday. The park will close beginning at 8:30 p.m. Friday for Ready, Set, Glow, a free, untimed glow race. No street parking will be available on 48th Avenue and Parkside Drive. One lane on 48th Avenue will be shut down from 8:30 p.m. until midnight. Additionally, 48th Avenue and Bell Street will be blocked off from noon to 10:15 p.m. On Saturday, the Southwest Branch Library parking lot will be closed, and citizens will not have access to the dumpsters there. The Amarillo National Tennis Center will close at noon, and the Warford Activity Center will be closed. For more information, visit www.amarilloparks.org/programs-events/amarillofireworks .
In Canyon, several closures will be in place for the July 4th parade, firecracker mile, Fair on the Square, and the fireworks show. No parked cars on will be allowed on 4th Avenue from 38th Street to 11th Street, starting 3 p.m. Friday and continuing through the end of the parade on Saturday. The square closes to parked cars starting at 3 p.m. Friday through 3 p.m. Saturday, and 4th Avenue will be closed to traffic from 38th Street to 11th Street from 8 a.m. to noon. Controlled crossings will be available at 23rd Street. The area from 15th to 17th Street will remain closed until the end of Fair on the Square, approximately 3 p.m. Saturday. Paul Lindsey Park will be open this year, with the exception of one side street off Field. The parking lot at the entrance of Paul Lindsey Park will be closed for food trucks. Any cars parked inside the park must be parked legally, meaning on a street or parking lot, within the lines, the City of Canyon emphasized. Questions can be directed to City of Canyon PIO Megan Nantz at mnantz@canyontx.gov .
Here are some other things to do the weekend of July 2-6, and a bonus item for July 7.
Aaron Watson at The Lumberyard
July 3: Aaron Watson in concert at The Lumberyard — The Texas-based trailblazer with deep Amarillo roots continues his Horse Named Texas Tour with a stop at the bustling Canyon entertainment venue on Friday, with special guest William Clark Green. Agricultural lender Capital Farm Credit recently expanded its partnership with the independent country music powerhouse through a new statewide advertising campaign — airing across television, streaming and digital platforms across the state in markets including Amarillo, Lubbock, Corpus Christi, Austin, Houston, the Dallas area and more. The partnership expansion follows the release of Watson’s 26-song collection, which was named one of Saving Country Music’s Most Anticipated Albums of 2026. Following the Canyon show, Watson heads up to Canadian to perform after the rodeo there on Saturday as part of the Fourth of July festivities. His 2026 tour includes more than 100 performances nationwide; visit aaronwatson.com for more tour dates and ticket information.
First Friday Art Walk
July 3: First Friday Art Walk at Arts in the Sunset — From 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Arts in the Sunset, in partnership with the Amarillo Art Institute, will be hosting its monthly gathering at 3701 Plains Blvd. The family-friendly evening is free and open to the public kid, with food trucks, music, fun and lots of visual art and studio artists on hand to chat with attendees. Also this weekend, Arts in the Sunset will be hosting its Saturday market from 8 a.m. to noon. The gallery’s current exhibits that run through July include a water media show, a quilt show and Somethin’ Sketchy. See https://www.artsinthesunset.org/firstfriday for more details, or find them on Facebook.
Speeches, readings from America’s history
July 3: “A Walk-through History” at Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center — For those wanting to get more in the patriotic spirit, the Center at 4111 S. Georgia in Amarillo will be hosting an event at 6 p.m. Friday, featuring a reading of the Declaration of Independence and other historic military speeches from former presidents and military leaders. “Bring your family and friends, lawn chairs and coolers, have a hot dog on us and begin the celebration of America’s 250th!” the Center said in an announcement. Debate students from area high schools will depict historic figures of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower, and George W. Bush. The evening’s emcee and narrator will be Ed Montana, assisted by the Texas Panhandle War Memorial board members.
Animal Parade
July 4: Animal Parade at the Amarillo Zoo & Sanctuary — The newly reopened, nonprofit managed zoo will be hosting its very first Animal Parade, starting at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Help them celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary with a patriotic parade featuring some of your favorite animal ambassadors from the Amarillo Zoo & Sanctuary, along with a few surprise animal ambassadors from Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. “We’re putting the finishing touches on decorations, wagons (mini floats) practicing with our animal ambassadors, and making sure everything is ready for a fun and memorable Independence Day celebration,” the nonprofit said on its Facebook page in an update. The first 100 visitors will receive a special gift, and a food truck will be on site. Guests are asked to bring their own chairs, and designated viewing areas will be set up for the parade throughout the zoo. The regular zoo admission applies; purchase tickets ahead of time online at www.amarillo-zoo.com
‘Much Ado’ in the Canyon
July 7: Shakespeare in the Canyon — The TEXAS Outdoor Musical crew steps away from their seasonal show to put on their annual ode to the famous playwright on Tuesdays throughout the month. This year’s production features “Much Ado About Nothing” on four nights, starting at 8 p.m. in the Pioneer Amphitheatre in the Palo Duro Canyon. The classic comedy circles around two pairs of lovers in Messina, including a witty, bickering, soon-to-be couple. You can tour the state park or stop by the visitor center or souvenir shop before the curtain rises in the evening. See https://www.texas-show.com/ for tickets and more information.
Other items to mark on the calendar:
Cinergy Entertainment is celebrating America 250 throughout July with its Playcation, featuring arcade games, speedway races, prizes, hot dogs, frozen cocktails, and enough nostalgia to make your dad start talking about how things used to cost a nickel. Learn more about Cinergy at https://www.cinergy.com/amarillo .
Cinergy and the Tascosa Drive-In will be among theaters showing the new “Minions & Monsters” this weekend, with a special fireworks show at the drive-in at 1999 Dumas Dr. ahead of the movie on Saturday, July 4.
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: Even more Amarillo area events beyond Fourth of July festivities
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
