Waco Insider #141
Día de los Muertos Parade & Festival, Balcones 15th Anniversary, and Skellington Market Halloween Bash
The annual Día de los Muertos Parade and Festival returns to downtown Waco on Saturday. Waco’s Day of the Dead celebration begins with a parade in downtown Waco at 4 pm, and the festivities will extend into the evening at Indian Spring Park.
Check out local art, experience traditional folklórico dancers, and be carried away by a variety of musical performances, including the Grammy-winning Los Texmaniacs. Día de los Muertos will also feature an artisan market, local food trucks, and activities like sugar skull decorating and skull face painting that will get you into the spirit of the holiday.
On Saturday afternoon, Balcones Distilling is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a new American single malt offering: Cataleja. In addition, enjoy a first-come, first-served rare bottle release, live music, craft cocktails, food trucks, whisky panels featuring some of the biggest names in the industry, and the finest specialty vendors this side of the Brazos.
Sure, there are a TON of Halloween goings on this next week, but you definitely need to carve out time in your schedule this Sunday afternoon for the Skellington Market Halloween Bash. Hear live music from Old West rockers Dead Horse Creek, costume and pumpkin carving contests, a wide variety of vendors and food trucks, and more.
For everyone who lives the spooky vibe 365—and the normies too!—this is hands down your can’t-miss Halloween event.
Upcoming Events
Events subject to change. Visit Waco Insider for complete event and ticket details, venue info, and newly added/updated listings.
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Thursday, October 26
Wild Imaginings Children's Theater Class | Cultivate 7twelve | 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Thirsty Thursday Karaoke | Los Cucos Mexican Cafe | 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Dancing with the Waco Stars 2023 | Waco Hippodrome Theatre | 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Twelve12 | 1424 Bistro | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
$20 Steak Night | Barnett’s Whiskey House | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Public Meeting: Floyd Casey Development Project | South Waco Recreation Center | 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Creekside Spooktacular | Warren Park | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Vector Brewing Pint Night | Dancing Bear Pub | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Versus Series Wine Tasting: Spain vs. France | Segovia Wine Bar | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
All Hallow's Groove with Suede | Carleen Bright Arboretum | 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Gary Jones Jr. | Hoot’s Tokio Store | 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Darrell "D-Rail" Ray | Lounge ’93 | 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wild Imaginings Playwriting Class | Cultivate 7twelve | 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Trivia Night | Fuzzy’s Taco Shop | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Trivia Night | Brotherwell Brewing | 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Larry Burgin & Texas Tradition | Sul Ross Boot Scootin’ Dance Club | 7:00 pm – 9:15 pm
Waco Brew Theology | Bare Arms Brewing | 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Brazos Brothers | Union Hall | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Pigskin Revue (SOLD OUT) | Waco Hall | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Joel Wood | Barnett’s Whiskey House | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Baylor Percussion Group | Glennis McCrary Music Building | 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Thursday Karaoke | Twisted Sisters Patio Bar | 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Curt & Hannah | 3R Roadhouse | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Morgan Myles with Holly Tucker | Backyard Bar Stage & Grill | 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Silent Disco Decades Night | Freight Bar | 10:00 pm – midnight
Friday, October 27
Blow Your Own Pumpkin | Stanton Studios | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Grand Reopening Ribbon Cutting | Clay Pot | 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
Pumpkin Festival 2023 | Western Belle Farm | 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Baylor Homecoming Open House | The Texas Collection | 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Hotan Halloween Spookfest | Waco Lions Den | 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Cinema Safari: Hocus Pocus | Cameron Park Zoo | 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Darrell "D-Rail" Ray | Slow Rise on the Brazos | 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Brazos Brothers | Uncle Worm’s Smoke House | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Variety Music Show with Royce Montgomery | Lounge ’93 | 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
October Wine Club Dinner (SOLD OUT) | Valley Mills Vineyards | 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Pigskin Revue (SOLD OUT) | Waco Hall | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Dr Pepper Paranormal Experience | Dr Pepper Museum & Free Enterprise Institute | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Ryan Paul Davis | Camp Fimfo | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Micheal Saldana, Cody Ellinger & JD Johnson | Fuzzy’s Taco Shop | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Karaoke Halloween | MacDaddy’s Pub | 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Trunk or Treat | Old Chicago | 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Halloween Tejano Night Costume Party | Smiley’s Night Club | 8:00 pm – 2:00 am
Joel Wood | American Legion Post 121 | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Tyler Stokes | BIG’s Mayberry Tavern | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Copperhead Jones | Waco Hippodrome Theatre | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Hip-Hop Halloween | Private Hip-Hop HQ | 8:00 pm – midnight
The Johnny Joes Trio | Twisted Sisters Patio Bar | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Jesse Dean | Papa Joe’s Texas Saloon | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Hey Cowboy! & Migzavier | Truelove Bar | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Eric & Thomas Unplugged | Blue Dog Wine & Martini Bar | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
LANCO with Meghan Patrick & Willie Tate | Backyard Bar Stage & Grill | 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Karaoke | Chapter 11 | 9:00 pm – 2:00 am
Graham St Clair | Freight Bar | 10:00 pm – midnight
Pigskin Revue (SOLD OUT) | Waco Hall | 10:30 pm – 12:30 am
Saturday, October 28
Blow Your Own Pumpkin | Stanton Studios | 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Baylor Homecoming Parade | 7th Street Plaza | 8:00 am – 11:00 am
3rd Annual Sancho Rancho Pumpkin Patch | Sancho Rancho | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Waco Downtown Farmers Market | 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Pumpkin Festival 2023 | Western Belle Farm | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Pumpkinfest | Wilbert Austin, Sr. Park | 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Waco Uptown Fall Art Walk | Envision Realty Group | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Okturbofest Texas Charity Car Show | Karem Shrine | noon – 5:00 pm
Halloween Party with Lucas Jon Turner | Cultivate 7twelve | 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
College Football: Iowa State vs. Baylor | McLane Stadium | 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Waco Día de los Muertos Parade & Festival | Indian Spring Park | 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
15-Year Anniversary | Balcones Distilling | 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
6th Annual Halloween Bar Crawl | Twisted Sisters Patio Bar | 4:00 pm – 2:00 am
Fright Night at the Rite | Lee Lockwood Library and Museum | 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Halloween Sip 'n' Shop | The Black Daisy (China Spring) | 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Movies in the Park: Coco | Hart–Patterson Track & Field Complex | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Cops & Kids Halloween Drive-Thru | Woodway Activity Park | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Halloween Party | MAKER’s EDGE makerspace | 6:30 pm – 11:00 pm
Dr Pepper Paranormal Experience | Dr Pepper Museum & Free Enterprise Institute | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Kent Klaras | Camp Fimfo | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Jon Fox & Jonathan Keith | Segovia Wine Bar | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Spookies & S'mores | Good Neighbor House | 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
HowlOWeen: Under The Sea | Waco Convention Center | 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm
Haunted Homecoming with Jeremy Parsons & DJ Euby | Freight Bar | 8:00 pm – 2:00 am
Halloween Bash with the Collin James Band | Last Chance Bar | 8:00 pm – 11:30 pm
Halloween Bash | Barnett’s Whiskey House | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
DJ JOJO | JRG’s Bar & Grill | 8:00 pm – midnight
Halloween Party | Hemingway’s Watering Hole | 8:00 pm – 2:00 am
Zach Rushing | Waco Hippodrome Theatre | 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Neon Texas | Twisted Sisters Patio Bar | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Live Oak Moonshiners | 308 Tavern | 8:00 pm – midnight
Halloween Vampire Rave | One Day Bar | 8:00 pm – 1:00 am
Pigskin Revue (SOLD OUT) | Waco Hall | 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Justin Hewitt Band | Elk Hall | 8:30 pm – 12:30 am
Casey Donahew with Maddison Livingston | Backyard Bar Stage & Grill | 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Halloween Party with The Steve Smith Group | Papa Joe’s Texas Saloon | 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Karaoke | Chapter 11 | 9:00 pm – 2:00 am
Halloween Party with Fenix Theory | BIG’s Mayberry Tavern | 9:00 pm – midnight
Halloween Party | Clicks Billiards | 9:00 pm – 1:00 am
Spooky Halloween Costume Party | JRG’s Bar & Grill | 9:00 pm – 1:00 am
Halloween Costume Party with Strix | Lakeside Bar | 9:00 pm – midnight
Halloween Party | Wiley’s Sports Bar | 10:00 pm – 2:00 am
Sunday, October 29
13th Annual Traveling Ofrenda | Yellow House Project | 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
3rd Annual Sancho Rancho Pumpkin Patch | Sancho Rancho | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Pumpkin Festival 2023 | Western Belle Farm | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday Brunch | The Turn Bar & Grill | 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Seafood Sunday | The Brazos Landing | 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Tournament | Bare Arms Brewing | noon – 3:00 pm
Skellington Market Halloween Bash with Dead Horse Creek | Skellington Curiosities | noon – 4:00 pm
CTJS Jazz Jam | Segovia Wine Bar | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Halloween Party | Hewitt Elks Lodge #2881 | 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Jim Cody Family Benefit | K&W’s Bar & Grill | 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Boo-tiful Cabaret | The Outlook at Bosque Ridge | 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Fright Night at the Rite Haunted House | Lee Lockwood Library and Museum | 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Beer Pong Tournament | Twisted Sisters Patio Bar | 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
State of the Unity with The Bergamot | Waco Hippodrome Theatre | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Fall Festival 2023 | Woodway United Methodist Church | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Shock-ToberFest 2 | Waco Lions Den | 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Service Industry Night | Freight Bar | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Service Industry Sunday | Clicks Billiards | 7:00 pm – 1:00 am
Sunday Funday with DJ Ric Salazar | JRG’s Bar & Grill | 8:00 pm – midnight
Monday, October 30
13th Annual Traveling Ofrenda | Yellow House Project | 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Monday Storytime | Mayborn Museum Complex | 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Wild Imaginings Children's Theater Class | Cultivate 7twelve | 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Acoustic Open Mic | Taqueria Mexicano Grill 15 | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Monday Funday with Cuzzo's | Hemingway’s Watering Hole | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Wild Imaginings Playwriting Class | Cultivate 7twelve | 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Karaoke Mondays | The Crying Shame | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Neal Family Vineyards Wine Dinner | Oak & Ivy Wine Bar Bistro | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
A Cappella Choir Concert | Glennis McCrary Music Building | 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Trivia Night | Lakeside Bar | 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Tuesday, October 31
13th Annual Traveling Ofrenda | Yellow House Project | 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Halloween Costume Contest | K&W’s Bar & Grill | 2:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Cocktails with Jen | Hemingway’s Watering Hole | 5:00 pm – midnight
Trunk or Treat | MCC Highlands Gym | 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Free Halloween Uber, Lyft & Cab Rides | The Zimmerman Law Firm | 5:00 pm – 10:00 am
Fur vs. Fangs | Fabled Bookshop & Cafe | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Spooky Groovy Halloween Party | Cultivate 7twelve | 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Beer Garden Yoga | Brotherwell Brewing | 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Halloween Party | Freight Bar | 7:00 pm – 2:00 am
Smarty Pints Trivia | Southern Roots Brewing Co. | 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
McLennan Madness | MCC Highlands Gym | 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Towne Tuesday Open Mic | The Crying Shame | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Halloween Organ Concert | Glennis McCrary Music Building | 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Booze Clues Trivia | Dancing Bear Pub | 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Wednesday, November 1
The Meetup | Startup Waco | 9:00 am – 10:00 am
13th Annual Traveling Ofrenda | Yellow House Project | 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Story Time: Reptiles! | Cameron Park Zoo | 10:00 am – noon
Fabled Story-Time | Fabled Bookshop & Cafe | 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Indigenous ACE | Mayborn Museum Complex | 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Pint Night Wednesdays & Karaoke | Barnett’s Whiskey House | 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Whiskey Wednesday | 1424 Bistro | 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Bridge Street Farmers Market with the Waco Early Jazz Quartet | Bridge Street Plaza | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Trivia Night | Bare Arms Brewing | 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Mack Abernathy's 1st Wednesday Fiasco | Taqueria Mexicano Grill 15 | 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Music Bingo | Brotherwell Brewing | 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Open Mic Night | Last Chance Bar | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Wine Down, Whiskey Up Craft Night | Freight Bar | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Baylor Symphony Orchestra | Glennis McCrary Music Building | 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
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Coming Next Week
KWBU Meet-Up, Deck the Halls 2023, and the Waco Cultural Arts Festival.
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