You may know Waco native Ben Atkins as the driving force behind The Atkins Tent Revival, which features a group of country, folk, and blues musicians in Argentina. The band played a series of local shows earlier this year, and on Friday night Atkins plays a solo gig at Cafe de Luis. Don’t miss your chance to hear his passionate Americana soul songs in this intimate setting.
On Saturday morning, Cans for Critters takes your aluminum cans donated at the Cameron Park Zoo to support an enrichment fund that buys toys and other items for the zoo’s animals. And if you’re looking to expand your craft cocktail skills, Mixology Monday at Lighthouse Coffee & Wine will teach you how to make three fancy drinks to impress your family and friends.
In our recommended reads and video blogs section:
Learn about — and how to support! — Creative Waco’s ARTPrenticeship program.
Check out a recipe from Magnolia for oatmeal cream pie cookies.
Watch local artist Sean Skellington draw a scary clown — aren’t they all scary? — on Monster Art Monday.
Upcoming Events
Events subject to change. Visit The Waco Insider for complete event details, venue info, and newly added/updated listings.
Thursday, August 5
Dinosaur Story Time | Fabled Bookshop & Cafe | 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
Chuck Jennings & Dave Wild | Magnolia Press | 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Women’s Handgun Safety Workshop | Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | Tickets | 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Stone Brewing Pint Night | Dancing Bear Pub | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Summer of Downtown: Gospel & Worship Music | 7th Street Plaza | 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night | Truelove Bar | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Mike Williams Magic Show | SlapStix Comedy | Tickets | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Thursday Night Hills: Cameron Park Road Ride | Bicycle World | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Adult Spelling Bee | Freight Bar | 9:00 pm – 11:45 pm
Friday, August 6
Cen-Tex Contractor Roundtable | Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | Tickets | 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
August First Friday | Susan L. Sistrunk Fine Art Gallery | 2:00 pm – 10:00 pm
First Friday Yoga | Cultivate 7twelve | 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Katie Stewart | Southern Roots Brewing Co. | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Linda Stogner (early show) | SlapStix Comedy Club | Tickets | 7:00 pm – 8:45 pm
Morgan Lee Powers | The Minnow at Lake Waco Marina | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Johnny Joe Ramos | Backyard Saloon | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Max, Lynnette & Steven | Blue Dog Wine & Martini Bar | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Ben Atkins | Cafe de Luis | 8:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Roger Creager | Backyard Bar Stage & Grill | Tickets | 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Linda Stogner (late show) | SlapStix Comedy Club | Tickets | 9:15 pm – 11:00 pm
’90s Flashback End-of-Summer Sip ‘n’ Skate | Skate World Waco | Tickets | 10:30 pm – 1:30 am
Saturday, August 7
Cans For Critters | Cameron Park Zoo | 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Waco Downtown Farmers Market | 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Artisan Indoor Market | Richland Mall | 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Back-to-School Supply Giveaway | Bledsoe Miller Community Center | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Sit. Stay. Saturday! | Raising Cane's | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
The Edison Marketplace | The Edison at Castle Heights | 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
2nd Anniversary Celebration | Waco Ale Co. | 12:00 pm – 11:59 pm
Yvette Coffman Benefit | Papa Joe's | 3:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Crystals, Cocktails, Tarot & Runes | Skellington Curiosities | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Merle Haggard Tribute with Ben & Noel Haggard | Waco Hippodrome Theatre | Tickets | 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
The Morticians | Lee Lockwood Library and Museum | Tickets | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Venus E | The Minnow at Lake Waco Marina | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Improv Comedy of Waco | Brazos Theatre | Tickets | 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Dave Scher Trio with Los Roachez | Backyard Bar Stage & Grill | Tickets | 8:00 pm – 11:30 pm
Joe Parker Band | Elk Hall | 8:30 pm – 12:30 am
Morgan Lee Powers | Freight Bar | 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Linda Stogner | SlapStix Comedy Club | Tickets | 9:15 pm – 11:00 pm
Larissa Boyd & Cody Ellinger Duo | Backyard Saloon | 10:00 pm – 1:00 am
Sunday, August 8
Brazos Market | Brazos Theatre | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Artisan Indoor Market | Richland Mall | 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Fight Game Sunday | Nexus Esports |Tickets | 12:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Three-Week Drawing I Course | Susan L. Sistrunk Fine Art Gallery | 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Comedy Improv Jam | SlapStix Comedy Club | 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Karaoke & Service Industry Night | Freight Bar | 8:00 pm – 2:00 am
Monday, August 9
Creative Mode On Paint Night | Rogue Media Network | Tickets | 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Monday Funday with Twelve12 | Hemingway's Watering Hole | 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Monday Night Trivia | Backyard Saloon | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Mixology Monday | Lighthouse Coffee & Wine | Tickets | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Summer of Downtown: Open Mic Night on 7th | 7th Street Plaza | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Tuesday, August 10
Balcones Whisky Tasting | Lighthouse Coffee & Wine | Tickets | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Beer For Brains Trivia Night | Dancing Bear Pub | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Fabled’s Book Club Discusses Haven Point | Fabled Bookshop & Cafe | Tickets | 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Tiki Tuesday | Freight Bar | 7:00 pm – midnight
Wednesday, August 11
1 Million Cups Waco | Hustle Co-Working | 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Fabled Storytime | Fabled Bookshop & Cafe | 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Dog Days of Summer | Freight Bar | 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Trivia Night | Bare Arms Brewing | 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Geeks Who Drink: Wednesday Edition | Route 77 Food Park | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Thomas Csorba | Pinewood Public House | 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Recommended Reads & Vlogs
“Creative Waco: ARTPrenticeship”
Creative Waco’s ARTPRenticeship program pairs talented Waco high school students with professional artist mentors to take a creative project from concept to completion. This fall, participants will create a new mural for the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute.
Read more about this program and how you can help support it.
“Oatmeal Cream Pie Cookies”
Looking to jazz up your next outdoor cookout or just create a welcome surprise for your family? These oatmeal cream pie cookies, one of the many recipes in the bestselling Magnolia Table, Volume 2: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering, will hit the spot for you and yours.
Check out the complete recipe at the Magnolia blog.
Monster Art Monday: “Captain Spaulding”
Host Sean Skellington, co-owner of Skellington’s Curiosities and a member of The Goon Squad art collective, spends most Monday nights drawing a classic monster while explaining its history. In this episode, he tackles Captain Spaulding, a very scary clown featured in a series of Rob Zombie movies.
Watch the video.
Coming in the next newsletter
Steve Earle, Tiki Tuesday, and Thomas Csorba.