The Weekly Dispatch
Grand Night for Dolly, The Dark Overlords of Waco, and 37th Annual With This Ring Bridal Show
Grand Night for Dolly lands at the Waco Civic Theatre on Friday like a rhinestone-studded group hug—local voices grabbing Dolly Parton’s songs and shaking out every ounce of grit, grace, and joy they’ve got. This isn’t impersonation or kitsch; it’s neighbors turning toe-tappers and tear-jerkers into personal testimony, proof that Dolly’s music works because it lets people be exactly who they are, only louder.
Expect sparkle, heart, sing-along energy, and that unmistakable feeling that you’re watching Waco fall in love with itself through the gospel according to Dolly.
The Dark Overlords of Waco premieres Saturday night at The Performing Arts Community Center, an unhinged transmission from the city’s weirder subconscious. The story of Sean and Kylie Skellington isn’t a polite documentary; it’s a red-carpet freak show with VIP couches, chaos, and DIY mythmaking that only works when a community leans into its own strangeness instead of sanding it down.
Come for the film, stay for the Q&A, and leave reminded that Waco’s most interesting stories tend to bloom in the shadows, fully formed and unapologetic.
The thirty-seventh annual With This Ring Wedding Show hits BASE at Extraco Events Center on Sunday, a three-hour power chord of tulle and cake samples with a healthy dose of decision paralysis, all cranked to eleven. It’s less a trade show than a gauntlet—couples plotting while the entire wedding-industrial complex briefly reveals its glittering machinery under fluorescent lights.
Go in curious and come out opinionated, but remember: This is where “your special day” stops being abstract and starts demanding answers.
How News Takes Shape in Waco
Every city has moments when nothing feels official yet—but everyone is already reacting. A food truck ordinance. A proposed data center. A Facebook post, a Reddit thread, a half-answered question at a public meeting. Before anything is settled, people start assembling a working version of reality anyway.
The latest Your Waco Weekend looks at how local news doesn’t just report facts—it shapes what a community believes is happening, often before there’s clarity to agree on. Because when information moves unevenly, the hardest question isn’t what’s true—it’s which version people start living inside.
Upcoming Events
Events subject to change. Visit Waco Insider for complete event and ticket details, venue info, and newly added/updated listings.
Have an event you’d like listed? Visit our event submissions page.
Thursday, January 8
Thirsty Thursday | Pivovar | 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Wine Social Hour | Hotel 1928 | 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Cooking Well with Diabetes | Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service | 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
KRIS with a K Music Bingo | Waco Ale Co. | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Karaoke with Steve Dansby | Camp Fimfo | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Michael Saldana | Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Likely Stories Book Club: The Saturday Night Ghost Club | La Madeleine | 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Live Piano | BLVD Steakhouse | 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Slap Stix Karaoke | Torchy’s Tacos | 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Trivia Night | Brotherwell Brewing | 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Bobby Dean & Timeless Country Band | Waco Lions Den | 7:00 pm – 9:15 pm
Keep the Kids, VoiDream, Girl Dinner & DogBite | Truelove Bar | 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Karaoke Tournament | The Performing Arts Community Center | 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
First Drafts: Open Mic Comedy Night | Southern Roots Brewing Co. | 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Thirsty Thursday Karaoke | Twisted Sisters Patio Bar | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Curt & Hannah | 3R Roadhouse | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Friday, January 9
Conectar-Connect: State of the City | Nell Pape Garden Center | 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Homeschool Skate Day | Skate Waco Bellmead | 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Tales & Tails | Waco-McLennan County Central Library | 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Wine Social Hour | Hotel 1928 | 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Monte Rose | Slow Rise on the Brazos | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Maxx “Smokinmaxx” Carter | The Grape Wine Bar & Bistro | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Girls’ Night at the Arboretum: 2026 Vision Boards | Carleen Bright Arboretum | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
YouCantLiveInPittsburgAndThink, Blanketsofm, Idiots Haven & For Sam | Southern Roots Brewing Co. | 6:15 pm – 10:00 pm
Live Piano | BLVD Steakhouse | 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Mark McCallister | Camp Fimfo | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Dungeons & Dragons LIVE: Teen Edition | The Performing Arts Community Center | 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Grand Night for Dolly | Waco Civic Theatre | 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Tejano Night with DJ Suavesito | American Legion Post 121 | 8:00 pm – midnight
Brian Brown | Blue Pup Wine & Martini Bar | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Darrell “D-Rail” Ray | Encore Rooftop Bar | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Suede | Backyard Bar Stage & Grill | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Russell “The Piano Man” Boyd | The Tipsy Lion Bar & Grill | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Ronnie Glenn & Chris Perez | Lakeside Bar | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Alton Ray | BIG’s Mayberry Tavern | 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Khoury Moore | Twisted Sisters Patio Bar | 9:00 pm – midnight
Karaoke | Chapter 11 | 9:00 pm – 2:00 am
Saturday, January 10
Waco Downtown Farmers Market | Bridge Street Plaza | 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Half Price Pet Adoptions | Pet Circle Regional Animal Center | 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Controlled Chaos Solid Axle Monster Trucks Racing | HobbyTown | noon – 3:00 pm
Texas Whiskey Society Blind Tasting | Barnett’s Whiskey House | 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Wine Social Hour | Hotel 1928 | 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Raven Fest | The Performing Arts Community Center | 4:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Live Piano | BLVD Steakhouse | 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Maxx “Smokinmaxx” Carter | Durango Inn Bar & Grill | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Ragged Co. Music | Tokio Store | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Southern Junction | Hewitt Elks Lodge #2881 | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Towne Adams & Jonna Mae | Encore Rooftop Bar | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Madam Radar | The Will | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Sundae Drivers | Elk Hall | 8:00 pm – midnight
Lucas Jon Turner | The Fawkes Landing | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Mixtape Time Machine: ‘90s Night | Backyard Bar Stage & Grill | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
The Dark Overlords of Waco Premiere | The Performing Arts Community Center | 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Dr Pepper Paranormal Experience | Dr Pepper Museum & Free Enterprise Institute | 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Rachel & The Resistors | Twisted Sisters Patio Bar | 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm
The Jay 06 Band | Papa Joe’s Texas Saloon | 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Karaoke | Chapter 11 | 9:00 pm – 2:00 am
Madhatter | BIG’s Mayberry Tavern | 9:00 pm – midnight
Sunday, January 11
Schnitzel Sunday | Pivovar | 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Half Price Pet Adoptions | Pet Circle Regional Animal Center | 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
37th Annual With This Ring Bridal Show | BASE at Extraco Events Center | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Mystery Book Club: Heaven’s Prisoners | South Waco Library | 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Brax, Bubba & Drew | The Will | 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Wine Social Hour | Hotel 1928 | 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Open Mic | Cricket’s Grill & Draft House | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Sunday Family Special | 1424 Bistro | 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Book Club Night | Fabled Bookshop & Cafe | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Monday, January 12
Baylor Singing Seniors Spring Registration | Woodway United Methodist Church | 9:00 am – 11:00 pm
Wine Social Hour | Hotel 1928 | 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Monday Night Trivia | Cricket’s Grill & Draft House | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tuesday, January 13
Wine Social Hour | Hotel 1928 | 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Parents Night Out | The Performing Arts Community Center | 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Books & Brews: The Kennedy Girl | Pivovar | 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Open Mic Night | Lakeside Bar | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Smarty Pints Trivia | Southern Roots Brewing Co. | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Wednesday, January 14
The Meetup | Startup Waco | 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Wine Social Hour | Hotel 1928 | 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Slap Stix Trivia Night | Torchy’s Tacos | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Music Bingo | Brotherwell Brewing | 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Monte Rose | Blaine’s Restaurant & Wine Shoppe | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Need to know when to staff up for large events? Click here to view business and social events that may not be listed above.
Coming Next Week
Comedy at the Brazos: A Stand-Up Comedy Showcase, Mayborn Community Day, and Jazz Night at the Courtyard
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