🛍️ Belk is leaving. Who’s moving in?

Good morning, Waco! This is The Waco Buzz, the newsletter that feels like a cold front showing up right when the forecast said it would.

In today's edition:
🍽️ Dinner Parties Are Disappearing Everywhere Except Here
🎬 AMC Galaxy Goes Dark, and Belk Gets a Replacement
🗳️ Early Voting Starts Next Monday
🏈 Blackout on the Brazos

Let's get to it!
- Sam Harper

The best events feel easy from the first minute

The best events you’ve attended probably had one thing in common: walking in felt easy. Someone greeted you, you knew where to go, and the room seemed to be expecting you.

That ease is the specialty of Sarah Angell and the Alice Allen Events team, a Waco event planning and production company with a hospitality-first approach and 15+ years of combined hospitality and customer service experience. Their values are integrity, collaboration, being logistically sound and, yes, fun. One past bride called Sarah “a wedding miracle worker.”

Planning a company holiday party, a big launch or a 2027 wedding? Start with a quick hello. You bring the guest list, and they’ll handle the timeline, the vendors and everything in between.

Say hello at aliceallenevents.com*

🍽️ Dinner Parties Are Disappearing Everywhere Except Here
In 1975, 42% of Americans hosted friends or family at home at least once a month. Today it's 12%. That's a 70% drop in 50 years, according to recent survey data. It suggests we've become much less likely to invite people over. Time spent just sitting at home has tripled since 2019.

From where I sit, Waco is going the opposite direction. Tables around here keep getting longer, and one of the biggest reasons is Dinner Club.

This Thursday, Oct. 15, is our dinnerversary. More than 750 seats have been filled, friendships formed, group chats started and trips taken, and Waco got a little smaller for hundreds of people.

Dinner Club has been one of the best parts of this whole Waco Buzz journey. Meeting so many of you at the after party is the fuel that keeps me writing this thing. Thursday's dinner is already full, but there's always a next one. 👉 Join us at the next Dinner Club

And you don't need a reservation to start your own. This week, as the weather starts to cool down and soup rejoins your meal rotation, invite a neighbor to share a meal. Just like that, you've got a dinner party.

Waco to Fort Lauderdale round-trip on American for $282, with a connection through DFW each way. Leave Saturday, Oct. 31 and fly home Saturday, Nov. 7.

This is the same deal I flagged last Tuesday, and it's still the best one I'm seeing out of Waco Regional right now. You'd land in time for the last two days of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the world's largest in-water boat show, with superyachts lined up along the city's waterways. Then the rest of the week is yours. 👉 See the flight*
*_{^{Price is subject to change and may no longer be available at the time you check the link.}}

🛍️ Belk Is Closing, and Hobby Lobby Is Moving In
Belk at Central Texas Marketplace (what longtime locals may still call the new mall) is scheduled to close for good in January 2027.Hobby Lobby has already signed a lease for the entire 96,240-square-foot space. Hobby Lobby's current store at 1200 Richland Dr. will close when the new location opens. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of time to make your Christmas gift returns at their current location. Hobby Lobby will join newcomers Sprouts, Nordstrom Rack, and Sephora at CTM.

🎬 AMC Galaxy 16 Has Shown Its Last Movie
The AMC Galaxy 16 on South Valley Mills Drive held its final showings Thursday night, Oct. 8, after more than 28 years. It opened in 1998 as Starplex Galaxy 16, and AMC has closed more than 200 theaters nationwide since 2020. That leaves Cinemark as the only movie theater in Waco. As for the empty building, my guess is a church buys it or it becomes the largest Planet Fitness imaginable. We'll see.

🚗 Tesla's Roadster reveal is back on for Thursday after the Oct. 1 rainout, with mostly clear skies in the forecast, a high near 90 and a 15% chance of rain. It's invite-only for reservation holders, and reports say the demo may have the car hover on SpaceX thrusters, which would give Waco a small Kitty Hawk moment.

🍔 The former Seoul restaurant on Valley Mills Dr. is reportedly becoming Captain Hook Seafood and Burgers, with no opening date yet.

If you haven't checked out Gracefully lately, there's probably something new to see. The Waco-based jewelry brand drops new pieces every month, with jewelry that's waterproof, sweatproof, lightweight, and hypoallergenic. In other words, it's made to stay on whether you're running errands, heading to the gym, or getting dressed up.

Shop online or visit their boutique at 759 Washington Ln. Tuesday through Friday, 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM, and Saturday, 12 to 3 PM.

You can also find Gracefully at Magnolia during Silobration, Oct. 22 to 25.

👉 Shop Gracefully*

🗳️ Early Voting Starts Next Monday
The midterm election is less than a month away. Here are the dates:

When in doubt, check McLennan County's election website for the details that apply to you. The Waco Bridge also put together an extremely useful guide to who's on the ballot → Read their ballot guide.

🏦 Free One-on-One Help With Debt, Credit and Savings Opens in East Waco
The City of Waco's new Financial Empowerment Center holds its grand opening Wednesday, Oct. 14, from 3 to 5 PM at East Waco Goodwill Community Connect, 1000 E. Waco Dr. Stop by, meet the team and see how it works. It's a partnership with Grassroots Community Development and the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund.

There's way more happening than concerts at Silobration
The evening concerts are a big draw, but there's plenty to see, do and try at the Silos over all four days of Silobration. Get a one-minute watercolor portrait, brand a pair of boots, check out the scent bar, visit the baby chicks in the garden or check out the mechanical quarter horse in the western lounge by Sendero. Bring the kids for storytime, face painting and balloons, too, with daytime live music happening along the way.

Saturday is Western Day, with a live workout from Don Saladino, line dancing classes, Terry Black's BBQ and custom embroidery. You can also book seasonal craft workshops for adults and kids, grab Rooftop Lounge passes or explore other tours and experiences. Sunday is your last chance ever to tour the Castle.

Silobration is free to attend, though concerts and some experiences require tickets.

👉 Plan your visit*

🏈 Baylor football is heating up, and the Bears need a packed McLane Stadium. Baylor is 4-1 after a 55-19 win at Arizona State on Oct. 3 and a bye week. Saturday brings the Revivalry against TCU. Kickoff is at 6 PM, and fans are encouraged to wear black. There's an extra reason to get to McLane, too. The game will feature the largest drone show ever staged at a college football game, with up to 1,200 drones, lighting up the sky over the stadium.

The forecast calls for dry weather and a high near 70, about 20 degrees cooler than Thursday. Tickets start at $22 →

⚽ Baylor Soccer vs. TCU, Friday, Oct. 16
The first 500 fans get a Baylor soccer scarf and are entered into a raffle for autographed memorabilia. Kickoff is 7 PM at Betty Lou Mays Field.

Tuesday, October 13:
Heart O' Texas Fair & Rodeo, Ride 'Em Cowboy Night @ Extraco Events Center, 4 PM
Bingo Night @ Jorge's, 6 PM
Beginner Mahjong with Mama Bear Mahjong @ Carleen Bright Arboretum, 6 PM
⭐ John O'Hurley: A Man with Standards @ Waco Hippodrome, 7 PM: Seinfeld's J. Peterman, live, to benefit Fuzzy Friends Rescue.
Smarty Pints Trivia @ Southern Roots Brewing Co., 7 PM
Beer Garden Yoga @ Brotherwell Brewing, 7 PM
Tuesday Trivia @ Lucky Bucks, 8 PM
TurnUp the Mic @ Truelove, 8 PM

Wednesday, October 14:
The Meetup @ Startup Waco, 9 AM
Southern Soul Night + Senior Night @ Heart O' Texas Fair & Rodeo, 4 PM
⭐ Wild Wednesdays Group Hike @ Cameron Park Northern Gateway, 5:45 PM: A free ranger-led hike, no registration needed, and an easy way to meet people.
Music Bingo @ Brotherwell Brewing, 7 PM

Thursday, October 15:
Story Time with Melissa Coffeey @ Fabled Bookshop & Cafe, 10:30 AM
College Night @ Heart O' Texas Fair & Rodeo, 4 PM
Trivia Night @ Brotherwell Brewing, 7 PM
Next Stop Comedy @ Hotel Herringbone, 7 PM
Rhythm & Radiance by Waco Symphony @ Waco Hall, 7:30 PM
Rocky Horror Picture Show @ The Performing Arts Community Center, 7:30 PM
Songwriter Showcase @ Texas Music Cafe, 8 PM

📅 See what else is happening this week in Waco→
🤝 25 ways to make Waco better this week →
🍝 Where to meet people in Waco →

Want your event featured? Reserve a spot here.

Take your best guess. Only locals will know the right answer.

✨ A cold front is on the way Friday, which makes this a good week to think about hydration. Skin & Body Refinery offers HydraFacials with deep cleansing, gentle extraction and hydration.*

💧 Sniffle season is arriving right on schedule. I-Vit's Immune Boost IV is designed for hydration and immune support, and it's 20% off this month.*

💪 Saturday's Blackout game means a lot of us will be on our feet for hours. Waco BodyMend, at 116 Mary Ave., offers physical therapy and performance training for everyday movers and athletes, and it's home to one of the best saunas in Waco.*

🚗 Truck weather is here. Chevy of West owner Leo Pacheco and General Sales Manager Mark Varia are offering 0% APR for 5 years for well-qualified buyers, or a $6,000 cash allowance plus another $2,000 bonus cash on select 2026 Silverado 1500s.*

Thanks for reading The Waco Buzz today. If you found something useful, share it with the friend who still calls the (former) AMC on Valley Mills “the Starplex.”

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