🎸 🎸 Candlebox is in Waco tonight

Good morning, Waco. This is The Waco Buzz, the local newsletter that feels like pulling up to Indian Spring Park just as the headliner walks on stage.

In this edition:

🎸 Brazos Nights kicks off tonight
🧊 Baylor built an Arctic lab (yes, in Waco)
☀️ Summer Camp Guide is live
🐶 Dog of the Week
🎶 Live Music & Events
⚾ Baylor vs. TCU at home all weekend

Let’s get to it!
— Sam Harper

Summer's around the corner, and if you're already fielding the "what are we doing all summer?" question, Basin just made your life easier. Their summer camps are back for ages 5 to 13, running Monday through Thursday with morning and afternoon sessions.

Campers get hands-on instruction from Basin coaches, all gear provided, no experience needed. They'll come home with tired hands, new friends, and the kind of confidence that only comes from making it to the top of something they weren't sure they could climb.

Main sessions (ages 6-13) are $225/week. Littles sessions (ages 5-7) are $175/week plus siblings get a discount.
👉 Grab a spot and use coupon code WACOBUZZ at checkout to get an additional $25 off today.

🎸 Brazos Nights Is Back Tonight
The 2026 season kicks off tonight at Indian Spring Park with Fastball and Candlebox. Vendors open at 6, Fastball at 7, Candlebox at 9. It's free, it's outside, and it's been a Waco tradition for more than 30 years. Bring a chair.

🧊 Baylor Has an Arctic Lab Now
There's now a room on Baylor's campus that can drop to 31 degrees below zero. The ARKTOS Research Center (short for Arctic Acclimatization & Sleep Optimization) opened this week inside the BRIC. It's built to study how soldiers from warm-weather bases like Fort Hood handle rapid deployment to the Arctic. The chamber can simulate altitudes up to 24,000 feet, and Baylor ROTC students are already running medical drills and sleep studies inside. This has been two years in the making. First of its kind anywhere. Unfortunately, it isn’t available to the public to visit as a place to cool down when it’s 105 outside.

☀️ The Waco Buzz Summer Camp Guide

Our first ever Summer Camp Guide is here. Climbing, theater, zoo camp, dance, martial arts, Baylor music, STEM, and more. Share it with the friend who's already making a spreadsheet to figure out what their kids are doing in July.

👉 Check out the Summer Camp Guide here

👀 WEEKEND PREVIEW
🎭 Closing weekend for "The Odd Couple: Female Version" at Waco Civic Theatre. Friday 7:30 PM, Saturday 2:30 PM matinee and 7:30 PM evening, and Sunday at 2:30.

🐕 Saturday's Baylor softball game vs. Utah is Dogs at the Diamond. Bring your pup to Getterman Stadium at 1 PM.

🏃 Unbound Now's Light Up the Dark 5K at Cameron Park Zoo, Saturday evening. It's a glow-in-the-dark run to raise money and awareness to fight human trafficking. Zoo opens at 5:30, 1K at 7 PM, 5K at 7:45 PM. Food trucks, music, games, and glow gear included with registration.

🎪 Baylor Sports Carnival Sunday afternoon at the Turner Riverfront Complex with games and inflatables, alongside the 1 PM baseball series finale vs. TCU.

🎤 Comedian John Crist at Waco Hall, Sunday at 7 PM with tickets available from $42

☕ Be Kind Coffee on Washington Ave is doing $2 off with code EARTH through April 30 for Earth Month. Alex (the owner) adopted the park down the road and hosts clean-ups a few times a year. Love to see a local business owning their part of Waco like that.

Guinevere is a 3-year-old Yorkshire Terrier mix, 14 pounds, and named like royalty for a reason. She's at the Fuzzy Friends and ready to rule your household from the nearest sunny spot on the couch. If you've been saying "maybe after the holidays" since November, this is your sign.
👉 Meet Guinevere here.

Welcome to Open House, where this week's pick is a hilltop property overlooking Lake Waco with views that stretch for miles and a hot tub right at the edge of the deck.

👉 Take your best guess at the list price, then peek at the photos and answer here.

🎈 Friday, April 17:

Knitting Happy Hour @ Milo — 3-6 PM (all analog crafts welcome)

Line Dancing & Lessons @ The Will — 6 PM

Baylor Baseball vs TCU (Go Gold; first 250 fans get a gold trucker hat) @ Baylor Ballpark - 6:30 PM

Baylor Softball vs Utah @ Getterman Stadium (Autism Awareness Game) - 6:30 PM

Brazos Nights: Fastball + Candlebox @ Indian Spring Park — 6 PM doors, 7 PM Fastball, 9 PM Candlebox

"The Odd Couple: Female Version" @ Waco Civic Theatre — 7:30 PM

FRIDAY LIVE MUSIC
D-Rail @ Slow Rise on the Brazos — 5:30 PM
TJ Bell and Another Band of Gypsies @ Uncle Dan's BBQ — 6:30 PM
Colin Dexter @ The Blue Pup Wine and Martini Bar — 7 PM
Madstone @ Texas Music Cafe — 8 PM
Mark Chesnutt @ The Backyard Bar Stage and Grill — 8:30 PM

🎈 Saturday, April 18:

Waco Farmers Market @ Bridge Street Plaza — 9 AM - 1 PM

Party for the Planet @ Cameron Park Zoo — 9 AM - 2 PM

Artist Pop-Ups at Magnolia @ Magnolia Market — 9 AM - 6 PM

Grow Your Own Salsa Garden (Week 1) @ Health District Garden — 9:30 AM (free)

Dr Pepper Museum Pop-Up Saturday @ Dr Pepper Museum

Eastside Market @ Brotherwell Brewing — 11 AM - 3 PM

Softball vs Utah @ Getterman Stadium (Dogs at the Diamond where you can bring your pup) - 1 PM

"The Odd Couple: Female Version" matinee @ Waco Civic Theatre — 2:30 PM

Light Up the Dark 5K (Unbound Now) @ Cameron Park Zoo — 5:30 PM

"The Odd Couple: Female Version" evening show @ Waco Civic Theatre — 7:30 PM

Stand Up Comedy with Shiva Ary @ Texas Music Cafe — 8 PM (via Brazos Theatre)

SATURDAY LIVE MUSIC
Garret Morphis, Scott Allison & Zach Burnett @ Barnett's Whiskey House — 4-11 PM
Kristin Grace @ Slow Rise on the Brazos — 6 PM
Jazz Saturdays @ Segovia Wine Bar — 7 PM
Cochren & Co. (Runs in the Blood Tour) @ The Backyard Bar Stage and Grill — 7 PM
Colin James Band @ Twisted Sisters Patio Bar — 8 PM

🎈Sunday, April 19:

Woodway Farmer’s Market @ Carleen Bright Arboretum - 11 AM - 2 PM

Baylor Baseball vs TCU @ Baylor Ballpark for the Baylor Sports Carnival with games, inflatables, and more - 1 PM

“See How They Run" (Baylor Theatre, final show) @ Jones Theatre — 2:30 PM

John Crist Live @ Waco Hall — 7 PM

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

🔥 Downtown Waco Strategy Roundtable, April 22
Round two is at Humidor on Austin this coming Wednesday. Last month's room included downtown investors, city leaders, nonprofit directors, and business owners who are shaping what Waco looks like in five years. If you have a stake in the future of downtown, grab a seat. Free, registration required. Register here.

🍽 Waco Buzz Dinner Club, April 29. Good food, new friends, and the same energy that makes the Buzz what it is, around an actual table. Just locals who love Waco sharing a meal together. 80 people have already signed up. Grab a seat now.

Big thanks to Tex Vet Trees and Landscaping for being our first-ever Dinner Club presenting sponsor. Veteran-owned, 5-star Google reviews, and a 2026 Best of Waco nominee.

Social Studies with Dr. Lenore Wright, May 7
Dr. Lenore Wright, Professor of Philosophy and Baylor Master Teacher, is taking us through 3,000 years of how the icons we put on pedestals have shaped the way we see ourselves. Experience a live lecture in an unexpected place. Get tickets here.

🏡 Austin Ave. Parade of Historic Homes — Saturday, May 9, 1-4 PM. Six stops along Austin Avenue, including four private residences you'd never otherwise get inside. The Waco Trolley runs between St. Alban's and the Clifton House the whole time. Tickets start at $10, and Buzz readers save $5 with code BUZZ at checkout.

💼 Internet Sales Manager — Mercedes-Benz of Waco Lead a sales team at one of Waco's premier dealerships. You'd be coaching associates, managing showroom and online traffic, and partnering on inventory with the GM. Proven auto retail sales leadership required. Competitive pay, 401k match, and employee vehicle discounts included.

💼 Product Owner — American Amicable If you're the person at work who translates between the business side and the tech team and somehow keeps everyone sane, American Amicable wants to meet you. Hybrid, great benefits, five years of experience preferred.

Hiring? Post a Job
Hunting? View all 90 new roles added this week

💪Move better, recover faster, and live Stronger. Waco Bodymend is a world class space built for everyday movers, athletes, and anyone who wants to feel their best.

🪙153 five-star reviews, free appraisals, and a reputation for fair market value. Reliable Coins is where Waco goes to sell gold and silver the right way.

🚗 Your neighbors at Chevy of West have been taking care of Waco drivers for years with new and pre-owned trucks, SUVs, and cars just 20 minutes up I-35 in West, TX. Stop by or browse their inventory today.

This summer, Basin Climbing + Fitness is offering $25 off their summer camp using code WACOBUZZ. If you or your child wants to try climbing before signing up, swing by the gym any day and give it a try together.

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Thanks for reading The Waco Buzz today. If you found something useful, share it with the friend who keeps asking "what's going on this weekend?"

Whenever you’re ready, here are three ways to get more involved:

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2. Dinner Club: Meet five other locals (recent movers and lifelong Wacoans) over dinner on April 29. You’ll make new friends regardless of stage of life and help make Waco a smaller town.

3. Job Board: The best place to find open roles at growing companies in Waco with opportunities in media, marketing, sales, communication, tech, and engineering.