🎃 Cold Fronts & Candy Wrappers

Good morning, Waco! This is The Waco Buzz, the local newsletter that’s like your favorite full-size candy bar in a sea of Tootsie Rolls.

Let’s get to it!
— Sam Harper

🎃It’s Halloween in Waco — the coldest one we’ve had in recent memory — and the city’s buzzing. Trick-or-treaters will be braving the chill tonight while downtown gears up for a full weekend of celebration.

Baylor’s Homecoming takes over Baylor’s campus with parades, bonfires, and alumni flooding back into town (see full schedule here). Waco Restaurant Week wraps up with one final bite (and maybe a taco or two from the new Taco Passport collab), and the countdown is officially on for Día de los Muertos Waco — this Saturday, November 1 at Indian Spring Park. Expect live music, a vibrant parade, and community ofrendas honoring loved ones in one of Waco’s most meaningful celebrations.

And while we’re celebrating, it’s also a good week to look out for our neighbors as more than 32,000 McLennan County residents are on SNAP, and with benefits paused during the government shutdown, local groups are stepping up. Cha Community is offering a free meal to anyone with a valid SNAP card (plus a kid’s meal for their children) and running a Pay It Forward program where donations cover meals for others. Meanwhile, Shepherd’s Heart Food Pantry continues to serve hundreds of families each week while always welcoming volunteers and donations to help keep shelves full.

Bundle up, Waco, it’s a weekend full of heart, community, and a little extra reason to care for one another.

🐾 Dog of the Week: Pumpkin

Meet Pumpkin — a 3½-year-old German Shepherd with a heart as warm as her name. At 42 pounds, she’s a petite shepherd who brings all the loyalty, intelligence, and confidence of the breed in a slightly smaller package.

Pumpkin’s golden-tan coat shines in the fall sun, and she’s just as happy curling up by your side as she is joining you for a walk around the neighborhood. She’s calm, well-mannered, and past the puppy stage — the kind of dog who instantly feels like part of the family.

👉 Meet Pumpkin here.

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After a night of sneaking “just one more” mini Snickers, your body’s probably begging for something green. Enter Luna Clean Food Café — Waco’s first 100% seed-oil-free café, where everything is grass-fed, pasture-raised, and made with intention.

Located at 1516 Austin Ave, Luna is the brainchild of mother-daughter duo Cida and Lais, first-generation immigrants who wanted to create more than a café — they built a community. It’s a bright, peaceful space where moms, littles, and anyone craving real food can recharge in a non-toxic, joy-filled environment.

From RO-filtered water to non-toxic cleaners, every detail at Luna reflects care. The menu? Smoothies, colorful bowls, and nourishing bites that somehow make “healthy” taste indulgent.

Open Tuesday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–2 p.m., Luna is your perfect post-Halloween detox and proof that clean food can still feel like comfort food.

🥑 Luna Clean Food Café | 1516 Austin Ave, Suite C, Waco TX 76701
📱 @lunawaco | 🌐 lunawaco.com

Today’s Open House is a Woodway retreat at 63 Settlers Creek Trail nails the balance between upscale living and backyard fun.

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

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🎈Friday:

3rd Annual WIC Boo Bash @ Waco-McLennan County Public Health District - 3 PM

Halloween Party @ Velvet Taco - 4 PM

Cake & Coffee: Halloween Edition @ Around The World - 5:30 PM

Johnny Bustamante & The Yacht Crew @ Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp - 6:00 PM

Marty Floyd @ Camp Fimfo - 6 PM

Frozen @ Waco Civic Theatre - 7:30 PM Tickets

Halloween Party @ Hemingway’s Watering Hole - 8 PM

FRIDAY LIVE MUSIC 🎸

🎸 Zachary Hill & Mark McCallister @ Uncle Worm’s Smoke House – 7 PM (Acoustic / Country Rock)
🎹 Halloween Organ Concert @ Glennis McCrary Music Building – 7:30 PM
🎶 Max, Lynnette, Shawna & Steven @ Blue Pup Wine & Martini Bar – 8 PM (Jazz / Soul Covers)
🎸 Halloween Party with Beatlemania64 @ The Will – 8 PM (Tribute / Classic Rock)
🎤 Sherman’s Rockin’ Rollin’ Revue @ Texas Music Cafe – 8 PM (Rock / Variety Show)
🎸 Halloween Party & Costume Contest with The Collin James Band @ Twisted Sisters Patio Bar – 8 PM (Southern Rock / Country)
🎸 Members Only Band @ Barnett’s Whiskey House – 8 PM (‘80s / Pop Rock Covers)
🎶 Rave to the Grave @ 400 E Bridge St – 8 PM (Dance Party)
🎤 Paul Wall in Concert @ The Backyard – 8:30 PM (Hip-Hop / Rap)

🎈 Saturday:

24th Annual Leatherneck Run @ First Woodway Baptist Church - 7:45 AM

China Spring Farmers & Crafters Market @ China Spring United Methodist Church - 9 AM

Waco Downtown Farmers Market @ Bridge Street Plaza - 9 AM

18th Annual Karem Shrine Car Show @ Karem Shrine - 9 AM

College Football: University of Central Florida vs. Baylor @ McLane Stadium - 11 AM Tickets from $22

Frozen @ Waco Civic Theatre - 2:30 PM & 7:30 PM

18th Anniversary Party @ Dancing Bear Pub - 4 PM

Dia de Los Muertos @ Indian Spring Park - 4 PM

Improv Comedy Show @ Brazos Theatre - 7:30 PM

SATURDAY LIVE MUSIC 🎶

🎸 Road Trippin’ @ The Will – 2 PM (Classic Rock)
🎶 Darrell “D-Rail” Ray @ Camp Fimfo – 6 PM (Blues / Rock)
🎸 Monte Rose @ Slow Rise on the Brazos – 6 PM (Warm Soul Timeless Tunes)
🎤 Marty Floyd @ Hecho en Waco – 6:30 PM (Country / Americana)
🎶 Brazos Brothers @ Camp Fimfo – 7 PM (Southern Rock / Country)
🎹 Killer Keyz Dueling Pianos @ The Will – 8 PM (Interactive / Variety)

🎈Sunday:

Homegrown Sunday & Outdoor Market @ The Will - 12 PM

Dia De Los Muertos Car Show @ Southpaw Ink - 12 PM

Frozen @ Waco Civic Theatre - 2:30 PM Tickets

All Souls’ Requiem Concert @ First Presbyterian Church of Waco - 4 PM

Assistant Marketing Director at Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A is hiring a full-time Assistant Marketing Director to help lead local outreach, plan events, and build community partnerships across Waco. If you’ve got marketing experience and love connecting people over chicken sandwiches, apply here.

Senior Software Engineer at AxisCare
Waco-based AxisCare Home Care Software is hiring a seasoned full-stack engineer with serious OOP chops to help modernize its PHP web stack and mentor a small dev team. The role is remote—but with AxisCare’s HQ right here in Waco, you’ll be building cutting-edge software with a team that calls this city home. Apply here.

💧 Need a boost? IViT Hydration & Wellness offers IV therapy and wellness treatments to help you feel better, recover faster, and boost energy.
📍300 S 2nd. St

💪Move pain free and perform better with Waco Body Mend – expert physical therapy, performance training for everyday movers, and home to CrushCycle.
📍116 Mary Ave

🏗️Big build coming up? Arise Construction is Waco’s go-to general contractor who recently completed Uptown Cheapskate at Webster Market.

🏢Searching for the perfect space? Cromwell Commercial Group helps you find and acquire the right commercial property for your next big move.

⭐Protect what matters most with Adam Rogers - Texas Farm Bureau Insurance. Local, trusted guidance for your home, auto, and family.

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Thanks for reading The Waco Buzz today. If you found something helpful, share it with the neighbor handing out full-size candy bars, they’ve earned it.