☕Waco is waking up again

Good morning Waco! This is The Waco Buzz, the local newsletter that’s always excited to be in your inbox. It’s going to be a great 2026.

Let’s get to it!

— Sam Harper

First Full Week of January
It finally feels like Waco is waking back up. The holidays are behind us, routines are settling in, and this week marks the first true start of the year. That in between feeling is fading, and things are moving again.

Yesterday felt like the real reset. The first Monday of the first full week, when resolutions stop being ideas and start becoming habits. For me, that looks like getting healthier, building more community, and being more present, especially putting the phone away in checkout lines and waiting rooms.

Thank you to everyone who shared their favorite Waco hacks in last week’s edition. The comments were packed with local gold, from family friendly restaurant deals to where to fix a flat tire for free. Maybe the best reminder this time of year is that instead of buying a new gym membership and forgetting you have it by March, Cameron Park is sitting right there. Jacob’s Ladder. 235 steps. 80 feet of elevation. For free. I’ll keep you posted as I pull these together.

👶 First Baby Born in Waco in 2026
Waco’s first baby of 2026 arrived at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest at 2:01a.m. on January 1. She weighed 7 pounds, 2.4 ounces and measured 18.7 inches. Ella lives in Clifton with her parents, Celeste and Jesús. A pretty sweet way to kick off the year.

🏀 Harlem Globetrotters Are Coming to Waco
The Harlem Globetrotters are bringing their 100 Year Centennial Tour to Waco on Saturday, February 14, at Baylor’s Foster Pavilion, with tipoff at 1 PM.

Expect all the classics, plus some new twists, including special 100 Year jerseys, pregame Magic Pass access, on court warmups, and free autograph sessions for fans. Tickets and premium fan experiences are on sale now, with more info here.

Valentine’s Day plans, solved…or at least partially upgraded.

🍰 Local Baker, National Stage
Waco’s own Raquelle Rivera of Meringue Dreams is taking her desserts beyond pop-ups and onto a national stage. She’s made the final five in the Greatest Baker competition, with $10,000 and a national feature on the line.

If her desserts look familiar, you’ve probably seen them on Instagram or at a local market. Raquelle has been building this one bake at a time, and a win would help her scale while staying rooted in Waco. The competition also supports families facing childhood cancer through the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation.

Voting closes Wednesday night. Follow her work at @mymeringuedreams and show some Waco love by voting here.

This one is wild.

Waco → Paris — $500 round-trip
Yes, Paris. Leaving straight from Waco Regional, which still might be the easiest airport experience in Texas. If 2026 is the year you finally say “we should really go to Europe,” this is one of those fares that doesn’t hang around long.

Think croissants instead of carpool, museums instead of meetings, and a very valid excuse to use up some PTO.

See this flight deal*
*Price is subject to change and may no longer be available at the time you check this link.

🤝 Community Corner

🍽️ Dinner Club Is Back
I’m sharing this earlier than usual so you can go ahead and save the date.

The first Waco Buzz Dinner Club of 2026 is officially on the books.

Making new friends as an adult is weirdly hard. Everyone’s busy, routines are locked in, and “we should grab coffee sometime” rarely turns into an actual plan. Dinner Club fixes that.

On Tuesday, January 27, you’ll be seated with five other Waco locals at a great restaurant. Halfway through dinner, you’ll get a text revealing the casual, mystery after-dinner meetup where everyone comes together. No awkward networking. Just good food, good conversation, and an easy way to meet people who also said, “yeah, I should probably get out more this year.”

If your New Year’s resolution included make new friends or try something new every month, this one checks both boxes.

👉 Save your seat here.

More fun community stuff is coming this quarter. Stay tuned.

🥐 Super Mercado Now Open
More grocery options continue to land in Waco. Just last week we shared news about Sprouts coming to town, and now Mucho Gusto Supermercado has officially opened at 1513 S. Valley Mills Drive in what used to be a CVS. We all love H-E-B, but it’s great seeing new markets fill in some gaps, especially when it comes to fresh bakery items, specialty ingredients, and ready-to-go food you don’t always find elsewhere.

✂️ A Fresh Look Opens on Elm Ave
If you’ve driven down Elm lately, you might’ve noticed a new storefront. A Fresh Look Barbershop is officially open, bringing a clean, modern space with classic barbershop energy.

🏭 Big Win at McGregor Industrial Park
Up in McGregor, a former 550,000-square-foot distribution center just turned into a fully leased, job-creating facility. Cromwell Commercial Group finalized two major leases at the McGregor Industrial Park: Fidelity Manufacturing plans to hire 100 employees right away, with long-term plans to grow to 500 jobs, and Tractor Supply Co. is opening a regional distribution center expected to bring on about 50 employees.

That’s a lot of jobs coming from one building, and a solid sign of long-term momentum for the area.

💔 Closures: Amelia’s & Papa Bear’s
Not all business news is celebratory.

Amelia’s Fashion Exchange will close on Friday, January 31. The owner shared a heartfelt message on Facebook, and the comments show just how much the shop meant to longtime customers.

Papa Bear’s, formerly known as John Lillie’s, quietly closed at the end of December. Located off 19th Street and Lake Shore Drive, it built a loyal following over the years. While there’s been no formal announcement, the windows are covered and the comments pouring in online show just how much the place meant to people.

📰 Waco Tribune Gets a New Owner (Sort Of)
Lee Enterprises, the parent company of the Waco Tribune-Herald, announced a $50 million strategic investment that brings new leadership and some financial breathing room. The move lowers interest costs on a large chunk of debt and signals a reset moment for the company’s local news strategy nationwide, including here in Waco.

This is one we’ll keep an eye on.

⚖️ New Texas Laws Take Effect
As of January 1, a slate of new state laws is now live across Texas. A few that matter most locally:

💸 Businesses can now exempt up to $125,000 of inventory from local property taxes, a big jump from the old $2,500 cap.
💧 Builders and developers can earn credits against impact fees for water conservation and reuse projects.
🏠 New rules streamline the eviction process for squatters.
🤖 Texas created a new council to oversee how the state uses artificial intelligence.
🚔 Sheriffs overseeing county jails must now have formal agreements with ICE in certain cases.

There are more than 30 laws in total touching taxes, housing, courts, public safety, and property rights. If you own a business, develop property, or work in public service, this batch is worth a closer look.

🏙️ City Council: City Manager Search
Waco is nearing a major leadership decision. The City has narrowed its City Manager search to four finalists after a nationwide process that drew 70 applicants from 24 states and two countries.

Finalists include two internal leaders from the City of Waco and two experienced city managers from across Texas. City Council is expected to discuss next steps publicly soon as interviews and community engagement move forward.

This hire will shape everything from growth and infrastructure to public safety and economic development over the next decade.

🏥 Ascension and Blue Cross Blue Shield Reach Agreement
Good timing on this one. Ascension and Blue Cross Blue Shield reached a last minute agreement this week, avoiding a coverage lapse that could have forced patients to switch doctors or pay out of pocket.

That matters right now because flu cases are climbing across Waco and McLennan County. Health officials say activity hasn’t peaked yet, but cases are rising as we head into the heart of winter, with more flu B locally and a tougher strain of flu A circulating nationwide.

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Looking Ahead

🩰 254 DanceFest — Jan 10–11
Free community performances of professional contemporary dance, featuring companies from across Texas and nearby states. Shows run Saturday at 2 PM and 7 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM, all at the Ball Performing Arts Center on the MCC campus. Reserve tickets here

🧘‍♀️ Pure Barre Waco at Bertie’s on the Rooftop — Jan 11
Start your Sunday with a guided Pure Barre class at 10 AM on Bertie’s rooftop, followed by a relaxed brunch downstairs at The Brasserie. Your ticket includes a 50 minute class and a curated brunch afterward. Spots are limited. Reserve your spot here

🏀 Women’s Basketball (13–3)
The Bears pulled off a huge road win, knocking off No. 10 Iowa State 72–70 at the buzzer. Baylor is back home Thursday night, hosting the Colorado Buffaloes at Foster Pavilion at 7 PM.

🏀 Men’s Basketball (10–3)
Baylor fell to TCU 69–63 in a game that marked the debut of their newest addition, former NBA draftee James Nnaji. The Bears return to Waco on Wednesday to host Iowa State at 7 PM, then face a major test against one of the top teams in the country, the Houston Cougars, on Saturday at noon. Cheapest tickets for that Houston game are currently around $65. Tickets

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Thanks for reading The Waco Buzz today. If you found something useful, please share it with the person you actually believe will stick to their New Year’s resolution. We believe in them, too.

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

1. Promote your business to 23,000 highly engaged Waco locals across our channels.

2. Dinner Club: Making new friends as an adult is hard. We make it easy by coordinating a dinner with five others at the table, provide conversation starters, and take the awkward part out of the evening. Next Dinner Club is on January 27.

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