🏎️ Waco just made history. Plus, a huge Baylor weekend

Good Morning Waco! This is The Waco Buzz, the local newsletter that feels like pulling a sweatshirt out of the closet for the first time this fall.

Or as Amy Poehler put it on SNL, it’s “sweata weatha” outside this weekend.

In this edition:

🏎️ Flying Cars in Waco
🏈 Blackout on the Brazos
💼 4 Hot Jobs to Know About
🎈 Your Full Weekend Guide

Let's get to it!
- Sam Harper

P.S. It was great being with so many of you at the Dinner Club afterparty last night. Looking forward to the next one!

Three of you are getting the VIP treatment

Live country music is coming to Camp Fimfo Waco on Nov. 13-14, and three of you are getting the VIP treatment. The grand prize is a free two-night cabin stay for concert weekend, plus four VIP weekend passes. Two more winners will each take home two VIP weekend passes.

Friday night brings Casey Donahew and Kin Faux. Saturday features Corey Kent, Huser Brothers and Bryce Leatherwood.

Don't want to leave it to luck? Passes and camping packages are on sale now, and a cabin or campsite gets you the concert plus resort perks like the pool, swim-up bar and mini golf.

👉 Enter to win →^*

Elon Musk's morning-of post promised a Roadster “beyond movies, beyond imagination, beyond human, yet still made by humans on Earth.” Thursday night, it was real, at SpaceX's test site just outside Waco. Tesla billed the event as happening in Waco, and headlines around the world carried our name.

Here's what happened. The Roadster stuck itself to an upside-down ramp, launched off the end and flipped through the air, then used air thrusters to right itself and land. Then it jumped over a Cybercab, a Cybertruck, a Semi, a Model Y and a Model 3.

“Well, it worked,” Musk deadpanned, and “Flying cars are real” became the line of the night.

Fans flew in from around the world for it. Freddy, the German fan who became the World Cup's viral sensation this summer, spent his day at the Dr Pepper Museum, a Waco original, before heading to the demo.

David Marcus, the former PayPal president, was in the audience and said the night brought back “an age of wonder and excitement.” He described screams and open mouths all around. Kitty Hawk is remembered as the place where the airplane first took flight. Could Waco one day be remembered for this moment?

Baylor football pregame report: vs. TCU
McLane Stadium is about to be packed. Baylor students are expected to claim a record 11,000-plus tickets for Saturday night's Blackout on the Brazos, and I haven't been this excited for a game in nearly 10 years.

The Bears (4-1) have won four straight, including a 55-19 win at Arizona State on Oct. 3, and they're coming off a bye week to get healthy. TCU is 2-3 and still looking for its first Big 12 win, but Coach Dave Aranda says the Frogs' defensive line may be the best his offense has faced this season.

⚫ Wear black, and stay after the game. 1,200 drones will light up the sky over McLane for the largest drone show ever at a college football game. If you are downtown Saturday night, you should be able to see it from one of the many rooftop venues as well.

Kickoff is 6 PM Saturday 👉 Tickets start at $22 →

📌 Quick Hits

🍌 Banana Ball is coming to McLane Stadium May 7-8, 2027, with the Texas Tailgaters taking on the Party Animals (more on this in an upcoming edition). Tickets are only sold through a lottery that closes Oct. 31, so join now and help fill McLane with Banana Ball fans. Join the ticket lottery →

🦆 The Great Waco Duck Race is Sunday at Indian Spring Park. The family fest starts at noon and the ducks hit the Brazos at 2 PM, and every duck adopted helps Imagination Library of Waco send free books to Waco kids from birth to age five. Adopt a duck →

⚽ Baylor Soccer hosts TCU Friday night at 7 PM at Betty Lou Mays Field, and the first 500 fans get a Baylor soccer scarf.

🎡 Last call for the HOT Fair & Rodeo. It wraps up Sunday at the Extraco Events Center.

🧠 Social Studies is next Wednesday, Oct. 21 with local history teacher Brad Livingstone on the stories of World War II veterans, and only a few tickets are left. Grab a ticket → Then on Nov. 12, Baylor’s sleep expert Dr. Michael Scullin takes the stage for The Sleeping Brain. Nov. 12 details →

Lunch with the people quietly holding Waco together

Some of the best work in Waco never makes the news. Mission Waco’s Champions of Christian Service Luncheon is built to change that, honoring the individuals, churches, businesses and organizations who serve their neighbors.

It’s Tuesday, Nov. 10 at the AC Hotel Waco Downtown. Lunch starts at 11:15 AM and the program starts at noon. Baylor’s Doug McNamee, Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, is the presenting speaker, and Waco ISD Superintendent Dr. Tiffany T. Spicer is the special guest.

You’ll hear stories of hope and transformation from Mission Waco and its partners, and sit next to people who care about this city. Tickets are $50, with reserved tables at $750 and sponsorships available.

👉 Get tickets →^*

Hiring? Post a Job
Hunting? View all open jobs on the Waco Buzz Job Board

Silobration Stays Open Through Sunday

For the first time in Silobration history, the party doesn't end Saturday night. Magnolia is keeping the Silos open Sunday, Oct. 25, starting with a morning of music and fellowship from Cory Asbury on the Silos Stage at 10:30 AM.

Sunday also brings the final day of the Vendor Fair and activities, plus the first-ever Silobration Sunday brunch at Magnolia Table with an exclusive menu created for the weekend.

Silobration is free to attend. Concerts and some experiences need tickets.

📍 Magnolia Silos | Oct. 22-25 | Sunday, Oct. 25
👉 Plan your visit →^*

Sweater weather is here, and Waco has plenty of ways to enjoy it.

🆓 free | 👨‍👩‍👧 family-friendly | ✨ something different

🎈 Friday, October 16

Conectar: Connect with Julie Cervantez @ Art Center Waco - 11:30 AM

Line Dancing Lessons with Dena @ The Will - 6 PM

Baylor Soccer vs. TCU @ Betty Lou Mays Field - 7 PM

Live Music
Pat and Trammell @ Uncle Dan’s BBQ Ribhouse - 6:30 PM
Piano Man @ Twisted Sisters Patio Bar - 8 PM
Gannon Fremin & CCREV @ The Backyard Bar Stage & Grill - 8:30 PM
Flatland Cavalry @ HOT Fair & Rodeo - 10 PM

🎈 Saturday, October 17

Not a football person? Walking Tales of Oakwood Cemetery is a free morning of Waco history told by storytellers and actors, with golf carts available for visitors who need a lift.

Pumpkin Festival @ Western Belle Farm - Open all day, weekends through Nov. 8 | 👨‍👩‍👧

Waco Downtown Farmers Market @ Bridge Street Plaza - 9 AM

Walking Tales of Oakwood Cemetery @ Oakwood Cemetery - 10 AM | 🆓 ✨

🎨 All-Day Art Day @ Art Center Waco (701 S. 8th St.) - 10 AM to 4 PM
• Saturday Studio, ages 6-12: Mystical Moonlight - 10 AM to 2 PM | 👨‍👩‍👧
• ArtVenture, teens: Moonlight Metal - 12 to 2 PM
• Sip & Social, adults: Mosaic After Dark - 2 to 4 PM | $25, BYOB, all materials provided | ✨ Tickets →

Fall Festival @ St. Philip Catholic Church, China Spring - 11 AM | 👨‍👩‍👧

Eastside Market @ Brotherwell Brewing - 11 AM | 🆓

⭐ Buzz Pick: Waco Lamborghini Run @ Pignetti’s parking lot - 11:30 AM to 2 PM | ✨ A lot full of Lamborghinis is a very Waco way to spend a cool Saturday lunch hour.

Book signing, “Zombie Marry Kill” @ The Ravens Nook - 2 PM | 🆓

Girls Supporting Girls Night @ Cultivate Waco - 4 PM

Baylor vs. TCU, Blackout on the Brazos @ McLane Stadium - 6 PM

Texture Ghost Painting @ Cultivate Waco - 6 PM | ✨

360 Comedy Network Show @ Encore Imperial Theatre - 6 & 9 PM

“Everything Is Everything: Tom Wilson and Pop Music in 1966,” national book launch with author Steven Jones and live music @ Texas Music Cafe - 7 PM | ✨

Heads up: the Mayborn Museum is closed Saturday for the game.

Live Music
Wynn Williams @ Touchdown Alley - 4 PM
Jazz Saturdays @ Segovia Wine Bar - 7 PM
Killer Keyz Dueling Pianos @ The Will - 8 PM
Jon Knott Band @ The Backyard Bar Stage & Grill - 8:30 PM
Muscadine Bloodline @ HOT Fair & Rodeo - 10 PM

🎈 Sunday, October 18

Woodway Fall Fest Market @ Carleen Bright Arboretum - 11 AM to 2 PM 👨‍👩‍👧

Great Waco Duck Race and family fest @ Indian Spring Park - 12 PM, ducks race at 2 PM | 👨‍👩‍👧

Howl-O-Ween Doggy Costume Contest @ The Will - 12 PM | ✨

Live Music
Cody Ellinger @ The Will - 1:30 PM
Rich Wyman @ The Will - 4:30 PM
La Maquinaria Norteña @ HOT Fair & Rodeo

📅 See what else is happening this week in Waco →
🤝 Find a place to serve this week →
🍝 Find a place to meet people →

Want your event featured? Reserve an upcoming Featured Event listing here.

👉 Play this week's puzzles →

✨ The cold front is here, which makes this a good weekend 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.^*

🚗 Tailgate season calls for a good truck. 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.^*

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