Good morning, Waco. The Fourth of July falls on a Saturday this year, which means a full weekend to celebrate.
In today’s Sunday Sip:
🌊 Lake Waco: Why it looks the way it does
🎇 Three things worth circling this week
🏠 House of the Week: 3010 Inverness Dr
📝 New: The Good Life in Waco Confessional
Writing this sitting next to the Eagle River where the rainbow trout have eluded me all week. Back to Waco this week!
Let’s get to it!
— Sam Harper
TOGETHER WITH CHEVY OF WEST
Driving around the Rocky Mountains in Colorado last week, I couldn't stop noticing the Texas license plates. Traverses, Tahoes, Suburbans, all loaded up, bikes on the rack, gear in the back, kids in the seats. Summer road trips have a way of reminding you what a vehicle actually needs to do and the memories that can be made.
Right now Chevy of West has the 2026 Traverse available at 2.9% APR for well-qualified buyers through GM Financial. If you've been thinking about getting a larger vehicle for the whole family, the timing is good to start taking a look.
👉 View inventory at chevyofwest.com*
🌊 Lake Waco
Why It Looks the Way It Does
@danimal_sd
Pull up to Lake Waco on the Fourth of July and you'll see something you don't see most of the year: boats. Lots of them. Jet skis, pontoons, fishing rigs, the works. It's one of the few days the lake feels like it's being used the way it could be every weekend.
The rest of the year, most Wacoans drive past it on Highway 6 and don't give it much thought.
The lake is like that relative who lives ten minutes away but you only see once a year — Fourth of July, maybe one random fall weekend. You love them. You're glad they're close. You just don't make it over nearly enough. That's Waco's complicated loving relationship with Lake Waco — and honestly, same goes for Baylor. Both define the city to anyone looking in from the outside. Both are genuinely great. Both stay just slightly off to the side of everyday life here.
Which is exactly why the Fourth of July on the lake hits different. For one day, everybody shows up.
Why there are no private docks
If you've ever wondered why Lake Waco doesn't look like Lake Travis or Lake LBJ — where the dock is practically the living room — here's the answer: the federal government owns the lake.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has managed Lake Waco since the new dam was completed in 1965. Their policy is straightforward: private exclusive use of public land is prohibited. No private docks, even for homeowners whose backyards touch the water. The Corps controls the shoreline, full stop.
The result is a lake that belongs to everyone. Anyone can launch a boat. Nobody owns a slice of the water. The tradeoff is that Lake Waco never developed the private dock culture you see where property rights extend to the water's edge — no floating boat bars, no neighborhood marinas, no keeping up with the Joneses over who has the better slip.
What you do have: Speegleville Marina, The Cove Marina, and eleven public boat ramps maintained by the Corps. It's a genuinely good setup. It just looks different from what most Texans picture when they think "lake town."
If you want a spot on the water Saturday, Speegleville is your best bet. Get there early — it's the busiest boating day of the year and the ramp fills up fast.
📅 Events to Circle This Week
1. Fourth on the Brazos
Saturday, July 4 | Gates open 6 PM | Touchdown Alley, McLane Stadium | Free
The Jacksons perform live, followed by the TFNB Liberty Lights laser show and the HEB Fireworks Extravaganza. Free admission. Bring chairs and your best red, white, and blue. I'll have the best viewing spots around town in Tuesday's edition.
More info: brazosnightswaco.com/fourth-on-the-brazos
2. USA vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina Watch Party
Wednesday, July 1 | 7 PM | Barnett's Whiskey House Patio
The USMNT is in the knockout rounds of the World Cup. Win Wednesday and the historic run continues. Lose and it's over. Barnett's is the place to be for this one. World Cup fever is real right now and this is exactly the kind of match that fills the entire outdoor patio the right way. Massive screens and a fun crowd. Be there.
3. Celebrating 250 Years at Art Center Waco
Thursday, July 3 | 5-9 PM | Art Center Waco | Free
Three local nonprofits are throwing an outdoor Independence Day celebration the night before the Fourth. Live music, local vendors, food trucks, face painting, margaritas, snow cones, and a bouncy house. General admission is free, you pay vendors for what you want. Good family lineup.
More info at artcenterwaco.org.
📝 New
The Good Life in Waco
Good Life in Waco is a new series about how real Wacoans build a life here. What you earn, how you are saving for retirement, what you've learned about money, relationships, and health living in this city. The stuff that isn’t always said out loud, but can help others.
Every submission is anonymous. Every question is optional.
If you've got lessons worth sharing, we want to hear them.
🏡 Home of the Week
3010 Inverness Dr.
Welcome to Home of the Week, the only newsletter section with a lake view and no dock to speak of. I'll give you a few facts about this week's listing and you try to guess the price.
Listed by: Matthew McLeod 575417, The McLeod Company 254-644-4095
This week's home is at 3010 Inverness Dr, right on the shores of Lake Waco, with sunset views over the water. One story, nearly 4,000 square feet, and one of the only homes on the lake offering this much space on a single level. Amenities include:
3 beds, 3 baths, 3,698 sq ft
Single-level floor plan with lake and sunset views
Covered deck overlooking the water
Built-in barbecue
👉 Take your best guess at the list price, then peek at the answer here.
🏕 One Month Into Summer
Still looking for something for the kids that isn't a screen? The Waco Buzz Summer Camp Guide has been updated to show available camps in July, put together with Basin Climbing and Fitness. Basin has camp sessions open through July, and code WACOBUZZ saves $25 at checkout.
THANKS!
Thanks for reading The Waco Buzz today. If you found something worth sharing, share it with your friend who owns a boat.
Three ways to be part of The Waco Buzz:
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3. Dinner Club: Meet five other locals (recent movers and lifelong Wacoans) over dinner on July 28. You’ll make new friends regardless of stage of life and help make Waco a smaller town.
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