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Events in Waco, Texas

As the cultural and economic heart of the region, Waco boasts a dense and diverse calendar of events, ranging from large-scale festivals and nationally recognized sporting events to weekly farmers markets and live music series. The city's vibrant event scene attracts both locals and tourists year-round.

Major Festivals & Signature Events

  • Spring at the Silos: One of Waco's most famous events, hosted by Magnolia. This multi-day festival celebrates the spring season with a large vendor market, live music, food trucks, and family-friendly activities, drawing huge crowds to the Silos grounds.

  • Texas Food Truck Showdown: An annual competition that brings together dozens of food trucks from across the state to downtown Waco. Thousands of attendees come to sample the food, enjoy live music, and vote for their favorite trucks.

  • Heart O' Texas Fair & Rodeo: A massive, multi-day event held every fall, featuring a PRCA rodeo, a large carnival, livestock shows, concerts by major artists, and a wide variety of food and shopping vendors.

  • Día de los Muertos Parade & Festival: An annual celebration held at Indian Spring Park each November 1st, honoring the Day of the Dead tradition. The event features a parade, altars, traditional music, food, and cultural performances. It is a significant community event given Waco's large and vibrant Hispanic population, and has grown steadily each year.

  • July 4th Celebration: Waco hosts a large annual Independence Day event, typically featuring live music, food vendors, and a fireworks show. It draws large crowds from across the region.

  • Waco Wonderland: The city's premier Christmas festival, an eight-day celebration that kicks off with a parade and tree lighting ceremony. It transforms downtown's Heritage Square with an outdoor ice-skating rink, a Ferris wheel, a carousel, visits from Santa, and holiday food and vendors.

Arts, Culture & Music

  • Brazos Nights: A series of free outdoor concerts held in the spring and summer at Indian Spring Park, featuring a variety of musical genres.

  • Waco Cultural Arts Fest: An annual festival celebrating the arts, featuring visual artists, live music, dance performances, and hands-on art activities for all ages.

  • Film Festivals: Waco is home to two notable film festivals:

    • Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival: A three-day festival showcasing family-friendly and faith-based films.
    • Deep in the Heart Film Festival: An independent film festival that screens films from around the world.

  • Rootstock: A Texas Wine Festival: A one-day event that brings together some of the best wineries from across Texas for tastings and sales.

Sporting Events

  • Electrolit TriWaco Triathlon: A major USA Triathlon-sanctioned event held in the summer. Over 900 athletes compete in Olympic and sprint distance triathlons that start and end in the scenic Indian Spring Park.

  • Baylor University Athletics: Throughout the academic year, Baylor University hosts high-profile NCAA sporting events, particularly football games at McLane Stadium, which are major community gatherings.

Regular Community Gatherings

  • Waco Downtown Farmers Market: A year-round market held every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It features a large number of local farmers, artisans, and food producers, and is a central hub of community activity.

Newer & Notable Events (2025–2026)

  • Texas Food Truck Showdown (April 2026): Returned to downtown Waco with 30+ food trucks, drawing over 25,000 attendees. One of the largest food events in Central Texas.

  • National Square Dance Festival (June 24, 2026): The 75th Annual National Square Dance Festival is being held at the Waco Convention Center — a major national event coming to Waco.

  • TriWaco Triathlon (June 28, 2026): The annual USA Triathlon-sanctioned event returns to Indian Spring Park for Olympic and sprint distance races.

  • Camp Fimfo Concert Series (May 8–9, 2026): Camp Fimfo's outdoor two-day concert series featured Shane Smith & the Saints, Bryan Martin, Mike Ryan, Jason Boland & The Stragglers, Jackson Wendell, and Texas Jamm Band (featuring members of George Strait's Ace in the Hole band). Source: campfimfo.com.

  • Wings & Strings Festival: An annual festival celebrating birds and bluegrass music, reflecting Waco's blend of natural beauty and live music culture.

  • Waco Water Lantern Festival: A touring event that has added Waco to its national schedule — participants float illuminated lanterns on the water in an evening ceremony.

Summer 2026 Updates

Updated June 2026 — Full summer calendar now confirmed. Major June events: National Square Dance Convention, Juneteenth Parade, Backyard concert series, Levitt AMP, TriWaco.

  • 75th National Square Dance Convention (June 24–27, 2026): The Waco Convention Center is hosting approximately 4,000 dancers from across the U.S. for this four-day national event — the first time Texas has hosted in 20 years. Includes square, round, line, contra, and other dance styles. June 26 is designated "Celebrate USA250 Day" with patriotic programming and a possible fireworks display. Tickets: $20/day or $80 for the full convention. Source: Texas America 250.

  • Juneteenth Parade & Celebration (June 14, 2026): The annual Juneteenth Parade hosted by the Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce begins at Heritage Square Park and marches down Elm Ave. Free and open to the public — businesses, dance crews, car clubs, and community groups all participate. Source: Wacoan.

  • Waco Independent Film Festival (2026 Official Selections Announced June 1): The festival released its 2026 official selections. Source: KXXV.

  • Brazos Nights Concert Series — Ongoing through Summer: The free outdoor concert series at Indian Spring Park continues through summer 2026. Upcoming date: June 19 free concert.

  • Levitt AMP Music Series (Thursdays, through summer): Free outdoor concerts continue at Bridge Street Plaza (200 E Bridge St) on select Thursday evenings through summer 2026.

  • The Backyard Bar — June Concert Highlights:

    • June 3: Mini-Kiss (KISS tribute)
    • June 5: Sundae Drivers
    • June 6: Jon Wolfe
    • June 12: Lover — Taylor Swift Tribute Experience
    • June 13: The Damn Torpedoes (Tom Petty tribute)
    • June 20: Randy Rogers Band
    • June 21: Taj Farrant
    • June 27: Dreams — Fleetwood Mac Tribute Source: ConcertFix.

  • Waco Hippodrome — June:

    • June 5: Liverpool Legends (Beatles tribute)
    • June 19: That's Not Me Comedy Tour
    • June 27: The Grux — Dave Matthews Tribute Band

  • "Sea Monsters Unearthed" Exhibit — Mayborn Museum (through summer 2026): Special traveling exhibit at the Mayborn Museum Complex (1300 S University Parks Dr).

  • "Urban Stories" Photography Exhibit — Art Center Waco (through summer): On display at Art Center Waco, 701 S 8th St.

  • Parade of Homes Kickoff Party (June 4): At The Backyard Bar, Stage and Grill.

  • Lakeview VBS (June 14–18): Lakeview Baptist Church & Lakeview UMC joint Vacation Bible School. Source: Act Locally Waco.

  • Summer Camp: A Broadway Revue Spectacular (June 29–July 3): Performing Arts Community Center youth summer camp. Source: Act Locally Waco.

Spring 2026 Updates

Updated May 2026 — Additional recurring and one-time events confirmed for spring/summer 2026.

  • Levitt AMP Music Series (Spring 2026): Free outdoor concert series returned to Bridge Street Plaza for spring 2026, featuring a rotating lineup of performing artists. Part of the national Levitt AMP program that funds free concerts in smaller cities.

  • Brazos Nights Concert Series: Waco's long-running free outdoor concert series returned for its 30th year, held at Indian Spring Park. The series typically kicks off with a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta in early May and continues through summer.

  • Pints in the Park: A riverfront festival featuring live music, craft beverages, Texas BBQ, and lawn games along the Brazos River.

  • Trash Dash and Bash (April 11, 2026): Third annual community volunteer event in which teams competed to collect the most trash from the Brazos River. The winning team from First National Bank of Central Texas collected 369 pounds of debris. Source: Waco Today.

  • Juneteenth Family Fun Day: Held at Brazos Park East, this annual holiday celebration features live music, food, kids' activities, health services, and a parade.

  • Waco Downtown Farmers Market: Continues year-round every Saturday 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at Bridge Street Plaza, featuring local farmers, artisans, and food producers within 150 miles of Waco, plus live music.

This information is based on publicly available data from the City of Waco, the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, and other local event websites. Event details and schedules are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, please consult the respective organization's website or local community calendars.