DISCOVER EVENTS
Discover what's happening in Waco. Use filters to find events to attend, support, or participate in across the local arts community.
An Emerald City Evening: Wicked & All-Time Broadway Favorites
Live Music
Maestro Loh and the Waco Symphony welcome stars from Broadway for an unforgettable night in the Emerald City and beyond! Enjoy powerhouse renditions of iconic songs, from classic Broadway standards to modern hits. Sensational vocalists Mamie Parris (Cats, School of Rock, Ragtime), Shayna Steele (Rent, Jesus Christ Superstar, Hairspray), and Nathaniel Hackmann (Back to the Future: The Musical, Les Miserables, Jekyll and Hyde) will perform music from Wicked, The Wiz, and The Wizard of Oz, plus other showstoppers from Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, West Side Story, and more. Mamie starred as Elphaba in the first national tour of Wicked, and Shayna sang on the soundtrack. This concert is a must-see for fans of Broadway and musical theater!
Apr 17, 2026
12:30 AM - 2:30 AM
Waco, TX
Creator
Waco Symphony
Stellar, Sterling & Beethoven 5
Live Music
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is the centerpiece of the final classical concert of the 25-26 season, a symphony that is universally known and truly knows no boundaries. We will open with an exciting new work by American composer Shawn Okpebholo, Stellar Fanfare Prelude for Orchestra, written in 2024 for the Chicago Symphony. We are proud to welcome the young American cellist Sterling Elliott, a 2021 Avery Fisher Grant recipient and winner of the Senior Division of the 2019 National Sphinx Competition. Opening Notes Learn interesting insights about the music you’ll hear at Opening Notes, a free pre-concert talk led by Maestro Lawrence Loh. 6:40 p.m.–7:10 p.m. in Recital Hall II within Waco Hall.
Mar 20, 2026
12:30 AM - 2:30 AM
Waco, TX
Creator
Waco Symphony
2025 Cliburn Gold Medalist
Live Music
Aristo Sham, the Gold Medalist and “Audience Favorite” of the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, will join Maestro Loh and the Waco Symphony in playing the first piano concerto of Johannes Brahms. This competition was named for American pianist Van Cliburn who, in 1958 during the Cold War, won the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. In tribute to that monumental feat in artistic diplomacy, the WSO will perform Tchaikovsky’s final 6th Symphony. We open this concert with music by American composer Jessie Montgomery. She wrote Starburst in 2012 for The Sphinx Virtuosi, the flagship ensemble of the Sphinx Organization. Montgomery writes the following to describe this work: “Exploding gestures are juxtaposed with gentle fleeting melodies in an attempt to create a multidimensional soundscape.” Opening Notes Learn interesting insights about the music you’ll hear at Opening Notes, a free pre-concert talk led by Maestro Lawrence Loh. 6:40 p.m.–7:10 p.m. in Recital Hall II within Waco Hall.
Jan 23, 2026
1:30 AM - 3:30 AM
Waco, TX
Creator
Waco Symphony
The Nutcracker
Live MusicTheaterLive Dance
With toy soldiers, dancing snowflakes, and the Sugar Plum Fairy, you won’t want to miss The Nutcracker—a treasured holiday tradition and the only production with live orchestra in Central Texas. Back by popular demand, Ballet Frontier returns to Waco to inspire a childlike wonder in all of us. With its cast comprised of professional dancers, talented local students, dazzling costumes, world-class choreography, and the Waco Symphony playing Tchaikovsky’s beloved score under the baton of Maestro Beau Benson (Music Director/Conductor of the Temple Symphony Orchestra and Director of Instrumental Music at Pepperdine University), the stage is set for an unforgettable experience for all ages! Visit the Nutcracker Market in the lobby to purchase nutcrackers and themed ornaments. Sales benefit the Waco Symphony. Add a Kingdom of Sweets package for $25 that includes a professional photo with the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier Prince after the performance, a decorated cookie, and a souvenir ornament (limited to 125 purchasers). The Nutcracker performance is approximately 2 ¼ hours long with a 20-minute intermission.
Dec 14, 2025
8:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Waco, TX
Creator
Waco Symphony
Waco Indie Film Festival
FestivalFilm/ScreeningCommunityShow 4 Event Types
The Waco Indie Film Festival is a vibrant celebration of independent cinema in the heart of Texas. Named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World, Waco Indie brings filmmakers and audiences together for a weekend of unforgettable storytelling, filmmaker Q&As, late-night parties, and community connection. The festival showcases bold voices from around the world while championing Texas talent and locally made films. Now celebrating its 10th year, Waco Indie continues to grow as a creative hub, drawing visitors, inspiring collaboration, and highlighting Waco as an emerging destination for film, arts, and culture.
Jul 16, 2026 - Jul 19, 2026
10:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Waco, TX
Creator
Waco Independent Film Festival (Heart of Texas Film Society)
An Emerald City Evening: Wicked & All-Time Broadway Favorites
Live Music
Maestro Loh and the Waco Symphony welcome stars from Broadway for an unforgettable night in the Emerald City and beyond! Enjoy powerhouse renditions of iconic songs, from classic Broadway standards to modern hits. Sensational vocalists Mamie Parris (Cats, School of Rock, Ragtime), Shayna Steele (Rent, Jesus Christ Superstar, Hairspray), and Nathaniel Hackmann (Back to the Future: The Musical, Les Miserables, Jekyll and Hyde) will perform music from Wicked, The Wiz, and The Wizard of Oz, plus other showstoppers from Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, West Side Story, and more. Mamie starred as Elphaba in the first national tour of Wicked, and Shayna sang on the soundtrack. This concert is a must-see for fans of Broadway and musical theater!
Apr 17, 2026
12:30 AM - 2:30 AM
Waco, TX
Creator
Waco Symphony
Stellar, Sterling & Beethoven 5
Live Music
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is the centerpiece of the final classical concert of the 25-26 season, a symphony that is universally known and truly knows no boundaries. We will open with an exciting new work by American composer Shawn Okpebholo, Stellar Fanfare Prelude for Orchestra, written in 2024 for the Chicago Symphony. We are proud to welcome the young American cellist Sterling Elliott, a 2021 Avery Fisher Grant recipient and winner of the Senior Division of the 2019 National Sphinx Competition. Opening Notes Learn interesting insights about the music you’ll hear at Opening Notes, a free pre-concert talk led by Maestro Lawrence Loh. 6:40 p.m.–7:10 p.m. in Recital Hall II within Waco Hall.
Mar 20, 2026
12:30 AM - 2:30 AM
Waco, TX
Creator
Waco Symphony
2025 Cliburn Gold Medalist
Live Music
Aristo Sham, the Gold Medalist and “Audience Favorite” of the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, will join Maestro Loh and the Waco Symphony in playing the first piano concerto of Johannes Brahms. This competition was named for American pianist Van Cliburn who, in 1958 during the Cold War, won the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. In tribute to that monumental feat in artistic diplomacy, the WSO will perform Tchaikovsky’s final 6th Symphony. We open this concert with music by American composer Jessie Montgomery. She wrote Starburst in 2012 for The Sphinx Virtuosi, the flagship ensemble of the Sphinx Organization. Montgomery writes the following to describe this work: “Exploding gestures are juxtaposed with gentle fleeting melodies in an attempt to create a multidimensional soundscape.” Opening Notes Learn interesting insights about the music you’ll hear at Opening Notes, a free pre-concert talk led by Maestro Lawrence Loh. 6:40 p.m.–7:10 p.m. in Recital Hall II within Waco Hall.
Jan 23, 2026
1:30 AM - 3:30 AM
Waco, TX
Creator
Waco Symphony
The Nutcracker
Live MusicTheaterLive Dance
With toy soldiers, dancing snowflakes, and the Sugar Plum Fairy, you won’t want to miss The Nutcracker—a treasured holiday tradition and the only production with live orchestra in Central Texas. Back by popular demand, Ballet Frontier returns to Waco to inspire a childlike wonder in all of us. With its cast comprised of professional dancers, talented local students, dazzling costumes, world-class choreography, and the Waco Symphony playing Tchaikovsky’s beloved score under the baton of Maestro Beau Benson (Music Director/Conductor of the Temple Symphony Orchestra and Director of Instrumental Music at Pepperdine University), the stage is set for an unforgettable experience for all ages! Visit the Nutcracker Market in the lobby to purchase nutcrackers and themed ornaments. Sales benefit the Waco Symphony. Add a Kingdom of Sweets package for $25 that includes a professional photo with the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier Prince after the performance, a decorated cookie, and a souvenir ornament (limited to 125 purchasers). The Nutcracker performance is approximately 2 ¼ hours long with a 20-minute intermission.
Dec 14, 2025
8:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Waco, TX
Creator
Waco Symphony
Waco Indie Film Festival
FestivalFilm/ScreeningCommunityShow 4 Event Types
The Waco Indie Film Festival is a vibrant celebration of independent cinema in the heart of Texas. Named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World, Waco Indie brings filmmakers and audiences together for a weekend of unforgettable storytelling, filmmaker Q&As, late-night parties, and community connection. The festival showcases bold voices from around the world while championing Texas talent and locally made films. Now celebrating its 10th year, Waco Indie continues to grow as a creative hub, drawing visitors, inspiring collaboration, and highlighting Waco as an emerging destination for film, arts, and culture.
Jul 16, 2026 - Jul 19, 2026
10:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Waco, TX
Creator
Waco Independent Film Festival (Heart of Texas Film Society)
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