This week on Act Locally Waco, host Ashley Bean Thornton is back in the studio to bring you ways to beat the heat, volunteer opportunities and events to keep you informed on Downtown Waco development.
Saturday – July 13 - Quarterly Brazos River Cleanup(Keep Waco Beautiful, Waco Parks & Recreation, Waco Paddle Co.)
The TriWaco triathlon is happening Sunday and Keep Waco Beautiful invites you to come out tomorrow morning and help clean up the Brazos River. Registration will begin at 8:30 am for those who didn’t already register online. The clean-up will be from 9 am to noon. Meet up at the Waco Paddles rental truck behind the food trucks at University Parks and Franklin. Kayaks and canoes available on a first-come first-serve basis. Keep Waco Beautiful will have pizzas for everyone around 11 am. Bring a reusable water bottle. Ice water for filling and refilling will be provided. Everyone also gets a “Environmental Volunteer” t-shirt.
Saturday – July 13 - Car Show: Show and Shine Fundraiser benefiting Shepherd’s Heart Food Pantry(La Compania)
If you love cars, you might enjoy the Show and Shine Car Show tomorrow afternoon. In addition to the cars, there will be a bounce house for the kiddos, all kinds of door prizes and raffles and – if you feel like showing off your muscles – a tire toss. All proceeds will benefit Shepherd’s Heart which is one of Waco’s largest food pantries. The show will take place tomorrow afternoon from noon to 4 pm at Fairgate shopping center at the corner of New Road and Bosque. It’s free for everyone.
Saturday – July 13 Christmas in July (benefits Boys and Girls Clubs of Waco)(Barnett's Public House and Boys & Girls Clubs of Waco)
If you are looking to beat the heat tomorrow afternoon stop by Barnett’s Public House. They are hosting Christmas in July for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Waco. So that should at least help you “think cool.” Barnett’s will be donating a portion of all sales and you are also invited to bring a monetary donation or toy. If you are looking for inspiration about what to bring, the Boys and Girls club has an Amazon wish list – the link is on the Christmas in July Facebook event on Barnett’s Facebook page. The Christmas in July Celebration will be from 3 pm to 8 pm. Barnett’s Public House located at 420 Franklin.
Tuesday – July 16 - Luncheon: Advocacy Center for Crime Victims(Centex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce)
The Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children will be making the presentation at the monthly Centex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce networking meeting. Everyone is invited to come and learn more about this organization that has been providing hope and restoration for victims of crime since 1976. The luncheon will take place at noon at the Centex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce building at 915 LaSalle. Price is $15.
Downtown Development
Monday, July 15 - Franklin Avenue Two-Way Conversion Public Information Meeting(City of Waco)
This week you have a couple of great opportunities to stay in the loop about downtown development. Swing by the Central Library on Austin between 4 pm and 6:30 pm on Monday. The City of Waco is hosting a public information meeting about the Franklin Avenue Two-Way conversion. This will be your chance to take a look at the current designs and chat with city staff about the project.
Wednesday, July 17 - 1000 Friends of Waco(Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce)
This week is the monthly meeting of 1000 Friends of Waco. This gathering, sponsored by the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, focuses on strengthening Waco’s urban core. You’ll hear updates from various stakeholders working in the greater Waco community, including: the City of Waco, the Public Improvement District, the City Center Waco and the Greater Waco Chamber's economic development team, among others. This month’s meeting is Wednesday at 10:30 am at the Greater Waco Chamber building at the corner of 3rd and Franklin.
The Arts
If you are an arts lover there is always something happening in town and this week is no exception.
Saturday – July 13 - MLK Jr. Clinic Mural – Community Paint Day(ArtPrenticeship and Creative Waco)
You have probably noticed several new murals popping up around town. Several of these are thanks to the ArtPrenticeship program sponsored by Creative Waco.
This is a program that hires Waco ISD students as paid summer art interns. These interns participate in a real-world concept-to-completion project painting a mural.
This summer, 11 young artists are working alongside New Orleans artist and muralist Richard C. Thomas as well as local artists to add to our growing collection of public art.
Tomorrow morning, you are invited to join in the fun! Join the Art Prenticeship artists for community paint day tomorrow morning from 8 am to 11 am at the Martin Luther King Jr Community Clinic at 1911 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. No experience necessary, just come out and support our young creatives as they make their mark.
Tuesday, July 16 - Thursday, July 18 Shakespeare Studio Act I: Love & War(InSite Theatre)
A fairly new art project in town is a group called InSite. They describe themselves as a “creative placemaking” initiative that uses the arts and design as tools for transforming communities, strengthening local identity, and leading social change.
Right now, they are focusing on theatre production – specifically Shakespeare! This week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings you can join the InSite troupe at Brotherwell Brewery for “Love and War” scenes, sonnets and soliloquies from plays you never knew you loved. The shows start at 7 pm each night. The Brotherwell Tap Room is located at 400 Bridge Street in East Waco. Tickets are $12.
Library Highlights:
Summer time is Library time! For a complete list of library activities be sure to check the Waco-McLennan County library website, here are some highlights for this week:
Tuesday, July 16 - Summer Slime Spectacular(Central Library)
Everybody loves slime, right? On Tuesday afternoon you are invited to Central Library on Austin to mix up your very own customized slime to take home – you can even Choose between glow in the dark, glitter, or colored slime. The event starts at 3 pm and will last until the supplies run out.
Thursday, July 18 - Waco Gets Healthy: Heart Attack & Stroke(East Waco Library)
For adults, East Waco Library invites you to stop by Thursday evening from 6 pm to 7 pm for some tips on healthy living. This week the topic will be recognizing the signs of a heart attack or stroke – a subject that can literally save your life. Representatives from the Health District will be on hand to help point out risk factors and give tips on prevention.
You can find these events and more online at ActLocallyWaco.org.
