March To A New Beat This Month
Abilene will come alive with the sounds of music this month, and it should be a blooming good time.
We’ve selected a few noteworthy happenings but you can find more fun things to do at abilenevisitors.com/calendar.
Abilene Zoo: ZooStock
March 6-March 15: The zoo staff goes wild during spring break. Families from throughout the region come out, and it’s an extra fun time. This year the gardens will have extended hours for 10 days with gates open from 9 am to 7 pm. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and picnic baskets and groove with live music and games on the lawn. Count on hands-on activities and zookeeper chats, as well as musical performances each day between noon and 2 pm and 4 pm to 6 pm. Check out the lineup here.
March ArtWalk
Thursday, March 12 will be a lovely evening to paint the town. This month ArtWalkers can express themselves on a 16-foot by 10-foot mural, which will be set up on Cypress Street to give everyone a brush with artistic fame. Mark your calendar for the second Thursday each month and make this hoedown a monthly tradition. Museums stay open late, admission is free, and the new Abilene Centerstage is booking live music each month, thanks to the generosity of Shiner/Reed Distributing and Lone Star Dry Goods. Colton Fox will play this Thursday, and fans can find adult beverages for sale adjacent to the stage, thanks to Cypress Street Station.
An Acoustic Evening featuring Mike McClure & Mark Powell
Lone Star Dry Goods, 173 Walnut, Wednesday, March 18, 6:30 to 10 pm
This deliciously low-key night promises spirits paired with a Perini Ranch Steakhouse sampling: charcuterie, lamb lollypops and the ranch’s renowned mesquite-smoked peppered tenderloin. Enjoy an intimate, unplugged musical performance from a dynamic duo: Mike McClure and Mark Powell. Count on coffee and Perini's famous bread pudding for dessert. Sweet!
St. Patrick’s Day
- St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year, so Abilene breweries are embracing their inner Irishmen on various evenings:
- Party hop on Friday, March 13, Pappy Slokum, 409 S. Treadaway, will partner with Black Cat Blues & BBQ to serve beer, food and fellowship from 5 pm to 9:30 pm.
- Sockdolager Brewery Co., 720 China St., will celebrate 11 am to 11 pm with live music, green beer and “good luck” served to all guests.
- Six Brothers Brewery, 957 N. 2nd St., will serve green brew on Saturday, March 21, with an evening that will serve as a send-off for the brothers’ big trip to Ireland. Authentic!
10th Annual Outlaws & Legends Music Festival
Back Porch of Texas, 3350 N. Clack St, March 20-21
This two-day blowout will be the high note of spring, bringing more than 10K people to the sprawling festival grounds just west of town. Guests can enjoy up-and-coming singer songwriters along with accomplished musical veterans. This year’s 10th anniversary lineup includes Texas icon Willie Nelson, along with Abilene-native mark Powell, Randy Houser, Kevin Fowler, Deana Carter, Radney Foster, Charley Crockett, The Great Divide, Cooder Graw, Jamie Richards, Mike & The Moonpies and more. General admission gets you two days of toe-tapping merriment and camaraderie.
Abilene Broadway Series
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, March 23, 7:30 pm, at the Abilene Convention Center will make you feel the earth move as you watch the inspiring true story of King's remarkable rise to stardom, from her role in a hit songwriting team to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. You’ve got a friend you’ll want to bring to this toe-tapping spectacular.
The Texas Music Office recently awarded Abilene the title “Music Friendly Community,” thanks to hard-working volunteers and staff at the Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the team is gathering a comprehensive listing of places where locals and guests can find live performances every night of the week. Follow the Abilene Centerstage on Facebook and Instagram or check the listings at abilenevisitors.com/calendar and use the handy live music search feature. As always, if you are a producer or event planner, please submit any kind of upcoming event to the communitywide calendar here.
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