The Performing Arts
Built in 1938, the beautifully restored Cactus Theater, 1812 Buddy Holly Ave. (tel. 806/762-3233 for information; www.cactustheater.com), is now the centerpiece of Lubbock's performing arts scene. On Friday through Sunday, it features regular doo-wop and nostalgia shows, as well as other concerts and musicals. Popular productions include tributes to Buddy Holly and other music legends. Tickets run $15 to $40.
Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, 1313 Broadway, Ste. 2 (tel. 806/762-1688; www.lubbocksymphony.org), performs 10 classical concerts and one pops concert every year at the Lubbock Civic Center Theater (at 6th St. and Ave. O), often featuring guest conductors and musicians from around the world. Ticket prices range from $10 to $50.
Established in 1926, the Texas Tech University Theatre, on the Texas Tech campus on 18th Street between Boston and Flint avenues (tel. 806/742-3603; www.depts.ttu.edu/theatreanddance), has produced more than 1,000 plays in the time since. Recent productions include The Full Monty, Death of a Salesman, and A Streetcar Named Desire. The theater also hosts ballets, experimental plays, and one-act play festivals. Tickets are $12.
Nightclubs & Bars
Lubbock has a bustling nightlife, primarily due to the presence of 25,000 Texas Tech students. The vibrant Depot Entertainment District, located between Texas Avenue and I-27 around 19th Street, is where you'll find the highest concentration of clubs, including The Blue Light, 1806 Buddy Holly Ave. (tel. 806/762-1185), known for its live music and hip, young crowd. Also in the neighborhood, you can line dance and two-step to live country music at Wild West, 2216 I-27 (tel. 806/741-3031). Cricket's Grill and Draft House, 2412 Broadway (tel. 806/744-4677), is a rowdy Texas Tech hangout with nearly 100 beers on draft.
Many restaurants morph into bustling nightspots after sundown, including the Texas Cafe and Bar and Café J. Just north of the Texas Tech campus, Conference Cafe, 3216 4th St. (tel. 806/747-7766), is a rowdy college hangout. If you do imbibe in Lubbock, try the city's signature cocktail, the Chilton. Invented by a local doctor of the same name, the drink consists of vodka, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and soda, in a salt-rimmed glass -- the result is tart but refreshing.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
