Happy Friday, Amarillo. In today’s edition: Christmas in the sky, breakfast with Santa, the nutcracker, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

📰 In the news

Student art fuels prevention: Crockett Middle School seventh grader Meagan Madera was named winner of Tobacco Free Amarillo’s 2025 Billboard Art Contest Dec. 10, and her design will appear on billboards in early 2026 — read the full story.

Amarillo’s holiday extravaganza: Christmas In The Sky returns to Hodgetown Friday with Santa photos, fireworks, and hot chocolate and cookies. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., festivities begin at 7 p.m., general admission — get all the details.

Boost for youth education: Junior Achievement presented Fermi America with a “Key to the City” sponsorship, funding expanded JA BizTown programs for students as Fermi is developing an AI campus in Carson County — read the full story.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Identity theft is up 25%: Last year, Americans lost $12.5 billion to ID theft & fraud, and the stories behind those numbers are brutal. My friend just told me his dad’s on his fourth replacement credit card. Other folks have woken up to empty bank accounts or their personal info dumped online after a breach. Aura catches these kinds of attacks early by monitoring for new accounts, weird money movements, leaked data, and other red flags so you’re alerted before things blow up — learn more about it here.

Highlights this week

• Sing along at Happy Holiday Pops
• Kids decorate cookies with Santa Claus
• Meet Santa, write letters, shop local
• Skate with Santa, cocoa and photos
• Enjoy lively music at this dueling pianos show
• This pet insurance plan reimburses up to 90%
• A tiny hearing aid is taking the US by storm

🫶 We got your back

AEDC-backed growth competition: The 2026 Amarillo EnterPrize Challenge is back with $500,000 for Potter and Randall county businesses aiming to grow beyond the Amarillo area. Mandatory orientation sessions at the WT Enterprise Center start Jan. 6. Individual awards go up to $100,000, plus coaching to build a five-year growth plan. So sharpen that pitch. See orientation dates and details.

Local nonprofit spreads cheer: Spectrum Support Society is accepting applications for sensory-friendly Holiday Fun Boxes for families of kids with autism and other developmental differences. The curated kits aim to reduce holiday stress and spark connection. Approved families can pick up boxes Dec. 11 to 18, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., at Hope Village inside Jeffery’s Deli. Get application and pickup details.

Salon glow-up alert: If your color’s flat or you’re flirting with extensions, WHITEFOX Styling shines with dimensional blonding, hand-tied extensions, and thoughtful cuts. A quick pre-visit form matches you with the right stylist, then you’ll leave with a realistic hair plan that suits your routine.

Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I decided to take Hers’ online quiz. They recommended a Biotin + Minoxidil green-apple gummy for regrowth and overall hair health. The whole thing was surprisingly easy: just verify who you are and a licensed provider signs off. Here’s the quiz if you want to check it out.

Makeup that actually works: My sister and I were talking the other day about how the makeup we used in our 20s… just doesn’t work now that we’re in our 30s and 40s. Laura Geller’s entire makeup line addresses this shift, with formulas that smooth, brighten, and actually stay put. If you’re in the same boat, their curated kits are worth a look.

📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

Today

🎄 Encanto de Navidad: A Christmas Experience @ The Cactus Cove Inn and Suites | Friday (12/12) at 6:00pm – If you’ve been waiting for a sign to upgrade from potluck meatballs to a proper holiday night out, this is it. Cocktail hour, a five-course dinner, a cappella, aerial acrobatics, and a live painting, all in the spirit of Christmas, benefitting ADVO Companies.

🎸 An Aaron Watson Family Christmas Tour @ Globe-News Performing Arts Center | Friday (12/12) at 8:00pm – Ready for a holiday tune-up that is more two-step than tinsel? Aaron Watson is rolling in with a family Christmas set, all ages, all heart, and plenty of Texas twang. Bring the kids, your boots, and your festive patience, then sing like nobody filmed it.

This weekend

🥞 Save The Date: Breakfast with Santa @ Gene Howe Elementary | Saturday (12/13) at 9:00am – Trade your usual morning scramble for pancakes with the jolliest celebrity in town. Their first-ever Breakfast with Santa serves yummy food, festive crafts, and photos with the big guy. Bring the kids, grandkids, or your inner elf, then bask in the post-syrup glow.

🧶 Finger Knit Blanket Workshop @ The Art Plug-In | Saturday (12/13) at 4:00pm – Make something warmer than your group chat at this finger knit blanket workshop. No experience needed, just $80 for six plush skeins to craft a cozy throw, with extra skeins $10 each. Registration required, and yes, it doubles as a very giftable humblebrag.

🌟 One Day: A Christmas Musical @ Arden Road Baptist Church | Saturday (12/13) at 6:00pm – Settle in for a free, full-scale musical retelling of the Christmas story, complete with drama, music, and big seasonal feels. Whether you’re bringing the whole family or flying solo, this is one of those holiday traditions that hits all the warm-and-fuzzy notes.

⛸️ Santa Skate| Sunday (12/14) at 2:00pm – Swap the mall chaos for Santa Skate, where twenty bucks covers the whole crew, hot cocoa, and a pic with the big guy. Glide under holiday lights to festive tunes, Amarillo style, with fewer elbows than the aisles at United. Cozy, cheerful, actual fun.

🩰 Lone Star Ballet – The Nutcracker @ Amarillo Civic Center | Sunday (12/14) at 6:00pm – Sugarplum dreams, swirling snowflakes, and a seriously magical battle scene—this classic holiday ballet is back to charm the socks off Amarillo. With multiple showtimes all weekend, it’s your chance to catch Clara, the Nutcracker, and the whole enchanted crew in all their glittering glory.

Next week

🎶 AC Band Holiday Concert @ Amarillo College Concert Hall | Monday (12/15) at 7:30pm – Holiday tunes at the AC Concert Hall Theater mean one thing, a free AC Band concert, classic carols, and brass that behaves indoors. Bring your neighbor, skip the mall chaos, and enjoy real seasonal cheer, the kind you hum on the drive home.

🚭 Freedom From Tobacco – FREE DECEMBER CLASS @ Amarillo College First Responders Academy | Tuesday (12/16) at 6:00pm – If you have been meaning to break up with tobacco, this free class at Amarillo College’s First Responders Academy on Plains Blvd is the nudge. Two evenings, real support, zero judgment. Your wallet, your lungs, and your future grandkid photos will thank you.

🐣 Nest @ Rockwell Event Center Canyon | Tuesday (12/16) at 7:00pm – Vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer John Jarvis unleashes Nest, a fiercely immersive repository of extreme sounds and emotions. Bring an open mind, sturdy nerves, and maybe earplugs. It is cathartic, weirdly beautiful, and the palate cleanser your week did not know it needed.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 12/12 Ben Garcia @ Golden Light Cantina – 7 pm
• 12/12 Katie Beth Mihm Trio @ Butler’s Martini Bar – 9 pm
• 12/13 Goldenlight Beer Garden @ Goldenlight Beer & Wine Garden – 8 pm
• 12/16 Nest and more @ Rockwell Event Center – 7 pm
• 12/19 Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings @ Amarillo Little Theatre – 8:30 pm
• 12/19 Happy Holiday Pops @ Globe-News Performing Arts Center
• 12/20 Dueling Pianos @ Blind Pig of Amarillo – 9 am
• 12/20 Geezers Gone Wild @ The Drunken Oyster – 7 pm
• 12/20 Petty Please!!! @ Idol Art Studio – 9 pm

🏠️ Price is right – Amarillo edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Jon Mark Roberson (Keller Williams Realty Amarillo)

Reverse-living stunner on a Tascosa and La Paloma cul-de-sac, aimed at panoramic sunsets and big-sky views. The kitchen and main living sit upstairs with soaring ceilings, walls of windows, and sunset-ready balcony. Two staircases, one open and one discreet, add swagger, and a dumbwaiter keeps groceries and platters moving.

Natural stone elevates the gourmet kitchen, two kitchenettes, the outdoor kitchen, and the baths. Four bedrooms, 3.5 baths, two living areas, plus a game room with kitchenette and a wood-burning fireplace. Outside, a heated pool, patios, and a grill setup with burner, Big Green Egg, sink, and fridge.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →