|
Happy Friday, Lubbock. In today’s edition: Candlelight at the Ranch, Gingerbread Festival 2025, local caregivers offering support, and more. Let’s get to it!
— Cait Baker
|
đź“° In the news
Holiday boost for local nonprofits: UMB Bank donated $250,000 to support Lubbock Area United Way, Lubbock Habitat for Humanity, and EL ROBI, part of more than $6.4 million the bank has given in 2025 — see who received support.
Sales surge reverses slowdown: Lubbock’s December sales tax revenue reached $9.44 million, up 9.21% from last December’s payment, reflecting stronger October sales. Year to date, the city is up 3.15% to $110 million — get all the details.
Local caregivers offering support: Comfort Keepers of Lubbock is sharing guidance on VA home care programs for Wolfforth veterans, helping families navigate benefits while offering caregivers for daily support, companionship, and dependable in-home assistance — learn about VA home care.
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.
|
🫶 We got your back
A hidden holiday gem: Ransom Canyon held its 38th Christmas Home Tour on Thursday, opening four festively decked-out houses, including the iconic Bruno Steel home, plus the Memorial Chapel. Guests enjoyed live music, carols, cider, cookies, and even Santa. Proceeds stay local to support upkeep and community use of the Ransom Canyon Chapel. See ticket and timing info.
Travel to the game simplified: Lubbock flyers, rejoice. Southwest is adding special nonstop flights to Florida for Texas Tech’s College Football Playoff trip. Nonstops from LBB to Fort Lauderdale and Miami run Wednesday, Dec 31, with returns Friday, Jan 2. It is a limited-time setup around the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day, with more flights possible if Tech advances. See the special flight dates.
Good hair day loading: When grown-out highlights hijack your selfies, Bijou Salon steps in with plant-powered Aveda color, precision cuts, and a calm, confident team. Expect blended tones, healthy shine, and shape that behaves, so compliments arrive naturally while you get on with your day.
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
🕯️ 47th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch @ National Ranching Heritage Center | Friday (12/12) at 6:30pm – At the Ranch, luminaries glow, fiddles sing, and the old frontier houses borrow a little Christmas magic. It is free to wander, or you can spring for the VIP pass for reserved parking, early entry, and holiday snacks, because we have all earned shorter lines.
This weekend
🎖️ West Texas Salute to Veterans & Open House @ American Windmill Museum | Saturday (12/13) at 9:00am – Nothing beats honoring our veterans with a free salute at the American Windmill Museum, complete with a resource fair, ROTC awards, and more windmills than a Panhandle breeze. Bring the family, meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, snag cookies, and let kids chase trains.
đź”” Junk’n Jingle @ Hooked on Junk | Saturday (12/13) at 9:00am – Holiday mode calls for a shop transformed into a Christmas wonderland, vintage treasures, and mimosas that mean business. It’s like a Hallmark set, but with better junk and stronger pours. Browse hand-picked dĂ©cor, snack while you shop, and hum along, guilt-free.
🎷 Caprock Jazz Festival @ TTU Museum/Helen Devitt Auditorium | Saturday (12/13) at 6:00pm – Trade your patio playlist for Caprock Jazz Festival, where hometown sax hero Tom Braxton proves Lubbock can swing. From Texas Tech track lanes to touring with Wayman Tisdale, he brings smooth heat, big city polish, and zero windstorms. Bring a chair, catch the groove.
đź©° Ballet Lubbock’s The Nutcracker – Sensory Friendly @ Buddy Holly Hall | Sunday (12/14) at 11:00am – Journey with Clara and her Nutcracker to the Land of the Sweets in this special sensory-friendly performance. Expect a relaxed vibe with softer sounds, gentler lighting, and an atmosphere that welcomes wiggly kiddos and noise-makers alike.
🎄 An Aaron Watson Family Christmas Tour @ Cactus Theater | Sunday (12/14) at 3:00pm – Whether you’ve had the tree up since Halloween or you’re still untangling lights, Aaron Watson’s Family Christmas Tour brings twangy carols, honest songwriting, and zero mall Santa chaos. Bring the kids, your boots, and your singalong voice, then plan cocoa, pie, and a drive home.
🎸 Austin Meade & Treaty Oak Revival @ Cook’s Garage | Sunday (12/14) at 8:00pm – Austin Meade joins Treaty Oak Revival for a Texas-bred hit of Red Dirt storytelling, arena-ready riffs, and singalongs you pretend you’re too grown for. Think Tom Petty heart, Judas Priest crunch, and enough volume to feel alive on the music alone.
Next week
🎨 2025 West Texas Watercolor Society Signature Show @ Buddy Holly Center | Tuesday (12/16) at 10:00am – Proof that West Texas color isn’t just sunsets and Tech jerseys, Buddy Holly Center presents the West Texas Watercolor Society Signature Show, featuring 37 artists selected by Kathleen Conover. Make it a First Friday stop for the awards reception, a gallery talk, and grown-up gawking.
🍪 Gingerbread Festival 2025 @ Lubbock Civic Center | Tuesday (12/16) at 4:00pm – Skip the kitchen chaos and let the Civic Center host the sugar rush: gingerbread decorating, Santa photos, a pancake corner, and 35 local vendors. Catch the Gingerbread Showdown judged by Slaton Bakery, and feel good knowing proceeds support the Lubbock Homeless Response System.
🎬 Adult Artful Hours: Junk Journal Meetup + Holiday Movie Night! @ LHUCA Gallery | Tuesday (12/16) at 5:30pm – Settle in with a cozy holiday movie while you journal, swap stickers, and steal clever page ideas from fellow makers. Bring your journal and those “someday” scraps to share, some supplies provided, it’s free, just register to save your seat. Register here: https://lhuca.kindful.com/e/adult-artful-hours-junk-journal-meetup-holiday-movie-night
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
|
🎶 Live music & entertainment
|
🏠️ Price is right – Lubbock 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: Lee Mazurek (Williams & Company Real Estate)
Custom Jason Sharkey build in Highland Oaks, sitting on a landscaped acre with a 24 GPM water well. The main house serves up 4 beds, 3.5 baths, an office, two dining areas, a chef’s kitchen, and a movie-theater basement, plus a three car garage. The pool house adds a big living and kitchen zone, gym, sauna, and its own bed and bath.
Out back plays like a wind sheltered resort, with outdoor kitchen, dining, fireplace, hot tub, and a waterfall pool with slide. Bonus perks include a fourth garage, dog run, raised beds, and room for a shop.
Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →
|
|
|
