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Presidential visit Tuesday: What Lubbock neighbors need to know before Trump’s Civic Center rally

By HCUncovered
Lubbock Police Department and City of Lubbock map of road closures around Lubbock Memorial Civic Center: Mac Davis Lane closed from Avenue O to Avenue L, Avenue O closed from Mac Davis Lane to 9th Street, and 9th Street closed from Avenue O to Avenue L. A star marks the Civic Center parking entrance at 8th Street and Avenue O, entered from Avenue Q.
Map: Lubbock Police Department / City of Lubbock

Last updated about 3:45 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, with road closures from the Lubbock Police Department and City of Lubbock. This story will be updated as official details come out.

Latest official updates: The City of Lubbock calls this “an extremely fluid situation” and says all updates will be posted at mylubbock.us/2026presidentialvisit. Check it before you head out Tuesday.

President Donald J. Trump is scheduled to headline a midterm rally at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center on Tuesday, Oct. 27, according to the official event page. Whether you’re going, you work downtown or you just need to get across town, here’s what official sources have confirmed and what hasn’t been announced yet.

What we know

  • What: “Midterm Rally in Lubbock, Texas featuring President Donald J. Trump,” according to the event page on events.gop.com. The page says it was paid for by Trump 47 Committee, Inc.
  • When: Tuesday, Oct. 27. According to the event schedule, doors open at 2:30 p.m. and remarks begin at 6 p.m. Central.
  • Where: Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, 1501 Mac Davis Lane.
  • Signing up: The event page allows up to four tickets per signup. It says a confirmation text will be sent to your phone and that you aren’t registered until you verify by phone.

The Lubbock Police Department is preparing too. On Monday morning, LPD Public Information Officer Kasie Davis emailed local media that a media availability with Chief Herman “regarding tomorrow’s Presidential visit” had been pushed back to 3 p.m., in the third-floor lobby of police headquarters, 1205 15th St. At 3:37 p.m., Davis sent a media advisory with a map of road closures around the Civic Center, detailed below.

Roads and traffic

Three streets around the Civic Center will be closed Tuesday, according to a media advisory and map from the Lubbock Police Department and the City of Lubbock:

  • Mac Davis Lane from Avenue O to Avenue L
  • Avenue O from Mac Davis Lane to 9th Street
  • 9th Street from Avenue O to Avenue L
Lubbock Police Department and City of Lubbock map of road closures around Lubbock Memorial Civic Center: Mac Davis Lane closed from Avenue O to Avenue L, Avenue O closed from Mac Davis Lane to 9th Street, and 9th Street closed from Avenue O to Avenue L. A star marks the Civic Center parking entrance at 8th Street and Avenue O, entered from Avenue Q.
Map: Lubbock Police Department / City of Lubbock

The city’s Presidential visit page says the closures start at 10 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, and will be fully in place by 9 a.m. Tuesday. Avenue O will have one entrance, at 8th Street. The city hasn’t said when the streets will reopen.

The city expects traffic to be “extremely congested” and is strongly encouraging people to use ride-share. In the advisory, the city called it “an extremely fluid situation” and said all updates will be posted on its update page. If you live, work or drive downtown Tuesday, check that page before you leave and give yourself extra time.

Parking and getting there

According to the LPD/City map, the Civic Center parking lot is entered at 8th Street and Avenue O, coming in from Avenue Q. The city’s page says the public entrance to the building is the main entrance on the west side of the Civic Center, off 8th Street.

Other rules from the city’s page:

  • Towing tonight: Starting at 10 p.m. Monday, any vehicles left in the Civic Center parking lot will be towed. The city says they’ll be returned to the same spot on Wednesday, and owners won’t have to pay to get them back.
  • 4 p.m. cutoff: All pedestrian traffic and vehicle parking in the area will stop at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
  • Walking in: Pedestrians can’t cut across the Civic Center parking lot. No matter where you park, you must walk around the outside of the lot to get to the west entrance.
  • Ride-share: Because of the expected congestion, the city strongly encourages ride-share.

No shuttle service has been announced. Citibus hadn’t posted any route changes or detours for Tuesday, either. If you ride the bus, check citibus.com or @CitibusLubbock before you head out.

If you’re flying Tuesday, Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport hadn’t posted any notice about the visit as of midday Monday. Keep an eye on @flyLBB and check with your airline.

Schools and businesses

We hadn’t found any announcement from Lubbock ISD or other area school districts about schedule, bus or dismissal changes for Tuesday. The city hadn’t issued any guidance for downtown businesses either. We’ll add district announcements here if any are made.

Some City of Lubbock facilities will be closed Tuesday, Oct. 27, according to the city’s page. Regular hours resume Wednesday morning:

  • Mahon Library (other library branches will keep normal hours Tuesday)
  • Civic Center administrative offices
  • Silent Wings Museum

Two other events are scheduled near the Texas Tech campus Tuesday evening, so traffic could build there as well:

  • Tech-or-Treat: Texas Tech’s Student Activities Board lists Tech-or-Treat from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Student Union Building, 15th Street and Akron Avenue. The page warns of “a lot of traffic at 5 pm when most staff are leaving campus.”
  • Talarico rally: An event listing on Mobilize from HRC in Texas shows U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico holding a community rally at 2680 Drive of Champions on the Texas Tech campus. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the program starts at 7 p.m.

What’s allowed or banned at the venue

The official event page doesn’t post a list of allowed or banned items. The U.S. Secret Service does publish a general list of prohibited items. It includes:

  • Aerosols, flammable liquids and mace or pepper spray
  • Firearms, ammunition, explosives, toy guns and weapons of any kind
  • Backpacks and bags larger than 18 by 13 by 7 inches
  • Glass, thermal or metal containers, and coolers
  • Balloons, packages, selfie sticks and laser pointers
  • Drones, bicycles and recreational motorized mobility devices
  • Signs larger than the size limits, and structures or supports for signs and placards
  • Animals other than service or guide animals

It ends with “any other items determined to be potential safety hazards,” so security can turn away things that aren’t listed. If organizers or the Secret Service post rules specific to Tuesday’s event, we’ll add them here. The simplest plan is to bring as little as you can.

Drones: The city says the FAA has issued a Temporary Flight Restriction covering 10 nautical miles around the Civic Center. It’s in effect from sunup to sundown and applies to drone use.

Protests: The city says protesters will have a designated area in the parking lot of the MCM Elegante, 801 Avenue Q. A mobile booking location staffed by the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office will also be near the MCM Elegante, similar to the setup used on Texas Tech game days, for anyone who becomes disruptive in or around the rally.

Weather

The National Weather Service forecast for Lubbock, updated midday Monday, calls for patchy fog and a slight chance of rain showers before 10 a.m. Tuesday. After that, it should be mostly cloudy with a high near 73 and a south wind of 5 to 10 mph. Tuesday night looks partly cloudy, with a low around 58.

Where to get updates

We’ll keep updating this story as the city and LPD release more road, parking and safety details. Whatever your plans Tuesday, a little patience will go a long way. Take care of each other, Lubbock.

Local businesses: want to reach neighbors during the busiest week of the campaign season? Learn how to promote your business with Hub City UnCovered.

Sources

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