This is the weekend Lubbock officially goes merry. Half a million lights come on at Adventure Park, the Junior League’s Holiday Happening hits its busiest days and Santa shows up all over town on Saturday. Here are the best things to do in Lubbock this weekend, Friday, Nov. 20, through Sunday, Nov. 22, with what’s free marked clearly.
Quick picks
- Best free thing: Heart for the Holidays, Saturday, with free hot meals and free photos with Santa.
- Best for lights: Christmas in the Park at Adventure Park, opening Friday.
- Best for shopping: Holiday Happening at the Civic Center, all weekend.
- Best date night: Waitress at The Buddy Holly Hall, followed by Christmas lights.
Christmas lights
Christmas in the Park at Adventure Park opens Friday, Nov. 20, and runs nightly through Dec. 31 from 5 to 8 p.m. at 5110 29th Drive. The park says it has more than 500,000 lights. The listed $12.99 ticket includes the lights, the Adventure Towers city view and a s’mores kit, with train rides Friday through Sunday. Kids 2 and under are free with a paid admission (booking listing).
Christmas Villages at the American Windmill Museum, 1701 Canyon Lake Drive, are up Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Sunday), with model trains, villages and more than 200 windmills (details).
Holiday markets
Holiday Happening, the Junior League of Lubbock’s 46th holiday market, fills the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, 1501 Mac Davis Lane, with more than 130 merchants. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, per the Lubbock Cultural District listing. It’s the Junior League’s main fundraiser for its community work. Ticket questions go to 806-329-3100, option 1 (Junior League).
Lubbock Coffee Fest takes over Historic Broadway on Saturday from 1 to 9 p.m., with local coffee shops, live music, coffee classes, latte throwdowns and local makers (vendors 1 to 6 p.m.). It’s free to attend. The $45 VIP Coffee Crawl gets you eight 4-ounce specialty coffees from eight shops, and $32 soup flights are served 1 to 6 p.m. (details).
Where to see Santa this weekend
- Heart for the Holidays (free): Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Condra School, 1421 9th St. Free photos with Santa, plus free hot meals, a South Plains Food Bank mobile pantry, coats for families, a kids’ corner and free dyslexia screenings. No sign-up needed (details).
- Festival of Trees: Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., YWCA of Lubbock, 6501 University Ave. Decorated trees and wreaths, Santa photos, cocoa bar, food trucks and raffles. $5 at the door, kids 4 and under free. Proceeds benefit The Rainbow Room (details).
- South Plains Mall (free visit): Santa’s Winter Home in Grand Court is open Friday 2 to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m., with a 3 to 4 p.m. break on the weekend. Photo packages are extra, and booking ahead is recommended (Santa page). The mall’s Pet Nights with Santa run on select nights.
Free things to do in Lubbock this weekend
- Heart for the Holidays, Saturday (above).
- Lubbock Coffee Fest, free entry Saturday (above).
- Santa at South Plains Mall, free visit all weekend (above).
- Thanksgiving Get Together for adults 50+, Friday, 1 to 3 p.m., Lubbock Adult Activity Center, 2001 19th St. Open to seniors from every city senior center (city calendar).
- Library fun: Parenting Cottage Storytime at Groves Branch, 5520 19th St., Friday at 10:30 a.m., with a free book per family while supplies last; and Chill & Spill at Patterson Branch, 1836 Parkway Drive, on Saturday, where kids 10 and up make lip balm, sugar scrubs and face masks (Lubbock Public Library).
Lubbock events this weekend for adults
- Waitress, the Sara Bareilles musical, at The Buddy Holly Hall, 1300 Mac Davis Lane: Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 2 and 7:30 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. Runs about 2 hours, 30 minutes (showtimes).
- Coffee Crawl and soup flights at Coffee Fest, Saturday afternoon.
- Holiday Happening shopping with friends; Saturday runs until 8 p.m.
Red Raider and Lady Raider games
- Football: Texas Tech plays at Baylor on Saturday in Waco. Kickoff time was still listed as TBD (Baylor game page).
- Women’s basketball: The Lady Raiders play Purdue Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and South Florida Sunday at noon at the WBCA Showcase in Orlando (schedule).
Plan the rest of your week and season
For Monday-through-Thursday events, see Lubbock’s week ahead, Nov. 16-22. For every Lubbock Christmas event through New Year’s, including the Carol of Lights on Dec. 6 and the Miracles parade on Dec. 5, bookmark our Christmas guide.
Hosting something next weekend? Send us your event.
Sources
- Christmas in the Park booking listing: https://gowondo.com/experience/christmas-in-the-park-package-412381
- American Windmill Museum: https://windmill.com/event/christmas-villages-2026/
- Lubbock Cultural District: Holiday Happening: https://lubbockculturaldistrict.org/events/46th-holiday-happening-making-spirits-bright-lubbock-memorial-civic-center/
- Junior League of Lubbock: https://www.jllubbock.com/fundraisers/hh/
- Mo Productions: Lubbock Coffee Fest: https://www.mo-markets.com/mosmarket/lubbock-coffee-fest
- United Neighborhood Outreach: Heart for the Holidays: https://unolbk.org/heart-for-the-holidays
- Festival of Trees: https://festivaloftrees.communitypartnerslubbock.org/
- South Plains Mall Santa: https://www.southplainsmall.com/SantaPhotos
- South Plains Mall Pet Nights: https://www.southplainsmall.com/Events/Details/581041
- City of Lubbock calendar: https://www.mylubbock.us/calendar.aspx?view=list
- Lubbock Public Library: https://www.mylubbock.us/351/Library
- Lubbock Cultural District: Waitress: https://lubbockculturaldistrict.org/events/waitress-american-theatre-guild-buddy-holly-hall/
- Baylor game center: https://baylorbears.com/game-center/29754
- Texas Tech women's basketball schedule: https://texastech.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule
