Lubbock Activities: Festivals

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Texans love a good party, and Lubbockites are no exception. Lubbock plays host to some of the most-attended outdoor events in the country. Most of these events are not well-known outside the area, and are blessedly free of tourists.

• Lubbock Arts Festival, www.lubbockartsfestival.com. April, 2nd or 3rd Weekend, $15. The largest arts festival in the region combining fine arts, arts & crafts, food and music. The festival traditionally features an exhibit of Texan studio art. Sponsored by the Lubbock Arts Alliance and local businesses. The event grows in popularity each year with 20 to 30,000 attending.

• Ulterior Motifs, ulteriormotifs.thehubcap.com. April or May, FREE. Annual art exhibition sponsored by the Wheeler Brothers Gallery. The event attracts rock, folk and country music acts, performance artists and assorted strange people. The opening celebration often begins in the Depot District and ends with a midnight concert near the Wheeler Brothers Gallery. Ulterior Motifs is heavily promoted as the alternative arts event of the year. Originally conceived as a single event, the exhibition has become an annual feature.

• 4th on Broadway, www.broadwayfestivals.com. Independence Day, FREE. The largest free festival in Texas! Every year over 100,000 people will walk along the 1/2 mile (4/5 km) portion of Broadway blocked off for the street fair. At dusk the festival moves into the canyon for concert and fireworks. The Lubbock Youth Symphony Orchestra is featured during the fireworks. Space and parking are at a premium, especially in the evening.

• National Cowboy Symposium, www.cowboy.org. September, 1st Weekend, $15. A modest gathering of 20 to 50 thousand enthusiasts celebrating the prototypical cowboy. Features music, lecture series, cook-offs and horse show.

• Fiestas del Llano, www.fiestasdelllano.org. September, 2nd or 3rd Weekend, $5. Cultural festival which focuses on Hispanic history and traditions. Between 10 and 20,000 attend this festival each year. The folk-dance and conjunto banda competitions are very popular.

• Panhandle-South Plains Fair, www.southplainsfair.com. September, Last Week, $20 & Parking $5-$15. The nine-day festival is one of the largest regional fairs in the nation. As many as 300,000 people have been known to tread the fairgrounds during fair week. The carnival midway and concerts are the most popular, especially in the evening. Parking is an absolute nightmare. Take a taxi, but be prepared to wait.

• www.lubbockartsfestival.com
• ulteriormotifs.thehubcap.com
• www.broadwayfestivals.com
• www.cowboy.org
• www.fiestasdelllano.org
• www.southplainsfair.com