Good morning, Amarillo.

The Senior Ambassadors Coalition is hosting its annual Fall Festival tomorrow from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Arts in the Sunset on Plains Blvd—where seniors can find local service providers, enjoy refreshments, and listen to music.

After months of waiting, the Chick-fil-A on Georgia reopened Tuesday after a long remodel that updated the drive-thru, parking, and a break room for workers — the lobby now stays open until 10 p.m. and the drive-thru until 11 p.m. Owner Joshua Raef said the changes will help serve the community better.

Amanda Kenner of Amarillo’s McDonald’s received the Ray Kroc Award — a top global honor for leaders — for her strong service and dedication; she has worked 16 years at McDonald’s (including three in Amarillo) and will travel to the McDonald’s Worldwide Convention in Las Vegas as part of her prize.

Saturday, Oct. 11, the Amarillo International Film Festival ended after three days at Arts in the Sunset and showed twice as many films as last year.

The event honored local and Texas filmmakers with awards for Best Narrative Feature for “The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia” and Best Documentary for “We’re Still Here,” highlighting stories of resilience and community recovery.

On October 11, Big G and Dean held a tribute show at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts that featured Queen hits and raised funds for Club 55+’s new home on Sixth—audiences sang along with classic tracks and helped support future events.

A new sculpture of poet Emily Dickinson will be unveiled at West Texas A&M University’s Cornette Library on October 16 at 7 p.m.—the free event titled Hope is the Thing with Feathers: An Evening of Verse and Sculpture will feature a keynote by the artist and comments from university professors. The new piece will join an existing Robert Frost sculpture in the Poets’ Garden—commissioned by the Texas Poets’ Corner Advisory Board to honor American poetry.

Amarillo College’s Moore County Campus will hold its 25th anniversary celebration on Oct.

16 from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at 1220 E. 1st Street in Dumas — the event will feature a panel discussion, a new scholarship fund announcement, student-led tours, and local food and drink to honor its legacy of making education accessible.

Amarillo city officials will cut the ribbon on a new playground at Thompson Park on Friday at 5:30 p.m. The playground, funded by a Community Development Block Grant (worth about $1.97 million), welcomes children and adults of all abilities.

Agencies and federal offices in the Texas Panhandle have reduced operations due to the government shutdown that began Oct.

1—affecting offices in Amarillo and at the Rick Husband International Airport. Local groups—such as Catholic Charities and Amarillo National Bank—are offering relief and forbearance to furloughed federal workers.

Amarillo’s city council will discuss the world's largest AI data center at Tuesday’s meeting as residents get a chance to voice concerns over a potential water supply deal with Fermi that could affect the local water budget—especially with water already tight for agriculture.

Council members are set to hear Fermi’s presentation under Agenda Item 9C while town halls about the project are planned for next month.

A lawsuit challenging the cancellation of a charity drag show at West Texas A&M University will return to federal court as amended filings are due later this month and a trial is set for February — the suit alleges that President Walter Wendler and Vice President Christopher Thomas violated the free speech rights of the student group Spectrum WT.

Coffee Memorial Blood Center is asking regional donors to give blood as hospitals face a shortage and the center imports blood from the East Coast—donations help save patients with trauma, cancer, burns and childbirth emergencies while donors must meet health and weight requirements.

Amarillo residents are battling seasonal allergies that cause runny noses, itchy throats, and persistent sneezing, and health advice recommends boosting vitamin C, eating quercetin-rich foods, and using home filters to cut down allergens—other remedies include trying local honey and essential oils for relief.

Amarillo’s Discovery Center will host a 21+ event on October 24 called the Graveyard Shift—attendees will enjoy a screening of Beetlejuice with an open bar, popcorn, and treats from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. This event follows the family-friendly Monster Bash and offers adults an extra dose of Halloween fun for just $25.

Neon Slugfest - Calling All Slug Bugs Car Show

Get ready to glow at NEON SLUGFEST: Our 12th Annual Car Show happening Saturday, October 18th at Street Volkswagen! Live music, food trucks, prizes, face painting & more. It's free to register at streetvw.com

Autocross Event #5

8:30 a.m. — Westgate Mall — $35 SCCA Members, $45 Non-members — Experience the thrill of racing while helping set up the course at this exciting autocross event.

Motown: Back in the Day, Here to Stay

7-10:30 p.m. — The Bliss Venue — Tickets available — Experience a soul-stirring celebration of Motown music with electrifying performances from premier R&B groups.

VMware vSphere 8.0 Skill Up Training Class

Mon-Fri, Oct 27-31 — Amarillo College — $2400 — Enhance your VMware skills with this hands-on training course.

RED HAT ENTERPRISE LINUX SYSTEMS ADMIN I Training

November 3-7 — Amarillo College — $2250 — Comprehensive training course for aspiring Linux system administrators.

Hiring Red, White & You Job Fair

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. — Workforce Solutions Panhandle Child Care Services — Free entry — A job fair supporting veterans and the general public with multiple employer opportunities.

Ragtime Musical Performance

7:30-9 p.m. — Amarillo Little Theatre — Cost info unavailable — Experience a sweeping musical adaptation of E.L. Doctorow’s novel at the dawn of the 20th Century.

Ragtime Musical Performance

7:30-9 p.m. — Amarillo Little Theatre — Ticket prices vary — Experience the gripping storytelling of three families chasing the American Dream in this musical adaptation.