Comedians + Dog Shows: What Is Coming To Amarillo's Civic Center

If you haven't checked out the calendar for the upcoming events at the Amarillo Civic Center website, I can spare you a trip. It's pretty much comedians and dog shows for the next several months; and gun shows.

Jim Gaffigan and Tim Allen Are Coming to Town

What got me digging through their calendar was an ad I saw for comedian Jim Gaffigan. He'll be here in August.

I also noticed the rescheduled date for Tim Allen.

On Jim Gaffigan's website, it lists the date for Amarillo and then has it tagged "All New Material." It will be interesting to hear what jokes and observations have come out of 2020 and 2021.

There Are So Many Dog Shows Lined Up. Woof.

As I was scrolling through the end of the year on the Civic Center's calendar, I noticed a lot of dog shows. If you love dogs, or show dogs, or dog shows, this is your year.

To be fair, there is one that also includes house cats. If you have a pet allergy, you might want to avoid the area.

Guns. Knives. Guns and Knives together.

Several gun shows, knife shows, gun and knife shows are all planned for the next several months. There's even the Farm & Ranch Show.

Ama-Con?!

Ama-Con is still listed. Last month, though, it was announced that Ama-Con would be held outdoors near the Library's 45th location. At the time the announcement was made, it was mentioned that there were hopes to still have the prom that usually is a part of Ama-Con.

I'm wondering if this spot on the calendar is just to hold their place in case they want to hold the prom at the Civic Center. It would make sense. I checked their social media and website for updates, but nothing was mentioned yet.

While it isn't nearly the full calendar we saw in 2019, and early 2020, it is nice to see that there are at least more events being planned for the civic center.

Downtown Amarillo Over The Years

Downtown Amarillo has seen an incredible metamorphosis. Take a look at the photos below to see just how much it's changed--you won't believe the difference.

The Abandoned St. Anthony's Hospital on Amarillo Boulevard

The 119-year-old abandoned hospital is a fascinating place for any who are lucky enough to be granted the chance to explore.

The sprawling building saw thousands of Amarillo's citizens inside its halls daily, all the the way until it was shuttered in 2001. But there are still incredible artifacts of the all-too-recent past tucked away in the nooks and crannies of the old St. Anthony.

The explorer who took these photographs gave the following information:

"Many rooms were left untouched, we found patient files, old prescriptions, a blood transfusion machine from the 60s, and microscopic slides of breast cancer from the 70s and 80s. I put one picture in here of some heart scans so you can see the dates and diagnosis of the patient, but marked out the patient’s names of course. During a time when mental illness was not understood, 76 exorcisms were documented to have been performed between 1909 and 1931."

Take a look inside the halls of the legendary abandoned St. Anthony's hospital