The Cactus Theater was constructed in Lubbock, TX in 1937 and officially opened in April 1938 as the first suburban, neighborhood movie theater.  Built with a cost of around $30,000, it originally featured 720 seats and a washed air cooling system (air-conditioning). Its marquee featured 750 feet of neon lighting.

The original Cactus operated as a movie house from 1938 to 1958….when it was closed, stripped of its interior furnishings and equipment.  For many years, it was used as a storage facility for scrap iron by the neighboring Greer Iron Works.

The newly reborn Cactus officially re-opened in 1995 as a live performance theater.

Through the years, Cactus audiences from Lubbock and the surrounding region have enjoyed many live music productions including: Nostalgia Nites, The Cactus Family Christmas Celebration, Girls’ Nite Out, The JDs, concerts showcasing America’s legendary Big Bands and Texas music legends with Joe Ely, BJ Thomas, Gary Morris, Jerry Jeff Walker, the Maines Brothers, The Crickets, Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell and dozens more.

Live theater plays and musicals have been offered at the Cactus with productions of Fiddler on the Roof, The Odd Couple, Steel Magnolias, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, Always…Patsy Cline, and Honky Tonk Angels.  The Cactus has also debuted regional written musical plays including: Heavenly Country and Holy Rock ‘n Rollers.

Hearing original songs being played live on Mondays at Blue Light Live, 1806 Buddy Holly Ave., is nothing new. It now is expected. Blue Light Live serves Americana music in the heart of Lubbock’s Depot District.

The Legacy Event Center has a rich history. As the facility for the First Presbyterian Church from the time it was built until 2008, it hosted hundreds of events that played a central role in the ministry, culture and vibrancy of Lubbock.

The YWCA purchased the building in May 2006 as the congregation made plans to move into a new facility in south Lubbock. In the summer of 2008, the YWCA began a significant project of restoring the building with two goals: first, to preserve the architectural and social character that reflects our city’s heritage and pioneer spirit; and second, to provide a beautiful setting for special events and a comfortable space for business meetings and training.

In the fall of 2009, the YWCA dedicated the sanctuary as Talkington Hall and the adjacent bridal area as Margaret’s Bridal Suite in honor of Margaret and J.T. Talkington, legendary supporters of the Lubbock community and the YWCA. As a 501(c)(3) property of the YWCA of Lubbock, Legacy Event Center bookings essentially make a tangible difference for Lubbock’s children and families.

The Buddy Holly Center, a historical site, has dual missions; preserving, collecting and promoting the legacy of Buddy Holly and the music of Lubbock and West Texas, as well as providing exhibits on Contemporary Visual Arts and Music, for the purpose of educating and entertaining the public. The vision of the Buddy Holly Center is to discover art through music by celebrating legacy, culture and community.

Exhibitions and programs reflect the diverse cultural characteristics of the region and encourage interaction between artists and the community. The Center collects, preserves and interprets artifacts relevant to Lubbock’s most famous native son, Buddy Holly, as well as to other performing artists and musicians of West Texas. Changing exhibitions in the visual arts provide an arena for celebrating the technical virtuosity and creative talents of fine artists at work in a region distinguished by vast distances and a rich tradition of creative resources.

The West Texas Walk of Fame, featuring the Buddy Holly statue, by sculptor Grant Speed, is located inside the Buddy and Maria Elena Holly Plaza, just west of the Center, on the corner of Crickets Avenue and 19th Street. The Plaza is open to the public dawn to dusk, year round. The West Texas Walk of Fame, and its induction process, are a project of Civic Lubbock, Inc.