Lubbock’s Fall Combines High School Football And Spooky Celebrations

Fall in Lubbock brings us football, leaves, frights, and food.

After about forty years in Lubbock, I’ve learned a few things about what fall really means around here. Some folks might still call me a newbie, but I’ve lived enough autumns in West Texas to see the patterns.

From Haunted Houses to Homecoming Mums: What Makes Fall in Lubbock Unique

First, there’s football — always football. Friday nights are ruled by high school rivalries, marching bands, and those massive, over-the-top homecoming mums that defy both gravity and explanation. Then there’s Texas Tech football, which for decades meant heartbreak and “maybe next year.” But not this year. This year, Red Raider fans actually get to dream about playing well into the new year.

Of course, nothing says “fall” in Lubbock quite like Halloween. Nineteen years ago, we helped launch one of the biggest haunted theme parks in the world, and since then we’ve worked to “Keep Lubbock Spooky.” What’s great is that the whole city has followed suit — from trick-or-treat trails to decked-out neighborhoods that now rival Christmas displays.

We haven’t hit the sweater weather quite yet, but when we do, Lubbock will erupt in proud debates over who makes the best Caldo and Menudo — with steaming bowls popping up all over social media. Personally, I still think we missed an opportunity not making chili more of a local tradition.

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Why Autumn in Lubbock Is More About Grit Than Pumpkin Spice

And then, just as the air cools and the wind shifts, comes the Lubbock classic: dust storms and dead leaves, nature’s brown-on-brown camouflage. Around here, fall isn’t all pumpkin spice and postcard scenery — it’s a season of grit, heart, and a little dirt in your teeth.

The Seven Natural Disasters of LubbockThings get messy around here, folks. Gallery Credit: Chrissy J. RayThe HaboobA massive wall of dirt so thick, it starts confusing you. Is it midnight? Lunchtime? What the heck?. You’ll spend the next few days brushing dirt out of your teeth. Photo by Cerys Lowe on UnsplashThe WindpocalpseYour trampoline and your neighbor’s grill become one in a special ceremony, also known as ‘The Friggin’ Wind’. Photo by Colin Lloyd on UnsplashThe Great Ice StormBlack ice does us real dirty, cars go skating down the loop, power lines are effed. It’s the Winter Olympics in Lubbock that nobody asks for. Trust me. It’s coming. Photo by frame harirak on UnsplashThe Unpredictable Rain BombAfter months of drought, we’ll get 8 inches of rain in less than 20 minutes, flooding every underpass, and turning Milwaukee Ave into dadgum white water rapids. Photo by Kelly Sikkema on UnsplashThe Pollen TsunamiYour lungs, car, and dignity are covered in a bright yellow film. Allergy meds only laugh at you for being naive enough to think you’ll make it without a prescription of the strong stuff. Photo by Brandon Stoll on UnsplashGrasshopper Season (aka The Locust Plague)Each summer, the sky darkens with little crunchy kamakiaze buggos, smackin’ into your windshield, your porch lights, until they evenutally get to your soul. Photo by Chris Haws on UnsplashThe Game Day StampedeNo, it’s not an earthquake—it’s just thousands of drunk tech students storming Broadway after a big win (or, honestly, a major loss). They don’t care. They’re gonna run amok. Never Grow Up: A Peek At Lubbock’s New Toy R Us Location Lubbock is home to a new Toys ‘R Us pop-up inside South Plains Mall Gallery Credit: Renee Raven Renee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains MallRenee RavenToy R Us inside South Plains Mall