City Spotlight: Lubbock
Home of the Red Raiders, the Cactus Theater, and the biggest symposium for cowboy culture in the world, this West Texas town is dripping with small-town charm and loads of Big 12 pride.
Lubbock was founded in 1876 and named after former Texas Ranger Thomas Saltus Lubbock. It has grown to become one of the most populous cities in the state. Home to Texas Tech University, this college town is a cultural mash-up, combining modern art museums (like the Tornado Gallery) and loads of outdoor activities with tons of great nightlife spots. Although most people know Lubbock for its tortilla-throwing football fanatics, it has another tradition that goes back even further than Texas Tech’s game-day customs.
Music has driven Lubbock’s culture for decades, and this quaint college town is actually the birthplace of one of America’s most iconic musicians — Buddy Holly. Known for his signature thick-rimmed glasses and swooning lyrics, Holly was tragically killed in 1959, during a plane crash that also took the lives of rockers Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson (“The Big Bopper”). The date of the crash is famously known as “the day the music died.”
To honor this beloved hometown hero, the city opened the Buddy Holly Center in 1999 to preserve and promote his legacy while also entertaining and educating visitors about the music of Lubbock and West Texas. Every Feb. 3, the center offers free admission and helps Buddy Holly’s music and legacy continue to play on.
Traveling to West Texas soon? Take your Texas Farm Bureau membership with you! For discounts on travel essentials like hotel stays and rental cars, visit texasfarmbureau.org/memberbenefits.aspx.
