Football? You bet! The Italy Gladiators are hosting Palmer at home on Friday night beginning at 7:30. This should be a great game. Go Gladiators!

If you are interested in seeing a movie, how about visiting the Galaxy Drive-in Theater just a few miles outside of Ennis on I45. Put your leather jackets on and get out your comb because starting this Friday there will be a special 30th Anniversary week-long presentation of the 1978 smash hit musical, Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John and playing until Thursday, September 18. With the time change the first movies are now starting at 8:15pm. Also, playing is The House Bunny, Tropic Thunder, Righteous Kill, Traitor, Mamma Mia!, The Dark Knight and Death Race. The management recommends you arrive early to avoid long lines of cars and traffic problems. Remember, purchase from their Snack Bar. Do not bring outside food.

Waco

The Waco Chamber of Commerce has a website www.wacochamber.com and announces these special attractions:

Art Center Waco
1300 College Drive
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday (254)752-4371.
www.artcenterwaco.org

Dr Pepper Museum
300 S. Fifth St.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday
Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
(254)757-1024
www.drpeppermuseum.com

Waco Hippodrome Theatre
For more information, call (254)752-9797.
www.wacoperformingarts.org

Waco Symphony Orchestra
For more information, call (254) 754-0851
www.wacosymphony.com

Mayborn Museum Complex at 1300 S. University Parks Drive is a place to bring the whole family to explore. Walk across a replica of Waco’s famous mammoth site, see a Comanche tipi upclose or spend your day exploring the 16 themed Discovery rooms.

The Mayborn Museum Complex is located on the Baylor University campus at 1300 S. University Parks Drive. Admission to the museum and the Bones exhibit will be $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for children. Museum members are admitted free. For more information, call (254)750-1110.
www.baylor.edu/mayborn

Texas Monthly has some fun things for you too…

Austin

Zilker Botanical Garden Thru Nov 30: DinoLand — something big is coming to Austin. Visitors can come face-to-face with thirty lifelike dinos of every shape and size, from the 33-foot-long Daspletosaur (a cousin to the T. rex) to a herd of tiny Compsognathus carnivores, all created by Guy Darrough, a paleontologist who runs Lost World Studios. These formidable creatures will take up temporary residence in the Hartman Prehistoric Gardens, a two-acre habitat with cretaceous plants, gar-filled streams, live reptiles, dragonflies, and butterflies that was created after dinosaur tracks were discovered on the site in 2002. Open daily 10-5. Gen adm $5, children 3-13 $3, 2 & under free. zilkergarden.org 2220 Barton Springs Rd (512-477-8672).

Dallas

Dallas Art Dealers Association Fall Gallery Walk Thirty galleries and nonprofit art spaces will be offering free looks at their exhibits. You’ll need to drive, not walk, to most of them, so plan your itinerary ahead of time. Sep 13 from 10 to 8. Free. dallasartdealers.org Various locations (214-943-1099).

El Paso

El Paso Opera Il Trovatore—Verdi’s four-act tearjerker is staged here with tenor Raul Melo as Manrico the troubadour and soprano Hope Briggs as the beautiful Leonora. Raymond Harvey, conductor. Sep 11 & 13. At 7:30. Gen adm $15-$90, senior citizens, military & students $13.50-$81. epopera.org Abraham Chavez Theatre, 1 Civic Center Plaza (915-581-5534).

Fort Worth

Casa Manana Mama Mia!—you saw the movie, now catch the real deal about one girl’s quest to find her birth father in this ABBA love fest. Sep 9-14. Tue-Thur at 7:30, Fri at 8, Sat at 2 & 8, Sun at 2 & 7. $30-$88. casamanana.org Bass Performance Hall, 4th & Calhoun (817-332-2272).

Galveston

The Grand 1894 Opera House Steve Tyrell—the Grammy Award-winning crooner (and Houston native) will perform classic pop standards with the jazz-style vocals he’s famous for. Sep 13 at 8. $20-$85. thegrand.com 2020 Postoffice (800-821-1894).

Houston

Blaffer Gallery Sep 13-Oct 18: Celebutants, Groupies, and Friends: A Photographic Legacy From the Andy Warhol Foundation — from 1970 to 1987, Andy Warhol chronicled much of his life with Polaroid and black and white photographs, most of which were never seen by the public, though they were often the basis for his personal and commissioned works. These snapshots were given to museums and schools across the country, but you can see 149 of them, which have been donated to the University of Houston, in this exhibit. Open Tue-Sat 10-5. Free. class.uh.edu/blaffer University of Houston campus, Fine Arts Building, entrance 16 off Cullen Blvd (713-743-9530).

San Antonio

Majestic Theatre Sep 9-14: Oprah Winfrey Presents The Color Purple—the musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells the story of Celie and her unforgettable and inspiring journey to triumph over adversity as set to the soothing and soulful sounds of gospel, jazz, pop, and the blues. Tue-Fri at 8, Sat at 2 & 8, Sun 2 & 7:30. $25.75-$73.75. majesticempire.com 224 E. Houston (210-226-5700 or 210-224-9600).

Grapevine

Grapefest This celebration of Texas wines boasts that it is the largest wine festival in the Southwest, and rightfully so; our state is the fifth-largest wine producer in the nation. Four days of entertainment and culinary delights are planned for the twenty-second annual celebration, including wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, live music in the wine garden, the GrapeFest Tennis Classic, and live music. Don’t miss the Grape Stomp competition, where participants vie for the coveted Purple Foot award. Sep 11-14. Thur 10-10:30, Fri & Sat 10-11:30, Sun 11-6. Gen adm $8, senior citizens & children 6-12 $5, 5 & under free (Thur 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m. & Fri 10-5 everybody free); weekend passes $18 & $23. grapevinetexasusa.com Along Main (800-457-6338).

Albuquerque

Plan your adventure to Albuquerque during the world’s largest hot air balloon festival October 4 – 12, 2008. itsatrip.org/albuquerque/ballooning-capital

Waxahachie

The Indians have an open schedule this week. The next home game is September 19 against Lancaster beginning at 7:30.