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Dance Your Way Through Texas

Buddy and Beyond

Lubbock is a hub of culture that reflects the arid, wide-open spaces of western Texas. As the birthplace of Buddy Holly, the city holds a special spot in American music history, and visitors can enjoy the legacy of Holly and other artists with live music around town.

Holly was an up-and-comer in the rock ’n’ roll movement of the 1950s when he died in a tragic plane crash. The Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock is dedicated to Holly’s memory, with exhibits on his life and influence in music as well as a live musical performance series that highlights his legacy.

The city also has several other spots for groups to hear live music. One of the most popular is the Cactus Theater, a restored 1930s movie theater that hosts concerts by local and regional artists, as well as tribute concerts that pay homage to Holly and other greats of rock ’n’ roll.

www.visitlubbock.org

Metroplex Jazz

About 30 miles north of Dallas and Fort Worth, Denton is one of many smaller communities that make up the Metroplex area surrounding the two large cities. For three days every year in late April, though, music fans from around the state and beyond flock to town for the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival.

Celebrating its 38th anniversary this year, the Denton Arts and Jazz festival is a free event that attracts more than 200,000 visitors each year and offers numerous activity options for groups. The festival takes place in a 20-acre park in downtown Denton and features live music on seven stages where more than 2,700 musicians and other artists perform over the course of the weekend. The event also features the work of hundreds of artisans from around the country.

The Denton Convention and Visitors Bureau can help groups with the logistics of a visit to the festival and often also facilitates tours of nearby attractions, such as the North Texas Horse Country.

www.dentonjazzfest.com

Brian Jewell

Brian Jewell is the executive editor of The Group Travel Leader. In more than a decade of travel journalism he has visited 48 states and 25 foreign countries.