This Thanksgiving week, Texans are gearing up for one of the busiest travel stretches in recent memory. According to AAA’s latest projections, approximately 5.8 million Texans will travel at least 50 miles from home between November 25 and December 1. 

🚗 By the numbers

• Driving remains dominant: about 5.3 million are expected to hit the road. 

• Air travel: roughly 328,000 Texans are projected to fly. 

• Other modes (bus, train, etc.): around 140,000 will travel by these alternative means. 

📍 What this means on the ground

• Roadside congestion will peak on November 25–26 (right before the holiday) and again on November 30, as people head home. 

• Notably, Thanksgiving Day itself is expected to be relatively light for traffic. 

• Good news at the pump: average gas prices in Texas (around $2.65 per gallon as of mid-Nov) are nearly unchanged from last year. 

✅ Travel-Smart Tips for the Holiday

• Try to leave early in the morning to beat the worst congestion.

• Check your vehicle ahead of time — tires, battery, fluids — and pack a small emergency kit (flashlight, jumper cables, first aid). 

• If you’re flying: book parking early, check‐in online, and plan to arrive 2 hours before a domestic flight (longer for international). 

• Drive sober, buckle up, avoid distractions, and move over when you see emergency vehicles. 

🎉 A Texas tradition

“Thanksgiving travel is a true Texas tradition,” said Galen Grillo of AAA Texas. From I-35 to I-10 and flights out of Dallas and Houston, Texans are going the distance to spend time with family and friends. 

If you’d like, I can pull out specific hot spots of congestion around the Lubbock region, or maybe a mini-section with local shortcuts and travel alternatives for our community. Would you like that?

Heart for the Holidays

Fried Turkey Inside?

Interesting Facts

🎉 Launching the 2026 New Year's Community Card! 🎉

We're kicking off 2026 with one of the most effective marketing opportunities for local businesses — the New Year's Community Card, a targeted mailer delivered to 2,500 homes in Lubbock's top 4 neighborhoods.

With only 16 ad spots per card and one business per category, this is true exclusivity at an unbeatable value — just 6 cents per home.

Why This Card Works

• Families are planning budgets, projects, and purchases in January

• Direct mail stands out — the average household gets only 2 pieces of mail per day

• Neighborhood targeting means your message reaches the right audience

• It's a "Billboard in the Mailbox" they actually keep

•  

Add-On Option: Newsletter Visibility

Pair your card placement with our growing Hub City Happenings Newsletter for even more reach.
Ad spots start at just $35, with options for article-style business spotlights.

First Card of the Season — Limited Spots

Neighborhoods will fill quickly. If you'd like to reserve your New Year's ad or request available neighborhoods, reply or email:

📩 jerry@hubcitydigitalco.com

Let's start 2026 with momentum and visibility!

The Texas Tech football team's regular-season finale against West Virginia now has a kickoff time and TV designation.

The Red Raiders' trip to Morgantown to close the 2025 regular season will air on ESPN starting at 11 a.m. this Saturday. Texas Tech (10-1, 7-1) secures a spot in the Big 12 Conference Championship game with a victory over the Mountaineers (4-7, 2-6).

This is the second year in a row Texas Tech has closed the regular season against West Virginia, last season closing things out with a 52-15 thumping of the Mountaineers in Jones AT&T Stadium.

Texas Tech and West Virginia were both off this week in advance of the finale.

Pet Nights with Santa

• 📅 Date: Starting Mon Nov 24 2025 through Mon Dec 15 2025 South Plains Mall

• 🕒 Time: (See mall website for specific sessions)

• 📍 Location: South Plains Mall, 6002 Slide Rd, Lubbock, TX

• 🎟️ Admission: Free entry, photo purchase optional

• 📄 Details: Holiday-themed event allowing you to bring your pet for a photo with Santa. Great for families and pet owners.

Lubbock Light Park

📅 Date: Now through December 27, 2025
🕒 Time: 6:30 pm 
📍 Location: located in the west parking field across from Premiere Cinemas Lubbock, TX
🎟️ Admission: 

• Gate: $30 per vehicle
  Cash or card accepted.
  
• Online:
  Monday–Thursday (Select a Day): $24.99 per vehicle
  Friday–Sunday (Select a Day): $29.99 per vehicle

📄 Details: 

The drive-thru holiday light show is located in the west parking field across from Premiere Cinemas. Open to create holiday memories each evening at 6:30pm now - December 27.

One ticket per vehicle allows you and your car full to experience more than 500,000 lights all synchronized to holiday tunes. 

Black Fri‑YAY Shopping at South Plains Mall

• 📅 Date: Fri Nov 28 2025 South Plains Mall

• 🕒 Time: (TBA; extended hours likely)

• 📍 Location: South Plains Mall, Lubbock, TX

• 🎟️ Admission: Free (shopping event)

• 📄 Details: Special shopping event for Black Friday deals at the mall, featuring local retailers. Ideal for gift shopping and holiday prep.

Fall Model Train Show

Fall Model Train Show

• 📅 Date: Tue Nov 25 – Sat Nov 29, 2025

• 🕒 Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

• 📍 Location: American Windmill Museum, 1701 Canyon Lake Dr, Lubbock, TX 79403 Visit Lubbock+1

• 🎟️ Admission: (Check museum website for ticket pricing)

• 📄 Details: A model-railroad exhibit hosted by the Lubbock Model Railroad Association. Great for families, hobbyists, and train enthusiasts. Visit Lubbock

Tribute to Country Vocal Groups

📅 Date: Tue Nov 25 – Sat Nov 29, 2025 Visit Lubbockck

• 🕒 Time: (Refer to the venue’s schedule)

• 📍 Location: Cactus Theatre & Vibe LBK, Lubbock, TX

• 🎟️ Admission: (Venue website for tickets)

• 📄 Details: A themed show that pays tribute to well‐known country vocal groups — a fun night out for music fans.