Festivals in Texas

Texas Festivals Calendar

Texas boasts one of the state’s most diversified populations. This eclectic mix of people, combined with Texas’ numerous geographical regions, has produced a variety of festivals that are as distinct as the people who live there. Here is a sampling of some of the top annual events in Texas.

January Festivals in Texas

Yaga’s Chili Quest & Beer Fest

2314 Strand St
Galveston, Texas 77550

Stroll the historic Strand street, sample chili from participating cook teams, and vote for your favorite. Or, choose to sample 70+ exclusive brews and spirits at Beer Fest. Get access to live music, vendors, a Cornhole Tournament, and a Margarita Contest for free upon entering Galveston’s historic district.

There are also several ticketed options to choose from: VIP Early Bird Beer Tasting, General Admission Beer Tasting, Chili Tasting, 5k, the Chili Tasting + 5k package, Supper & Sip, or the official Chili Judge experience.

Kerrville Renaissance Festival

River Star Arts & Event Park
Kerrville, TX

The Kerrville Renaissance Festival, held in the gorgeous and bucolic surroundings of the Texas Hill Country, is an immersive, family-friendly experience that takes visitors into a land of amazing fantasy and enjoyment. Among the attractions are enthralling Viking demonstrations and spectacular escape artistry, as well as fun games, scrumptious cuisine, and stores packed with quality hand-made items, not to mention live musical groups playing on various stages.

First Monday Trade Days

800 Flea Market Road
Canton, Texas 75103

What started more than a century ago as a flea market has become home to some of the most exciting, cutting-edge home furnishings, antiques, and collectibles that can be found anywhere. Over the past 150 years, lots of things have changed in the Original First Monday Park; but the genuine, down-home human relationships between vendors and shoppers are the reason people keep coming back. This is a place where you can slow down, visit and ask questions, talk to collectors and antique dealers and meet the artists and craftsmen who create one-of-a-kind items.

Trade Days

Pedigo Park – 925 US-59
Livingston, Texas 77351

Open year-round on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before the third Monday of each month, Livingston Trade Days is set up in Livingston’s scenic Pedigo Park. Shoppers peruse through two covered pavilions and open-air lots that are host to a wide variety of food, arts and crafts, collectibles, and antique vendors.

February Festivals in Texas

Mardi Gras! Galveston

2314 Strand Street
Galveston, Texas 77550

Laissez les bon temps rouler (let the good times roll) at Texa’s largest Mardi Gras celebration! With 20+ parades, headliner performances, a world-record-breaking Umbrella parade, balcony parties, a 5k run, and lots & lots of beads, Mardi Gras! Galveston is jam-packed with things to do, see, and eat. This seven-day celebration spans two weekends and Fat Tuesday.

March Festivals in Texas

South by Southwest Festival

Multiple Venues
Austin, TX

South by Southwest, one of the world’s largest yearly festivals, is an all-encompassing celebration of three major creative arts – cinema, music, and comedy – with a focus on the rising power of digital and interactive technology to bring these media to life. Artists, industry experts, and fans from all over the world flock to Austin for the festival, which has expanded from a one-night event to a 10-day flurry of events and activities aimed at highlighting both new and recognized talent in the creative areas.

Star of Texas Fair & Rodeo

9100 Decker Lake Rd.
Austin, Texas 78724

Come see the official sport of Texas in the Capital of Texas! Rodeo Austin hosts one of America’s top ProRodeos every year with action-packed competitions, a Texas-sized carnival and fair, shopping, food, and a variety of special attractions.

St Patricks Festival

Dublin City Park
Dublin, Texas 76446
Annual – See website for details

North Texas Irish Festival

Fair Park
Dallas, TX

The North Texas Irish Festival has been gathering tens of thousands of music fans for over three decades, commemorating the rich music, dance, and cultural heritage of Irish and other Celtic cultures across the United States. Indeed, well-known bands such as Jigsaw and The Irish Rogues may trace their origins back to the festival’s first edition in 1983. There’s also plenty of food and drink to go around while dancing to the music.

Dogwood Trails Festival

PO Box 2828
Palestine, Texas 75802

This is a classic country music show much like a Branson show. The show will feature the group Shake, Rattle & Roll, a group of girls who sing songs from the 50s and 60s and Lori Young along with our regular band and singers. We again will be auditioning young artists under 18 for the Dogwood Jamboree Talent Search where they will compete for the Artist of the Year in December with a large cash prize.

Tyler County Dogwood Festival

PO Box 2151
Woodville, Texas 75979

Texas Storytelling Festival

Multiple Venues
Denton, TX

At this yearly festival, stories filled with humor, honesty, and a whole lot of heart take center stage, with the goal of entertaining, inspiring, and raising appreciation for the places you’ve lived or dreamed of. Today, the event attracts visitors and participants from all across Texas, as well as presenting instructional and interesting courses on how to tell stories. Hear ghost stories, Texas tales, a liars competition, sacred stories, a story slam, and much more. Participants can also attend workshops to develop their storytelling talents.

San Antonio Folk Dance Festival

Our Lady of the Lake University & International Folk Culture Center
San Antonio, TX

This multi-generational, family-friendly festival features a three-day workshop with instructional sessions, dancing parties, and a ticket to the event’s main concert performance. Activities for children and adults engage visitors in the passion and advocacy of folk dance, allowing them to obtain a fresh awareness of other cultures. The concert, on the other hand, often features up to 14 different cultures through live music, showcasing the ability and enthusiasm of local performing folk dance groups, as well as special guests.

April Festivals in Texas

Texas Sand Fest

Port Aransas, TX

Texas SandFest, the largest event of its kind in the United States, is a three-day family celebration that attracts some of the world’s finest imaginative sculptors as well as tens of thousands of guests to the city of Port Aransas on Mustang Island in the Texas coast. Aside from the incredible sand sculptures, there’s also food, live music, and kids’ activities, as well as shopping for jewelry, arts & crafts, apparel, furniture, keepsakes, and more.

Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival

NW Main St
Ennis, Texas 75120
Annual – See website for details

Red Poppy Festival

709 South Austin Ave.
Georgetown, Texas 78626

Annual Red Poppy Festival! Everyone is sure to have fun at the Red Poppy Festival! There is the Red Poppy Market Place which features artisans from across the nation, the Open Car Show, the Safe Place Kids Village, and the Saturday Night Concert and Street Dance!

A Georgetown and Central Texas tradition, the Red Poppy Festival is a time to enjoy family and friends, music, food, and fun! Come early and stay late! Family-friendly entertainment does not get any better than this!

Bluebonnet Days

205 South 2nd St
Kenedy, Texas 78119
Annual – See website for details

Poteet Strawberry Festival

Five Cousins Strawberry Patch
Poteet TX

This celebration, one of Poteet’s oldest traditions, commemorates the area’s famous strawberry gardens, which were initially established here in the 1920s. With nonstop entertainment and live music from nationally known Country and Tejano acts as well as local bands, the event now regularly draws around 100,000 attendees. There will also be gunfights, a carnival midway, and rodeo acts, as well as a display of locally grown agricultural products, including food items made from wonderful local berries.

Chicken Fried-Steak Festival

814 South Houston
Lamesa, Texas 79331
Last Weekend in April

Fiesta San Antonio

2611 Broadway St.
San Antonio, Texas 78215
See website for details

Mason Arts & Wine Festival

201 Fort McKavitt St
Mason, Texas 76856

First Saturday in April at the Historic Mason Square. Artists of all kinds will be on the sidewalks of downtown Mason. Various wineries are featured throughout the day.

Kerrville Folk Festival

Quiet Valley Ranch
Kerrville, TX

The Kerrville Folk Festival is a beautiful, life-changing event.   Participants come from 40 states and other countries. Everyone is greeted with “Welcome Home,” where life is simpler, kinder, and more melodious. Songwriters are scheduled to perform, and many previous performers just return for the experience. It’s not uncommon to recognize a musician on stage as one you heard the night before at a camping singing circle.

May Festivals in Texas

Buffalo Spring Fest and Fiddlers Contest

Harriman Park
Buffalo, Texas 75831
Annual – See website for details

Canadian River Music Festival

1101 N. 6th Street
Canadian, Texas 79014
Annual

Fredericksburg Crawfish Festival

100 block of West Main St
Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
Annual – See website for details

Bluebonnet Days Pagent

303 W. Main Street
Kenedy, Texas 78119

Bluebonnet Days is a festival that is held in Downtown Kenedy and features a street dance with Tejano and Country Music, craft & food vendors, an IBCA-sanctioned cook-off, kids attractions, a parade and a carnival. Visit our website for applications and more information!

Cinco de Mayo Festival

Downtown
Marshall, Texas 75670
Annually, First Saturday in May.

June Festivals in Texas

Jacksboro TNT Fest

Jacksboro Lake
Jacksboro, Texas 76458
Saturday before July 4th

Jacksboro TNT Fest at Jacksboro Lake, Jacksboro Texas – the Last Saturday in June – there will be tournaments of all kinds, stage activity, and music throughout the day!

Jacksonville Tomato Festival

Downtown
Jacksonville, Texas 75766
Annual

Billy the Kid Festival

1500 Main Street
San Elizario, Texas 79849
Annual

July Festivals in Texas

Great Texas Mosquito Festival

100 Parkview Dr
Clute, TX

A fun-filled festival is held the last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in July each year. After food and bulls, Texas is best renowned for insects. So why not celebrate them? That is exactly what happens in Clute during the Great Texas Mosquito Festival. This yearly event includes a barbecue/fajita cook-off, paintball tournament, karaoke, a Mosquito Chase “Run,” and other activities. It’s never been more enjoyable to pay homage to a pest!

Water Carnival

Comanche Springs Pool
Fort Stockton, Texas 79735
3rd Weekend, July

Water Carnival is a community event put together by volunteers and involves many participants in synchronized swimming and dancing performances.

Rockport Art Festival

Festival Grounds at Rockport Harbor
Rockport, TX

Artists from all across the country exhibit their work in a range of techniques – both analog and digital – at this prestigious juried fine arts event. Since 1969, the festival has made Rockport, Texas, the greatest place to be on the Fourth of July weekend, featuring high-quality artists, live music, a kid’s activity tent, and more. The event is likewise not for profit, with all proceeds benefiting the Rockport Center for the Arts.

Spring-Ho

P.O. Box 985
Lampasas, Texas 76550
2nd full weekend in July

Taking place the second full weekend in July, each day of Spring Ho is brimming over with activities for all. Come visit Lampasas for some Spring Ho fun!

STEMfest: Inspiring Wonder in Waco!

1300 S University Parks Dr
Waco, Texas 76706

STEMfest Community Day 2022 aims to build STEM awareness, opportunity, and education in Region 12 by supporting children and families in exploring STEM through Interactive, hands-on experiences connecting K-12 STEM education to lifelong learning.

Parker County Peach Festival

Historic Downtown Weatherford, 1 Courthouse Square
Weatherford, Texas 76086

More than 200 quality arts & crafts, produce, activity, and food vendors will line the historic streets of downtown, with the charming Parker County Courthouse as the backdrop! This year visitors will find an even more spread-out event with the festival area expanded by 25%! Many antique and specialty stores will have specials throughout the day, so be sure and visit the downtown merchants as well.

Float Fest

Cool River Ranch,
Gonzales TX

Float Fest has quickly become a must-see destination for tubing, camping, and live music fans. The two-day summer event, held at a scenic private ranch surrounded by the Guadalupe River, features an outstanding lineup of musical acts ranging from indie-pop and electro to hip-hop and progressive rock, as well as plenty of fun in the sun – both in and out of the water – and great camping in natural shade. Attendees are welcome to bring their own floats to enjoy the summer sun in Texas. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own floats and explore up to two miles of the river at their leisure.

August Festivals in Texas

Schulenburg Festival

PO Box 115
Schulenburg, Texas 78956
1st full weekend

September Festivals in Texas

Bartlett’s Old Town Festival

FM487 & Evie St.
Bartlett, Texas 76511

Bartlett’s historic downtown district will be lined with vendors offering, games, food, and many unique arts, crafts and collectibles. The Bartlett Museum will be is open along with the Bartlett Activities Center. A BBQ lunch will be served by the Bartlett Activities Center at City Hall and is always good. Many family and class reunions take place during the Old Town Festival so you never know who might appear from your past. The day winds down with a street dance featuring The Mark Richey Band.

Dripping with Taste

2530 W. Fitzhugh Road
Dripping Springs, Texas 78620
Annual

Texas State Forest Festival

1615 S. Chestnut St.
Lufkin, Texas 75901

Presented by Brookshire Brothers, the Texas State Forest Festival is an East Texas tradition that attracts over 14,000 people to Lufkin/Angelina County with thrilling competitions, yummy festival food, fun carnival rides, exciting shows & so much more! This year, the four-day festival will be held from September 15-18, 2022 at the George H. Henderson, Jr. Exposition Center. Annually, the Texas State Forest Festival requires over 150 volunteers working about 2,500 hours to stage the event, and continues to be one of the premier annual events in Deep East Texas!

St. Mary’s Bazaar in Plantersville

8227 County Rd 205
Plantersville, Texas 77363

The event attracts families from all across southeast Texas to the tiny town of Plantersville for wonderful entertainment, great BBQ, shopping and auctions, and country hospitality. The Bazaar begins at 10:30 am when the booths open. Try your hand at winning home-baked goods, plants, hunting and fishing supplies, crafts, homemade kolaches, and much, much more.

Take a tour of one of Texas’s most beautiful and historic painted churches. The Bazaar’s famous BBQ will be served beginning at 10:30 am and includes generous portions of smoked meats and all the sides.

Rhome Fall Festival

400 S Virginia Ln
Rhome, Texas 76078
Annual – See website for details

Hopkins County Fall Festival

PO Box 177
Sulphur Springs, Texas 75483
3rd Saturday

Fort Worth Oktoberfest

The Shack at Panther Island Pavilion
Fort Worth, TX

Oktoberfest, a 19th-century German festival, has spread like wildfire over the world, and the Fort Worth edition, which brings a mouth-watering taste of Germany to Texas, is celebrated with the same zeal as everywhere else. The authentic German food and craft brews, which may be eaten and drank in traditional pop-up biergartens strewn throughout the festival grounds, are undoubtedly the stars of the show. There’s also live music, dancing, Dachshund racing, clothing, and souvenirs for sale.

October Festivals in Texas

Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest

Downtown Fredericksburg, TX

Fredericksburg is renowned for its food and wine cultures, so it comes as no surprise that the city stages a number of culinary events throughout the year. The Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest, which transforms Marketplatz into a gourmet paradise with a wide selection of Texas-made items available for sample and purchase, as well as more than two dozen wineries presenting their wares, is one of the largest and best. With live music, cooking demos, specialty booths, and a silent auction, this is a must-see for any Fredericksburg foodie.

Fall Foliage Festival

119 N. 2nd street
Canadian, Texas 79014

October in Canadian, Texas. Beautiful Fall Foliage, Nature’s Showcase & Nature Classroom, Free horse-drawn wagon rides, large arts & crafts show, art exhibits tour of homes and much more!

Haunted Drive

235 Chain-O-Lakes
Cleveland, Texas 77327

Haunted Drive is a mile-and-a-half-long drive-thru haunted house. It also includes a haunted maze, a haunted house, and a kids trick-or-treat area.

Heart ‘0’ Texas Fair & Rodeo

4601 Bosque Blvd
Waco, Texas 76710

The Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo is an 11-day long event held annually in October at the Extraco Events Center in Waco consisting of a Carnival, Concerts, Livestock Show, and Rodeo!

Chigger Festival

Historic Square
Cooper, Texas 75432
Annual

World Championship Fiddlers Festival

Davy Crockett Memorial Park, 600 Bradshaw
Crockett, Texas 75835

Tradition Lives On!” Over 75 years of Fiddlers Festival tradition returns to its roots as an outdoor fiddling festival on Saturday under the pavilion at Davy Crockett Memorial Park. Fiddlers at all age levels will compete for the grand champion title in Crockett “long-time fiddlers” competition.

Denison Main Street Fall Fest

300 West Main Street
Denison, Texas 75020

Held the first Saturday in October, the festival is a fun-filled action-packed day for the entire family in downtown Denison. Delicious pancakes are served up in the morning followed by Arts & crafts booths lined up on Main Street selling their wares while food vendors delight shoppers with a yummy festival food. Games & carnival rides entertain the kids from one end of Main Street to the other.

Music fills the air at Heritage Park on Main Street as shiny vintage cars fill the streets on one end of the downtown area. A motorcycle show is equally shiny and draws many lookers before the afternoon ride. Children’s activities are scattered throughout the festival while parents and visitors are entertained at the demonstration stage area.

‘Old Rip’ Fest

Downtown
Eastland, Texas 76448
Annual – First Saturday in October

Floresville Peanut Festival

1420 3rd Street
Floresville, Texas 78114

Always held on the second full weekend in October, the Peanut Festival is a grand celebration to recognize the importance of the peanut to Southwest Texas agriculture.

Punkin Day

Downtown
Floydada, Texas 79235
Second Saturday of October

East Texas Yamboree

PO Box 854 75644
Gilmer, Texas 75644

Thank you to everyone who attended the pageant, coronation, carnival, art shows, livestock events, gospel stage, barn dance, all-service club luncheon, and other contests, parades, and events. We hope you and your family had a wonderful time and we are already planning to make next year even better. God bless you and keep you safe until the next we meet again at the East Texas Yamboree.

Come & Take It Festival

414 St. Lawrence Street
Gonzales, Texas 78629
First weekend on October

Annual Wild Game Festival

FM 462 & Castro Ave.
Hondo, Texas 78861

The Festival is aiming to serve the large hunting community that flocks to this region each year to hunt for dove, deer, and exotic animals. This outdoor event will include the 2nd Annul International Bar-B-Que Cookers Association, IBCA, Bar-B-Que, and Wild Game Cook-Off. The featured challenges include beef brisket, pork spare ribs, chicken, and a wild game category. The chance to earn $5,000 in cash prizes and trophies is available to all that enter before the contest starts on Friday. The first-place winner in the Wild Game category will win a safari photo tour for up to five at the 777 Ranch. Those who are not competing are welcome to be a voluntary taste-tester, stop by the loaded catapult, and/or shop at booths while listening to music provided by local talents.

Fire Ant Festival

PO Box 520
Marshall, Texas 75671

Fall Festival

Parish Hall
St. Lawrence, Texas 79739
Annual

Texas Rose Festival

PO Box 8224
Tyler, Texas 75711
3rd weekend

Since its beginning in 1933, the Texas Rose Festival has represented the spirit that brings Tyler together as a community. Rich in heritage and tradition, the Festival offers enchanting ceremonial events – the Queen’s Coronation, Ribbon Cutting, and Rose Presentation, the Queen’s Tea, and the Rose Parade – all amidst a backdrop of brilliant roses as vibrant and colorful as the community they represent. We invite you to join us this year as the City of Roses celebrates its 89th Annual Texas Rose Festival.

UTOPiAfest

Reveille Peak Ranch
Burnet, TX

Another iconic Texas music festival promises mind-blowing performances and stunning West Texas Hill Country sunsets. The family-friendly event, held in the beautiful setting of a natural amphitheater, has developed a reputation as an antithesis to the huge multiple-stage festivals that all too frequently favor number over quality. There’s something for every musical preferences, from bluegrass to R&B and soul, and in combination to the music, there’s lake swimming, biking, hiking, yoga, workshops, disc golf, and a silent disco.

November Festivals in Texas

Romanian Food Festival

3801 Glade Road
Colleyville, Texas 76034

Savor the flavors of our favorite Romanian foods. Enjoy the Romanian Traditional Folk Dances and Live Music with our Romanian singers. Learn about the rich and unique culture of the Romanian people.

Christmas Lighting Festival

1100 University Ave
Huntsville, Texas 77340

December Festivals in Texas

Christmas at the Caverns

26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Road
San Antonio, Texas 78266

At Natural Bridge Caverns, we celebrate Christmas unlike anywhere else in the world! Nestled in the scenic Texas Hill Country, we kick our holiday festivities up a notch. Hear your favorite carols echo throughout Texas’ largest underground cavern. Visit Santa “Spelunker” Claus, join Mrs. Claus for story time, and then round up his reindeer in our 5000 sq. ft. outdoor maze. As the sun sets behind our 30-foot-tall Christmas tree, take a stroll through our 1/3-mile trail of lights and enjoy some s’mores around the campfire. Don’t forget to have some barbecue, enjoy music, and shop for your holiday gifts! Caroling Tours: 4:30-6:30pm

Christmas in the Big Thicket

Silsbee, Texas 77656
1st Saturday in December

Lights All Night

Dallas Market Hall
Dallas, TX

There are numerous fantastic places to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Texas, but for dance music aficionados, there is only one place to be: Lights All Night. The event is known for its amazing light installations, which are spread across four stages, including the 360° Disco Galaxy Stage, which fills the space with a breathtaking constellation. In addition to magnificent music and captivating visuals, the event includes its own immersive digital arts room and fun-filled gaming area.