A note regarding COVID-19
Upcoming Events in El Paso
New Braunfels
Honky Tonk Thursdays
Sept. 3, 10; Oct. 15; Nov. 19
Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road
Texas’ oldest dance hall presents this music series spotlighting country artists on the rise. The shows give a platform to the next generation of Texas talent—artists who are building momentum and ready to make their mark. All performances are free, open to all ages, and benefit the SIMS Foundation, a nonprofit providing mental health and substance use recovery services to musicians, music industry professionals, and their families.
Friday Afternoon Club at Gruene Hall
Sept. 4, 11, 18, 25; Oct. 2, 8, 16, 23, 30
Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road
At this Gruene Hall tradition, now in its 28th year, hipsters, oldsters, suits, locals, and drifters mix it up to start their weekend rite (pun intended). This quintessential Friday happy hour celebrates the warmer weather with great beer prices, prize giveaways, and Texas tunes broadcast live by KNBT 92.1 FM Radio New Braunfels. There’s even a very special guest interview each week. A few who have been known to stop by for a chat have included Ray Benson, Steve Earle, Delbert McClinton, Radney Foster, Hayes Carll, and Ray Wylie Hubbard.
San Angelo
“One of a Kind: The Art and Music of Bobby Whitlock”
Sept. 17-Nov. 29
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St.
Rock musician Bobby Whitlock was best known as a songwriter and performer, co-founding Derek and the Dominoes with Eric Clapton, and having performed on George Harrison’s 1970 triple album “All Things Must Pass.” In his later years, he found painting to be outlet for creative expression. Having worked in collaboration with Whitlock and his wife and longtime musical partner, CoCo Carmel, the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts presents an interactive exhibition of Whitlock’s dynamic paintings, together with music and memorabilia from the course of his long career.
New Braunfels
Old Gruene Market Days
Sept. 19-20, Oct. 17-18, Nov. 21-22, Dec. 5-6
Gruene Historic District, 1601 Hunter Road
Nearly 100 vendors offer uniquely crafted items and packaged Texas foods.
Sundrop Springs Fall Festival
Sept. 26-Nov. 21
Sundrop Springs, 953 Hueco Springs Loop Road
Sundrop Springs is a new family tradition that brings entertainment during the best time of year. Enjoy a hayride, pumpkin patch, mazes, and delicious food.
El Paso
Chalk the Block
Oct. 3-4
Downtown, 114 W. Mills Ave.
Over 45,000 people visit this chalk art competition each year, where more than 100 local and touring artists from all disciplines compete. There’s also art installations, live dance and theatrical performances, art and food vendors, and access to hands-on activities and exhibits.
El Campo
Prairie Days Festival
Oct. 3
Alamo Park, West First Street
This festival celebrates El Campo’s heritage with live music, a beer garden, food and craft vendors, a kids zone, community 5K run, shopping, entertainment, and hometown fun all day long.
New Braunfels
Friends of the New Braunfels Public Library Book Sale
Oct. 8-10
New Braunfels Civic Center, 375 S. Castell Ave.
Shop a huge book sale with thousands of books of every genre, plus CDs, DVDs, books of special interest, and collectibles. The sale raises tens of thousands of dollars to support the New Braunfels Public Library.
Gruene Music and Wine Festival
Oct. 8-11
Gruene Historical District, 1612 Hunter Road
The Gruene Music and Wine Festival began as a one-day event in 1987 with the purpose of promoting Texas and Americana music while raising funds for the United Way of Comal County. Over the years, it has become a multi-day celebration not only of Texas and Americana music, but also wine, made right here in Texas.
San Angelo
Fort Concho After Dark
Oct. 9-10
Fort Concho National Historic Landmark, 630 S. Oakes St.
Take an evening walking tour of the historic site with true and scary stories told based on actual events from the 1870s.
A Murder at Fort Concho
Oct. 16-17
Fort Concho National Historic Landmark, 630 S. Oakes St.
Guests receive clues and attempt to solve the murder case by visiting with various characters from the 1870s.
New Braunfels
Día de los Muertos Festival
Oct. 17
Downtown , 500 Main Plaza
Celebrate Día de los Muertos and Hispanic culture in New Braunfels. Expect live music, face painting, and a kids’ area with games, activities, and craft making. There are also vendors selling food, beer, and arts and crafts.
Bellaire
Houston Area Wood Carvers Show, Competition, and Sale
Oct. 17
Faith Lutheran Church, Fellowship Hall, 4600 Bellaire Blvd.
Houston-area wood carvers display one-of-a-kind art and compete for awards. On display are caricature, realistic, and stylized carvings including birds, animals, Santas, and cowboys. Relief and chip carvings and pyrography are also displayed. Watch the whittling contest in the afternoon.
San Angelo
“En Plein Air Texas: Spirit of the Ranch”
Oct. 22-Jan. 10
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St.
Award-winning plein air artists from all over the United States were selected to live and paint for three weeks on local ranches, giving an artistic perspective on the unique, diverse, and breathtaking beauty of the region.
El Paso
Amigo Airsho
Oct. 24-25
Biggs Army Airfield, 12716 Biggs St.
A weekend of speed, sound, and patriotic excitement comes to Fort Bliss with the Amigo Airsho. Performers include the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor Demo Team, U.S. Army Golden Knights, world champion aerobatic pilot Kirby Chambliss, plus airshows and military demonstrations.
visitelpaso.com/events/annual-events-and-festivals/amigo-airsho
Día de los Muertos Desfile and Festival
Oct. 24
Downtown , 125 W. Mills Ave.
The ninth annual Día de los Muertos Desfile and Festival is a celebration of life for those who have departed. The event is free and includes arts and cultural activities, altars and exhibits, local vendors, and performances. The parade features 60 entries of floats, performers, and local organizations.
New Braunfels
Texas Clay Festival
Oct. 24-25
Gruene Historic District, 1601 Hunter Road
At the 33rd annual festival, respected potters and sculptors from around Texas display their works, sell their wares, and demonstrate a variety of techniques. Hands-on activities are available for children.
San Angelo
Fort Concho House of Horrors
Oct. 30-31
Fort Concho National Historic Landmark, 630 S. Oakes St.
A historic building turns into a scary haunted house for Halloween.
New Braunfels
Wurstfest
Nov. 6-15
Wurstfest Grounds, 178 Landa Park Drive
A unique annual celebration rich in German culture and full of Texas fun includes food, music, dancing, carnival rides and games, beer, special events, and the finest in Bavarian-style entertainment.
Holidays in Gruene: Photos with Cowboy Kringle
Nov. 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, 27-29; Dec. 5-6, 12-13, 19-20
Gruene Historic District, 1601 Hunter Road
Create a lasting Christmas memory by getting pictures with Gruene’s own brand of Santa. Reserve a spot in advance for photo packages, Christmas cards, and other special order items. Photos taken Nov. 21-22 benefit a local nonprofit.
Come and Taste It: Meet Texas’ Best Winemakers and Brewers
Nov. 12, Dec. 17
The Grapevine, 1612 Hunter Road
The Grapevine Garden welcomes visitors to taste favorite Texas wines and craft beers. This event features live music and complimentary tastings by up to three wineries and three breweries, hand-selected by the Grapevine staff.
Downtown Lighting and Santa’s Arrival
Nov. 20
Downtown, 500 Main Plaza
The Main Plaza in downtown New Braunfels hosts the official kickoff of the holiday season when thousands of twinkling lights are turned on and Santa makes his arrival.
Weihnachtsmarkt
Nov. 20-22
New Braunfels Civic Center/Convention Center, 375 S. Castell Ave.
Enjoy an exclusive Christmas shopping experience at Weihnachtsmarkt, a German-style Christmas market with a Texas twist. The market offers authentic German collectibles and ornaments, unique decorations, specialty items, fabulous gifts, apparel, and antiques.
Wassailfest
Dec. 3
Downtown , 500 Main Plaza
Drink hot wassail and walk through Christmas lights at Wassailfest. There’s live music from local school choirs plus local vendors and entertainment.
San Angelo
Art for Lunch: Brown-Bag Lunch Lecture Series
Dec. 3
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St.
The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts holds a monthly speaker series hosted by executive director Seth Hopkins. This month’s program features members of the West Texas Jazz Orchestra. Guests are encouraged to bring their own lunch.
Chamber Music Series: Jazz at Sundown
Dec. 3
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St.
The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts presents Jazz at Sundown with The West Texas Jazz Orchestra, an upbeat evening of big band jazz presented in a relaxed happy-hour atmosphere with live music, social energy, and a dance floor.
Christmas at Old Fort Concho
Dec. 4-6
Fort Concho National Historic Landmark, 630 S. Oakes St.
Stroll through Fort Concho’s 28 historic buildings and 40 acres for holiday shopping, entertainment, food, special exhibits, and living history.
New Braunfels
Will Holiday’s Grand Ol’ Christmas Show
Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre, 290 W San Antonio St
Fairfield
Christmas on the Square and the Hometown Parade
Dec. 5
Freestone County Courthouse, 118 E. Commerce St.
Christmas on the Square and Parade is a beloved holiday tradition featuring festive lights, joyful music, local vendors, and a magical parade through the heart of downtown.
Coppell
The Boho Market Old Town Coppell Vintage Christmas Market
Dec. 5
Old Town Coppell , 489 W. Bethel Road
A variety of vendors come to the city’s vintage holiday celebration this December. Peruse a variety of booths, check everyone off your shopping list, and enjoy live music and festive photo ops.
Elgin
Holiday by the Tracks
Dec. 5
Veteran’s Memorial Park, 109 Depot St.
Downtown Elgin welcomes the holiday season with a family-friendly celebration featuring a Christmas Bazaar, the annual Hot Cocoa Stroll, shopping, music, and an evening lighted Christmas parade. Visitors can shop from local artisans, makers, food vendors, and small businesses while enjoying holiday activities throughout downtown. For the Hot Cocoa Stroll, participants receive a passport and map directing them to participating cocoa stops. Tickets include a commemorative mug, cocoa samples, and the opportunity to vote for the best cocoa. Additional festivities include face painting, live music, a raffle, and Santa appearances.
El Paso
Witnessing War: Tom Lea in the Age of AI
Dec. 10
Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens, 500 W. University Ave.
Tom Lea Fellow Julia Hettiger, a writer, educator, and rhetoric and composition Ph.D. student from El Paso, centers the spectator in analyzing Tom Lea’s depictions of war. She examines what is lost and what is promoted when the U.S. government uses AI for military recruitment. Tom Lea’s work offers a window into the grim realities of war from an outside, neutral perspective, inviting audiences to witness them without direct wartime experience, something AI-generated graphics cannot replicate.
Caldwell
Christmas on the Square and Lighted Parade
Dec. 11
Downtown, 100 W. Buck St.
Christmas on the Square is a cherished event in the community. Enjoy dance performances, music from the Caldwell High School Band, and showcases by the Caldwell High School Honeybees Dance Team. Following all the performances, the Lighted Parade begins on Buck Street.
Chappell Hill
Chappell Hill Garden Club Christmas Home Tour
Dec. 12
Masonic Lodge, 5065 Main St.
Take a self-driving tour of historic and modern properties decorated for the holidays in and around Chappell Hill in beautiful Washington County.
San Angelo
Chamber Music Series: Tuba Christmas
Dec. 13
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St.
Celebrate the holiday season with Tuba Christmas, a festive community tradition that brings together more than 20 tuba and euphonium players from across the region for an afternoon of holiday music and seasonal cheer. Founded in 1974 by legendary tubist Harvey Phillips, Tuba Christmas has become an international phenomenon, with performances taking place in cities and communities throughout the United States and around the world.
Levelland
Will Holiday’s Grand Ol’ Christmas Show
The Wallace Theater, 823 Houston St
San Angelo
“Albrecht Dürer: Master Prints”
Dec. 17-March 14
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St.
Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer was an extraordinary innovator who revolutionized the medium of printmaking in the late 15th and early 16th centuries and single-handedly elevated it to an independent art form. This exhibit features more than 30 woodblock prints and engravings from the Reading Public Museum’s permanent collection of works on paper.
Fairfield
Jingle All The Way
Dec. 19
Freestone County Courthouse, 118 E. Commerce St.
Jingle All the Way is a festive community celebration filled with holiday cheer, family-friendly fun, and seasonal activities for all ages. From merry moments to bright smiles, it’s the perfect way to celebrate the season together.
San Angelo
Family Day: Masters and Makers—A Renaissance Experience
Dec. 19
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St.
The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts invites families to attend Family Day. This month’s Family Day theme is Masters and Makers—A Renaissance Experience. Families step into a historical artist workshop with printmaking, illuminated letters, anatomy sketches, perspective drawing, inventions, and Renaissance-inspired costumes or music. Visitors are encouraged to stop by the Concho Clay Studio throughout the event for free drop-in clay activities. No registration is required.
Family Day: Ashes, Bones, and Bloom
Jan. 16
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St.
The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts invites families to attend Family Day. Families explore cycles in nature, memory, symbolism, transformation, and impermanence through art and science. Activities include fossil textures, botanical studies, memory boxes, skeleton drawing, and ephemeral art. Visitors are encouraged to stop by the Concho Clay Studio throughout the event for free drop-in clay activities. No registration is required.
El Paso
Segundo Barrio Mural Tour
Jan. 29
Father Rahm Mural , 111 W. Father Rahm Ave.
El Segundo Barrio has been home to thousands of families in El Paso since the 1880s. The adobe-and-brick neighborhood has been described as the Ellis Island of the Border. Join Jesus Alvarado, a native muralist, and explore Mexican and Indigenous themes, as well as political statements. Afterwards, join along for an authentic, no-host Mexican lunch at El Chewco. Receive a free copy of our Magnificent Murals curriculum.
San Angelo
Chamber Music Series—“A Valentine Tango: Tango Llaneros”
Feb. 14
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St.
The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts presents “A Valentine Tango: Tango Llaneros,” an elegant Valentine’s Day celebration featuring the passion, romance, and irresistible rhythms of Argentine tango.
Family Day: Love Letters and Lasting Things
Feb. 20
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St.
Families explore all kinds of love: romantic, platonic, familial, communal, self-love, and remembrance. Activities include symbolic portraiture, lockets, collaborative weaving, floral art, and message-making to remember and appreciate loved ones. Visitors are encouraged to stop by the Concho Clay Studio throughout the event for free drop-in clay activities. No registration is required.
El Paso
Veterans Create
Feb. 20
Military and Veteran Services Center, 10737 Gateway Blvd. W #350
Tom Lea drew animals throughout his career, from horses and bulls to his own dog, Boodle. Learn to draw man’s best friend with an art workshop led by UTEP associate art professor Tom Birkner in partnership with Emergence Health Network’s Military and Veteran Services Center. All supplies are provided. Veterans, family members, and anyone seeking a low-pressure creative experience are welcome. Free admission. Registration required.