Texas Trust CU Theatre Outdoor Grounds, 1001 Texas Trust Way

Follow a young Peruvian boy’s adventure to the Magical Forest. Walk through the wonderland to see Koda’s dreams through the luminous art installations. Try out foods and beverages at the Food Court, enjoy live cultural music and dance performances, and complete your visit looking for handcrafted treasures at the marketplace.

tianyuculture.us/dallas

Frisco Square, 8874 Coleman Blvd.

See the largest choreographed lights and music display in North Texas. The event draws over 75,000 visitors annually and returns for its 19th anniversary with 10 songs, ice skating, visits with Santa, a light tunnel, and horse carriage rides.

friscosquare.com/cits

Maxwell’s Pumpkin Farm, 12908 S. Bell St.

This enchanting holiday event features a festive array of more than 20 activities and attractions for families. Visitors can immerse themselves in a winter wonderland filled with lights, visits with Santa Claus, decorations, and various fun-filled festivities.

maxwellspumpkinfarm.com/christmas

Georgetown Downtown Square , 103 W. Seventh St.

Home of the Most Beautiful Town Square in Texas, Georgetown announces its 43rd annual Christmas Stroll in the historic downtown square. A variety of activities take place every day, including Christmas carolers and a kids zone on Friday, the Christmas Stroll Parade on Saturday morning, and a classic car show on Sunday. More than 150 local craft vendors fill the streets as well.

thegeorgetownsquare.com/christmas-stroll---guests.html

The Strand and surrounding areas, 25th to 20th streets

Downtown Galveston is transformed into Victorian England with roaming characters, parades, live music, and costumed vendors peddling their wares from street stalls and rolling carts. New additions include Tiny Tim’s Play Land and Shopkeeper Skills Village.

galvestonhistory.org

Winedale Historic Site, Winedale Historical Complex, 3738 FM 2714

Spend the afternoon in 19th-century Winedale. Enjoy crafts and folklife demonstrations, musical performances, a quilt exhibit, hay rides, food and beverages, and other festivities from a bygone era.

Moody Theater, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd.

Reckless Kelly has been igniting stages with their fusion of rock and country since 1996. Led by Idaho natives Willy and Cody Braun, the brothers carry a musical legacy spanning three generations. Reckless Kelly has become a staple in the Americana scene, earning a Grammy Award and Outlaw Group of the Year at the 2024 Ameripolitan Awards. Shinyribs, a nine-piece swamp funk/Southern soul band from Austin, joins them.

acllive.com

Faire of Champions, 4033 CR 2212

This winter fantasy fair, where Renaissance meets Comicon, is set on a sprawling 107-acre property. Witness the mightiest of champions in thrilling combat, explore a marketplace filled with handcrafted goods, delicious food, and unique trinkets, and enjoy performances by talented musicians, dancers, and actors. Each weekend features a different theme. Camping is available.

faireofchampions.com

First Baptist Church, 1515 N. Live Oak St.

At this annual event sponsored by Rockport’s Gospel Force, Southern gospel groups from around the country perform. Admission is free but donations of canned or boxed foods in plastic bags are requested.

gospelforce.org/festival.html

Various locations

Laredo hosts this party marking its 127th year. The celebration features more than 30 events over 44 days, including an air show, a carnival, pageants depicting the country’s early history, the two-day Jalapeño Festival, one of the country’s truly “international” parades, concerts, and fireworks.

wbcalaredo.org

Asia Times Square, 2625 W. Pioneer Parkway

Asia Times Square hosts its 17th annual Lunar New Year celebration for the Year of the Dragon. Enjoy food and merch vendors, live entertainment, daily lion dances, and a firecracker event on the final weekend.

asiatimessquare.com

Dickies Arena, 1911 Montgomery St.

Witness one of the most authentic western lifestyle experiences anywhere—since 1896. The event offers 23 days of rodeo action with the Best of the West Ranch Rodeo, Best of Mexico Celebración, Cowboys of Color Rodeo, Bulls Night Out Extreme Bull Riding, Texas Champions Challenge, and the FWSSR PRORODEO Tournament. There are also the livestock and horse shows, kids’ activities and exhibits, live music, carnival midway, shopping, and food.

fwssr.com

Pioneer Memorial Library, 115 W. Main St.

The inaugural Fredericksburg Book Festival includes presentations by authors, book signings and sales, interactive panels, and children’s activities. Food and beverage is available for purchase.

facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562061486689

Historic Strand District, 2302 Strand St.

At this celebration of all things chili and beer, attendees can stroll the historic Strand District and sample chili from participating cook teams; choose from over 100 beers to sample at the Indoor Beer Fest; participate in the Beerfoot Beer Run 5k or cornhole tournament; and enjoy live music and the Strand Merchant Walkabout.

yagaschiliquest.com

New Braunfels Civic/Convention Center, 375 S. Castell Ave.

This show is a pop culture collector’s dream filled with vintage and modern comic books, toys and action figures, video games, trading cards, apparel, art, autographs, anime, Pokémon, posters, Funko Pops, and celebrity guests.

heritageeventcompany .com/new-braunfels-retromania-comiccon-2025.html

First Presbyterian Church, 301 SH 35 North

This annual event consists of a pottery fair with over 20 potters and clay demonstrations. There’s also gallery art walks, solo exhibits, a reception, and potters from around Texas displaying their works, which are for sale to the public.

rockportartcenter.com

House of Rock, 511 Starr St.

This event features over 25 songwriters and performers from all across the region as well as several workshops and panel discussions on the craft and business of being a songwriter and musician in the modern age.

ccsongwriters.com

The Vortex, 2307 Manor Road #2135

As one of Austin’s most progressive festivals, OUTsider brings together Austin’s LGBTQ community for three days of creation and inspiration. This multidisciplinary art festival showcases film, performance art, music, and visual art.

outsiderfest.org

Various locations

Each year since 1996, the Whooping Crane Festival has celebrated the annual return of the cranes to their wintering habitat at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. The Texas Coastal Bend is the only place where you can see the world’s last naturally occurring population of Whooping Cranes. The event has renowned speakers, birding trips, boating trips, nature tours, photography workshops, and a trade show.

portaransas.org/whooping-crane-festival

Sul Ross State University, 400 N. Harrison St.

Poets, musicians, songwriters, and wordsmiths come together for this eclectic event celebrating the oral traditions of the working cowboy. This year’s event commemorates 39 years of cowboy poetry in Alpine, with a range of both free and ticketed performances.

lonestarcowboypoetry.com

Historic Strand District, 2302 Strand St.

Texas’ largest Mardi Gras celebrates its 114th iteration with more than 20 parades and concerts and over 3 million beads. Witness the Guinness World Record-breaking Funky Uptown Umbrella Brigade, run in the Jolly Jester Jaunt 5K, and dance to live performances.

mardigrasgalveston.com

Watermelon Thump Pavilion, 319 E. Davis St.

Join the Luling American Legion Post #177 for this Tolbert sanctioned-chili and bean cook-off and barbecue cook-off. Celebrate two days of food, fun, and festivities. Bring your best recipes and compete in chili, beans, ribs, brisket, an open meat category, margaritas, and bloody marys.

facebook.com/legion177

Central Mall , 3100 FM 365

Taste the best gumbos created by local restaurants and groups and cooked up in the Cajun Capital of Texas. This event also features live entertainment from the Rollin Bones Band and a silent auction to raise funds for charity.

visitportarthurtx.com

Various locations

First conceived in 1937 by local business leaders, the event commemorates the Mexican heritage of the area on both sides of the Rio Grande and is named in honor of the dashing Mexican gentleman cowboy. Festivities include parades, a carnival, a costume ball, and the the Sombrero Festival.

charrodaysfiesta.com

Downtown

The 36th annual event, themed Rock ‘n’ Roll on the River, offers all-day festivities including children’s activities, a carnival, food trucks, arts and craft vendors, a parade, and plenty of costumes, free beads, T-shirts, king cake, and crayfish.

mardigrasupriver.com

Whitecap Beach, Whitecap Boulevard

Embrace the spirit of the Gulf Coast at the Barefoot Mardi Gras, a vibrant and laid-back twist on the traditional Mardi Gras celebration. Set along the beautiful beaches of Corpus Christi, this annual event brings the parade energy of Mardi Gras to the shore, where attendees trade beads for bare feet and enjoy a one-of-a-kind beachfront parade.

barefootmardigras.com

Heritage Village, 157 PR 6000

Don’t miss this program of history, music, and a toast with Texas spring water with a black powder rifle salute. Texans gather to share in this special reflection on history.

heritage-village.org

Luling Mainstreet, 421 E. Davis St.

What started out as a cookoff with some music and a few vendors has grown into a full-blown Cajun street festival with live zydeco music all day, arts and crafts vendors, a great assortment of food vendors, a beverage garden, and activities for kids. The crawfish races are also a huge hit and a must-see attraction.

lulingmainstreet.com/#events

Scarborough Renaissance Festival, 2511 FM 66

Discover a 16th century English village celebrating the visit of King Henry VIII and Queen Katherine Parr, their royal court, and other guests. Visitors can enjoy full combat jousting, birds of prey exhibitions, the Mermaid Lagoon, nonstop Renaissance entertainment, an artisans’ marketplace, demonstrations, children’s knighting ceremonies, human chess matches, the Grande Parade, and themed weekends with interactive activities.

srfestival.com

Comanche Square, 101 W. Grand Ave.

Set against the picturesque town square, this festival features tastings from local wineries, artisan vendors, and live music. The family-friendly atmosphere invites all to enjoy a perfect day of sunshine, community, and Texas hospitality, all while showcasing the unique tastes and talents of Comanche and the surrounding area.

comanchechamber.org

Pilot Point Historic Square, 107 W. Main St.

Bring the kiddos to Old City Park for a madcap search of more than 6,000 Easter eggs and photo ops with the Easter Bunny. Then, head to the square for the Flower Festival, where local nurseries, landscapers, gardeners, and vendors are on hand selling plants and helping everyone get their home ready for spring.

pilotpointtx.gov/590/easter-egg-hunt---flower-festival

Antique Alley Texas, 300 E. Criner St.

Go on a treasure hunt in North Central Texas. Eight cities participate: Grandview, Cleburne, Maypearl, Alvarado, Venus, Keene, Joshua, and Waxahachie. Since 1999, this biannual event has offered multiple yard sales and vendor sites in fields on East FM 4. Local antique shops, specialty stores, and eateries offer special deals. There’s also musical entertainment, food trucks, car and tractor displays, and church fundraisers.

antiquealleytexas.com

Various locations

Fiesta San Antonio started in 1891 as a one-parade event to honor the memory of the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. Today, Fiesta is one of this nation’s premier festivals, with more than 100 local nonprofit organizations orchestrating festivities and raising funds that support the community throughout the year.

fiestasanantonio.org

Robinson Park , 123 Robinson Park Drive

Along with 28,000 pounds of crawfish, attendees can enjoy live music, a golf tournament, a gumbo cookoff, the Crawfish Motorcycle Fun Run, arts and crafts vendors, a rodeo with team roping and barrel racing, and a cornhole tournament.

llanocrawfishopen.com

Hilton Garden Inn , 1749 Scott Blvd.

The Texas State Button Society presents its annual spring show and sale, where attendees can find buttons, buttons, and more buttons. Hosted by the Austin Button Club, the event this year is themed “Once Upon a Time...on a Button.” The public is invited to come and learn a new hobby, browse vendor tables full of buttons, and visit with knowledgeable button collectors.

texasstatebuttonsociety.com

AT&T Stadium, 1 AT&T Way

From the team behind the Windy City Smokeout and Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants comes the first-ever Lone Star Smokeout. Along with performances by top country artists, guests can experience a lineup of 10 of the country’s best barbecue teams and a robust craft beer program.

lonestarsmokeout.com

Lee County Fairgrounds, 2495 US 290

Enjoy live music from country crooners to indie rock bands; cold brews; local artisans offering handcrafted jewelry to funky art pieces; the Charcoal Challenge BBQ Cookoff, where pitmasters from all over Central Texas come to compete; carnival rides including an antique carousel; special days including Senior Citizens Day (Friday) and Armed Forces Day (Saturday), and a patriotic parade.

leecountyfairtx.com

Bastrop Museum and Visitor Center, 904 Main St.

Journey back in time with a vibrant four-day celebration of Bastrop’s rich heritage, where history comes alive with an exciting lineup of events and activities for all ages including live performances, historical reenactments, local vendors, and music that transports you to the past.

bastropcountyhistoricalsociety.com/yesterfest

Farmers Market, 201 N. Chestnut St.

This annual event is held at the Gainesville Farmers Market and includes local entertainment, food, vendors, and a kid zone. Car enthusiasts can also find entertainment with a stroll through the car show.

gainesvillecofc.com