Fall Texas Festivals

Texas has one of the largest lists of fall festivals in 2024. Our events calendar for September, October and November 2024 has things to do across Texas including activities near Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio and El Paso. Our list includes festivals celebrating the local harvest, food, music, beer, Oktoberfest and more. If you are looking for things to do this fall, this is a great place to start.

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All events showing current dates need to be verified to confirm that changes to the schedule were not made by the organizers after publication here. We do not run these events, and would hate for anyone to go out of their way only to find the event had been canceled after releasing a date. Please click through to the event website to confirm! Enjoy and have a great fall!

Austin Fall FestivalsDallas Fall FestivalsEl Paso Fall FestivalsHouston Fall FestivalsSan Antonio Fall Festivals

2024 Festivals

Addison Oktoberfest - Addison, TX - Sep 19 to Sep 22, 2024
You can find a Dallas Oktoberfest in Addison, located just north of Dallas. They transform the Addison Conference Centre into an authentic Munich beer hall with a Texas twist. It is considered one of the most authentic Oktoberfest celebrations in the United States. More than 70,000 will enjoy German food, Paulaner beer, live music, polka, folk dancing, and children’s entertainment. Admission cost varies by day. There is also a three course tasting dinner served by Chamerlain’s Brau Haus for $49 per person.

Island Oktoberfest - Galveston, TX - Oct 25 to Oct 26, 2024
Authentic German food, live music, beer, games and more at this annual Galveston Oktoberfest hosted by First Lutheran Church. It will run from 5 to 10 PM on Friday night and 11 AM to 10 PM on Satuday. Admission is free.

Wurstfest - New Braunfels, TX - Nov 1 to Nov 10, 2024
A celebration of German culture with food, German, Texan and domestic beer, live music and Bavarian entertainment, dancing, carnival rides and games.

Past Events

We know that you want current events. But we don’t always have dates for every event for the current year. We leave those events with their link here so that you can look for the new dates yourself. We hope you don’t mind!

The Nutcracker with the Houston Ballet - Houston, TX - Nov 24 to Dec 27, 2023
Bring the family back to the theater to share the joy of Clara’s magical journey to the Kingdom of Sweets this holiday season! Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker is a grand spectacle of opulence and one of the most splendid versions of this holiday classic ever staged. With hundreds of roles and a myriad of exquisite details that will leave you discovering something new in every performance, Welch’s The Nutcracker is a positively joyous treat for ballet lovers of all ages. Rejoice in the return of this time-honored tradition!

Flea at Silver Street: Black Friday Weekend - Houston, TX - Nov 24 to Nov 26, 2023

Ford Holiday River Parade and River Lighting Ceremony - San Antonio, TX - Nov 24, 2023
Annual Ford Holiday River Parade is a San Antonio tradition that offers a spectacular one-hour parade along the San Antonio River Walk, featuring illuminated floats and costumed parade participants.

Boerne’s A Dickens Celebration - Boerne, TX - Nov 24 to Nov 25, 2023
Stroll Main Street at Dickens on Main Thanksgiving weekend and enjoy the annual Weihnachts parade the following Saturday. Two more unique weekends of fun follow including A Toast of Olde Town, perfect for a holiday date night, and Kinder Fest, filled with fun surprises for the whole family

Anime Dallas - Grapevine, TX - Nov 24 to Nov 26, 2023
Three days of fun and cosplay including a formal dance, cosplay masquerade, anime screenings, video games, autograph signings, Q&A panels, art show, and more! Held at the Hyatt Regency DFW.

Holiday Lights on the River Walk - San Antonio, TX - Nov 24 to Jan 7, 2024
Spectacular display of over 100,000 lights (2,250 strings of light) draped over the towering bald cypress trees that line the River Walk. Dusk to dawn

North Pole Express - Grapevine, TX - Nov 24 to Dec 23, 2023
Experience the magic of Christmas on board Grapevine Vintage Railroad’s North Pole Express®. Join Mrs. Claus on a 40- to 45-minute holiday adventure as she takes her guests to bring Santa to the Christmas Capital of Texas®. Guests will receive a cookie baked in Mrs. Claus’s North Pole kitchens, a beautiful “We Believe” bell, and a taste of Santa’s Frosty Chocolate Snow Milk (served in a keepsake Memory Mug). Grapevine is your top Christmas destination. Remember us for your Christmas getaway!

Night of Lights Parade and Christmas in Granbury - Granbury, TX - Nov 24, 2023
The Christmas season kicks of in Granbury with the Night of Lights Parade and continues with such fun as Santa’s House, a Candlelight tour of the square, musicals, nativities, and more.

Home for the Holidays… A McKinney Christmas - McKinney, TX - Nov 24 to Nov 26, 2023
Visits with Santa, shopping, children’s activities and more

L3 Turkey Day 5K & Wishbone 1K - Kingwood, TX - Nov 23, 2023
Annual Thanksgiving morning L3 Turkey Day 5k & Kids Wishbone 1K to celebrate a community in support of finding a cure for pediatric cancer

Turkey Trot for the San Antonio Food Bank - San Antonio, TX - Nov 23, 2023
Turkey Trot is the San Antonio Food Bank’s annual 5K Run/Walk that raises funds to help feed families during the holidays. It will start and end in front of the Commander’s House at H-E-B’s Arsenal campus(622 S. Flores St., San Antonio, Texas 78204), with the route going through downtown and the Historic King William Neighborhood.

Fort Worth YMCA Turkey Trot - Fort Worth, TX - Nov 23, 2023
Since 1981, new generations of families turn out to experience the fun, family-friendly atmosphere of the Fort Worth YMCA Turkey Trot. When you register for the YMCA Turkey Trot, you’re signing up for more than just a race. You’re helping your neighbors in need during their most difficult times. 100% of the proceeds from the Fort Worth YMCA Turkey Trot go towards scholarships for families in our community.

The Trot - Dallas, TX - Nov 23, 2023
8 mile race, 5K, Junior trot – Proceeds support the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas Community Health programs for children, adults, and families.

NFL @ at Dallas Cowboys - Arlington, TX - Nov 23, 2023
2023 – the Cowboys take on the Washington Commanders at 3:30pm

H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade - Houston, TX - Nov 23, 2023
The 72nd Annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade will take place on Thursday, November 25, 2021 at 9 a.m. Located in the heart of downtown Houston, this event is one of the oldest Thanksgiving Day parades in the country. Each year, several hundred thousand Houstonians line the streets to cheer on participants. The parade will traverse over 20 city blocks and will feature elaborate floats, colorful marching bands, high-flying balloons and other uniquely Houston entries.

Pearland Turkey Trot - Pearland, TX - Nov 23, 2023
The course starts and ends in Pearland’s Independence Park. Enjoy the beautiful scenic route as you tackle the 6 Mile, 4 Mile, 1 Mile, or Kids K event!

Fort Worth Parade of Lights - Fort Worth, TX - Nov 19, 2023
Steps off at 6pm. It’s an evening filled with exciting things to do throughout Downtown, from taking care of your holiday shopping to dining out in some of the finest restaurants in Fort Worth, all while enjoying the holiday spirit of the country’s top holiday parade.

Austin Empty Bowl Project - Austin, TX - Nov 19, 2023
Sunday before Thanksgiving. Select your bowl from thousands of locally made ceramic bowls, fill it with gourmet soup and bread from area restaurants, and enjoy live music while you eat. Your $25 donation goes to help hungry kids, and you get to keep the bowl.

Holiday in the Gardens at Moody Gardens - Galveston, TX - Nov 18 to Jan 6, 2024

Light the Way Holiday Festival - San Antonio, TX - Nov 18, 2023
Enjoy live music, food trucks, Shoppers’ Lane, childrens’ activities, meet and greets with Santa, and of course, a million twinkling lights and a fireworks display to end the night.

Holiday Parade on Broadway - San Antonio, TX - Nov 18, 2023
The Fun Run start is at 5:30pm, followed immediately by the parade, from the Alamo Heights High School parking lot at the corner of E Castano Ave and Broadway St. The Fun Run and parade will proceed across Broadway St along Castano Ave and then proceed south onto Alamo Heights Blvd; and ends at the intersection of Alamo Heights Blvd and Argo Ave. Everyone is welcome to an after-parade party for kid-friendly fun in the parking lot of the Alamo Heights Pool.

Zoo Lights at the San Antonio Zoo - San Antonio, TX - Nov 18 to Dec 31, 2023
As the animals sleep for the night, the zoo comes alive with lights and other holiday magic. Enjoy two 32-foot LED trees, the Holiday Sing Along Express train, and more.

Christmas in the Square - Frisco, TX - Nov 18 to Jan 8, 2024
The largest choreographed holiday lights and music show in North Texas are in Frisco. The Holiday lights and music will run daily 6-10 PM. This show is free to the public. Visitors may tune in to 107.3 FM on the radio in their vehicles, or listen to the music piped through speakers as they take a walk through the Square.

Travis Park Ice Rink - San Antonio, TX - Nov 17 to Jan 15, 2024
Since 2019, nearly 200,000 people have enjoyed the rink and surrounding festivities. The Rink will open the Friday before Thanksgiving and will operate daily through mid-January 2023

Texas Book Festival  - Austin, TX - Nov 11 to Nov 12, 2023
More than 250 authors will attend. Admission is free. The event is held at the State Capitol.

Edgewood Heritage Festival - Edgewood, TX - Nov 11, 2023
Features an artisan village, antique tractors and classic cars, Old West reenacting and blacksmithing demonstrations, live music, bake sale, pinto bean cookoff, carnival food, children’s activities and more!

The ICE at Discovery Green - Houston, TX - Nov 10 to Jan 28, 2024
Following Frostival opening day, enjoy ice skating at Discovery Green through January.

Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival - Harlingen, TX - Nov 8 to Nov 12, 2023
Field trips, seminars, events, family activities and Birders Bazaar trade show.

Walk4Hearing Houston - Houston, TX - Nov 5, 2023
Empowers and inspires those affected by hearing loss while raising money for national and local programs that provide information, education, support, and advocacy. Vendors will be on site to provide resources for individuals and families affected by hearing loss.

Light the Night Walk – The Woodlands - The Woodlands, TX - Nov 5, 2023
A set of fundraising walks to to help fund cures for blood cancers, benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, one takes place at Town Green Park in the Woodlands and the other at Hermann Square at City Hall, Houston.

Austin Celtic Festival - Austin, TX - Nov 4 to Nov 5, 2023
Celtic music, dances, Highland Games, dog parade, workshops and more at Fiesta Gardens.

Festival at the Switchyard - Carrollton, TX - Nov 4, 2023
A free event with family-friendly concerts, beer garden, food, and shopping attended by over 27,000 in recent years – honors the critical role played by the railroad in the community.

Greek Festival of Dallas - Dallas, TX - Nov 3 to Nov 5, 2023
Remember the fun in all things Greek at this food festival.

Waco Cultural Arts Fest - Waco, TX - Nov 3 to Nov 5, 2023
Several events throughout Waco – Artfest, Dancefest, Wordfest, Filmfest, Sciencefest and Musicfest

More than Pink Walk – Austin - Austin, TX - Oct 29, 2023
Walk/run to raise funds for the Susan G Koman breast cancer foundation.

Festival of Pumpkins - Paris, TX - Oct 28, 2023
Enjoy live music, unique shopping, carnival foods like corn dogs, funnel cakes, kettle corn and more as you explore the stores, shops, and festivities in downtown Paris.

Freaky Deaky Texas - Baytown, TX - Oct 28 to Oct 29, 2023
EDM festival. Held at Houston Raceway Park with camping available all weekend.

Texas Clay Festival - New Braunfels, TX - Oct 28 to Oct 29, 2023
Free admission to this event featuring the work of over 60 Texas potters and clay artists.

Austin Film Festival - Austin, TX - Oct 26 to Nov 2, 2023
Film pass permits access to 180 premieres, indie films, narrative and documentary competition, shorts program and more.

Harvest Moon Regatta - Seabrook, TX - Oct 26 to Oct 29, 2023
Yachts sail to Port Arsansas under an October full moon.

Tasting Texas Wine and Food Festival - San Antonio, TX - Oct 26 to Oct 29, 2023
This four-day epicurean experience allows food and wine lovers alike to explore the unique flavors of Texas for themselves. Guests can look forward to enjoying live music, educational panels, and sampling a variety of cocktails, wines and craft beers in one of San Antonio’s popular open-air venues.

Hogeye Festival - Elgin, TX - Oct 26 to Oct 28, 2023
A free, small town family friendly festival with BBQ pork cook-off, carnival, car show, beer/wine garden, arts/crafts and children’s activities.

Taste Texas - Fredericksburg, TX - Oct 26 to Oct 28, 2023
Held in historic downtown Fredericksburg in the 100 block of West Main Street. It features Texas food, beer, wine, music, food court, and also has a Patron Party.

St. Joseph’s Oktoberfest - Waxahachie, TX - Oct 21, 2023
St Joseph Catholic School hosts this one day annual festival thirty minutes south of Dallas. German food and BBQ, biergarten, 40+ vendor booths. Kinderfest with children’s games such as basketball shoot, skeeball, Star Wars laser tag, plinko, fish pond and horserace. Raffle with prizes. Free admission and free parking.

Surftoberfest - Corpus Christi, TX - Oct 21, 2023
Outdoor fall festival with food, live music, and beer, plus a stein holding compeition, lederhosen contest, arts & crafts, and more!

The Kingwood Oktoberfest - Kingwood, TX - Oct 21, 2023
German food and music

Old Town Mesquite Pumpkin Fest - Mesquite, TX - Oct 21, 2023
A decorated pumpkin contest, haunted house, carnival games and children’s activities, plus live jousting and archery show, storytelling, contests and more! Now held at Valley Creek Park.

Whitesboro Peanut Festival - Whitesboro, TX - Oct 21, 2023
Free admission to this family friendly carnival with parade, car show and live entertainment.

Crandall Cotton Festival - Crandall, TX - Oct 21, 2023
Live bands, amusement rides, hot dog eating contest, and more.

Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival - Farmers Branch, TX - Oct 20 to Oct 21, 2023
Music festival and chili cook-off brings lots of people to the Farmers Branch Historical Park. One of the best bluegrass events of the year.

Harvest Festival - Woodville, TX - Oct 20 to Oct 21, 2023
Exhibitors, presenters, displays, performances, and more, with participants dressed in period costumes demonstrating period skills. Music and dancing, food, photo contest and more.

Texas Rose Festival - Tyler, TX - Oct 19 to Oct 22, 2023
Amazing displays of Tyler Rose blooms, plus art shws, parade, luncheons, and more.

East Texas Yamboree - Gilmer, TX - Oct 18 to Oct 21, 2023
Activities at Yamboree Park, Courthouse Square, Gilmer Elementary, and Wesley House. This is one of the longest running events in Texas, with well over 100,000 people attending each year to enjoy rides, Queen’s Coronation pageant, barn dance with live country music, parade, gospel singing, vendors, art & photography shows, food, football, and more.

Alamo Beer Company Oktoberfest - San Antonio, TX - Oct 18 to Oct 22, 2023
In line with authentic Oktoberfest tradition, the festivities kick off Friday with a tapping of the keg by Mayor Ron Nirenberg. They’ll have live German music all 3 days, clogging performances, Bavarian food offerings, and a full selection of Alamo beers—including their Oktoberfest Marzenbier—on tap

Celina Oktoberfest - Celina, TX - Oct 14, 2023
Amazing eats, shopping, live entertainment, and hourly kid and adult activities.

German-Texan Heritage Society Oktoberfest - Austin, TX - Oct 14, 2023
Celebrate Oktoberfest at the German-Texan Heritage Society from 11am – 7pm. Come and enjoy some Gemuetlichkeit, German food and beer as well as live bands.

AustOberfest - Austin, TX - Oct 14, 2023
All you can eat sausage and bier tasting event. Celebrate your German heritage in Central Texas with German beer, sausages, live music and bowling! According to the Austin Chronicle, “the German-Texan Heritage Society certainly brings the most authentic Oktoberfest game in town”

Chappell Hill Scarecrow Festival - Chappell Hill, TX - Oct 14 to Oct 15, 2023
Over 250 exhibitors featuring home decor, gardening, artists, craftsman, jewelry, clothing and fabulous foods, plus live entertainment, music, and family activities.

Floydada Punkin Day - Floydada, TX - Oct 14, 2023
An annual celebration in the Pumpkin Capital of Texas. Start out the day with a 5k, then explore vendor booths, BBQ and chili cook-off, costume contest, live entertainment, games for all, bingo, rodeo at the end of the day.

Kaufman Harvest Fest - Kaufman, TX - Oct 14, 2023
This annual festival celebrates the community and entertains visitors and residents. The day kicks off with a parade. There will be family-friendly activities and vendors, as well as live music, on the Downtown Square.

Chalk the Block - El Paso, TX - Oct 13 to Oct 15, 2023
Since its inception as a one-day festival in 2008, CTB has quickly become one of El Paso’s premiere events and the largest FREE three-day public arts festival in the Southwest region drawing more than 40,000 people annually. In 2019, CTB is celebrating 12 years of reimagining downtown El Paso through the power of art while providing an “out of this world” experience for its attendees. Each year, about 200 local, national and international artists from all disciplines participate at CTB creating a fun, quirky and diverse environment for people of all ages to enjoy. The event features: Temporary interactive art installations, live dance and theatrical performances, a sidewalk chalk art competition, live bands, art and food vendors, access to various activities and exhibits at both the El Paso Museum of Art and Museum of History and more!

Oktoberfest Southlake - Southlake, TX - Oct 13 to Oct 15, 2023
100,000 are expected at this free annual Texas Oktoberfest with food, beverages, arts & crafts, live music, childrens area and wiener dog race.

Brownsville Latin Jazz Festival - Brownsville, TX - Oct 13 to Oct 14, 2023
A small jazz festival running for over two decades that hosts world class touring artists.

Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival - Conroe, TX - Oct 13 to Oct 15, 2023
Enjoy catfish and cajun food dishes as well as a carnival, three stages of live music, pageant, car show and kid zone.

Cuero Turkeyfest - Cuero, TX - Oct 13 to Oct 15, 2023
Features a BBQ Cook-off, foods, arts and crafts, carnival, parade, kids events, live entertainment and more. Held near Cuero Park Municipal Golf Course.

Katy Rice Harvest Festival - Katy, TX - Oct 13 to Oct 15, 2023
Features two stages of continuous live entertainment, craft and food booths and family fun. Don’t miss the Oktoberfest on Friday night to kickoff the weekend! Held in historic Downtown Katy between Avenues A and C, 2nd and 3rd Streets.

Utopia Fest Down in the Oaks - Burnet, TX - Oct 13 to Oct 14, 2023
Music festival on a sprawling private ranch near Burnet, promising no overlapping music and a place to disconnect and rejuvenate. Camping, workshops and other activities are available.

King’s Oktoberfest - Houston, TX - Oct 13 to Oct 14, 2023
Two weekends, one at Houston and one at League City.. Huge Oktoberfest party in Pearland! Food, Fun. Bier plus live music! Ceremonial keg tapping, jousting and strong man competitions. Oktoberfest photo booth too!

Lone Star Storytelling Festival - Frisco, TX - Oct 12 to Oct 13, 2023
Experience the magic of storytelling. Held at the Frisco Public Library and features a wide selection of authors and book signings.

Floresville Peanut Festival - Floresville, TX - Oct 10 to Oct 14, 2023
Carnival, games, parade, pageant, live entertainment and more during the second full weekend in October.

De Kalb Texas Oktoberfest - De Kalb, TX - Oct 7, 2023
Held annually on the first Saturday in October. Kickoff the event with the Firemen’s pancake breakfast. There’s a parade, talent show, beauty pageant, street dance, classic car exhibit, gymnastics demonstration, carnival, Kids Korner, Lollie Moser Memorial Art Show, Quilts Expo and face painting. Events on the previous Saturday (last Saturday of September) include chili cook off, softball tournament cornhole tournament and 5k. There is also a carnival over Oktoberfest weekend (F-Sun).

Aubrey Peanut Festival, Texas - Aubrey, TX - Oct 7, 2023
Although peanut harvesting in the Aubrey area is in the past, area citizens have gathered in the town of Aubrey for an annual salute to the peanut as a part of their heritage since 1986. Visitors can enjoy the free day-long festival. Attractions include: • The parade which begins the day at 10:00 am, with citizens of the area riding past the spectators who line Main Street. The parade is led by the award winning high school marching band and is followed by representatives of all organizations and businesses in the area. • Live musical entertainment by local bands can be enjoyed into the evening. • There will be many games and activities for all ages. • There will be various food booths including Barbecue, Cajun, Haitian Cuisine and much more! • Browse countless booths with arts and crafts, specialty items, information and other merchandise items available. Booth rentals for the festival are available. Booth spaces are assigned on a first come basis and range in price from $50 – $200. The deadline for booth applications is September 2, 2022. Forms are posted on the Aubrey Peanut Festival Facebook page or on the website at https://www.aubreytx.gov/293/Annual-Peanut-Festival. Please contact our event coordinators at (940) 440-9343 or email us at [email protected]

Prospect Pumpkinfest - Golden, TX - Oct 7, 2023
The lineup of entertainment includes live music, a kid zone with games and inflatables, shopping, food trucks and PUMPKINS galore!

Bike MS Valero Ride to the River - San Antonio, TX - Oct 7 to Oct 8, 2023
Bike MS is more than a ride. It’s an experience grounded in camaraderie and marked by passion, inspiration, determination and pure enjoyment. It will be an experience you’ll never forget, shared with new friends and old.

Texas Renaissance Festival - Todd Mission, TX - Oct 7 to Nov 26, 2023
Since 1974, there’s been a magical kingdom just at the edge of the Greater Houston area, where guests can step through the gates and enter an enchanted world filled with kings and queens, knights and nobles, fairies and elves, pirates and peasants, and other fanciful delights. Explore the past every Saturday and Sunday between September and November!

Oktoberfest Fredericksburg - Fredericksburg, TX - Oct 6 to Oct 8, 2023
If you are looking for an Austin Oktoberfest, we encourage you to check out the Fredericksburg Oktoberfest, located 90 minutes east of Austin. It will celebrate with three stages of oompah music, German bier tent, Kinder Park area for kids, arts & crafts, domino tournament and the chicken dance. Location: 100 West Main, Fredericksburg

Oktoberfest Granbury - Granbury, TX - Oct 6 to Oct 8, 2023
3 day event to be held just off the courthouse square, free to the public, continuous live music, German food and beverages, arts and craft vendors, family fun, contests and prizes.

Muenster Oktoberfest - Muenster, TX - Oct 6 to Oct 8, 2023
Stein hoisting competition, .5k beer run, dirndl and lederhosen, weiner dog race, tapping of the keg, food and more

Austin City Limits Music Festival - Austin, TX - Oct 6 to Oct 15, 2023
Impressive lineup of 100+ bands on 8 stages over two weekends. One of the leading fall music festivals in America.

Oktoberfest at Beethoven Maennerchor - San Antonio, TX - Oct 6 to Oct 14, 2023
Friday and Saturday for 2 weekends!

Gruene Music and Wine Fest - New Braunfels, TX - Oct 5 to Oct 8, 2023
Four days with four distinct and different type festivals in one, including a craft beer event. Sunday includes a Texas Style Musicfest. Located at Gruene Hall and The Grapevine Grounds.

Texas Rice Festival - Winnie, TX - Oct 4 to Oct 7, 2023
Event has 8 contests include rice cooking contest, live music, livestock show, pageants and parade. Held in Winnie-Stowell Park. Horse show and cook-off happen prior to the event.

Lake Highlands Oktoberfest - Dallas, TX - Sep 30, 2023
Annual event brought to you by the Exchange Club of Lake Highlands. Live music, biergarten, food and kids activity area. Be there for the tapping of the keg.

Texas Craft Brewers Festival - Austin, TX - Sep 30, 2023
The state’s largest craft beer event focuses exclusively on Texas-produced craft beer. 21+ event at Fiesta Gardens, featuring live music, food trucks, and beer sampling from 90 small and independent Texas craft breweries! Since 2003.

Cotton Harvest Festival - Moody, TX - Sep 30, 2023
Parade, pie eating contest and auction, car smash, kids zone, car show, donut eating contest, live entertainment and more.

Kolache Fest - Hallettsville, TX - Sep 30, 2023
Lots of eating contests and unique foods. Enjoy the parade through downtown Halletsville, plus live music including polka bands, arts & craft vendors, BBQ cook-off and more.

Oktoberfest Houston - Houston, TX - Sep 30, 2023
Head to Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park for Houston’s only Beer Fest with a German twist. Put on your Lederhosen and Dirndls and enjoy a variety of German and Craft beer with some of the best polka music in Texas. Portion of proceeds to benefit local non-profit, Play for Life Houston.

Jazz’SAlive - San Antonio, TX - Sep 29 to Sep 30, 2023
Food, art, jam sessions, and two stages of live music.

Lone Star Gourd Festival - Fredericksburg, TX - Sep 29 to Sep 30, 2023
Come enjoy the artistry and craftsmanship of the Gourd Society at their annual festival – you’ll hardly believe the modest beginnings each piece at as a simple gourd!

Texas State Fair - Dallas, TX - Sep 29 to Oct 23, 2023
This fair commemorates 130+ years of celebrating all things Texan by honoring agriculture and livestock.

Medina Lake Cajun Festival - Lakehills, TX - Sep 23, 2023
The Medina Lake Cajun Festival started in 1981 as the Great Gumbo Cookoff, which over time became larger, received state and national recognition, and added more activities. Enjoy Cajun food, Cajun bands from all around Louisiana, dancing, and the ever popular gumbo cookoff.

Groves Pecan Festival - Groves, TX - Sep 23 to Oct 15, 2023
First 2023 date is parade, with festival to follow later. Live music, art, vendors, food, and family from an event that draws over 300,000 visitors. Located in downtown Groves, Texas.

Fort Bliss MWR Oktoberfest - Fort Bliss, TX - Sep 22 to Sep 24, 2023
Fort Bliss Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation is organizing this event that has traditionally been run by the German air force. About 1500 are expected to attend on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $35 each. Price gets you a traditional German meal and beer stein. Must purchase beer separately. Sunday is a free family day and open to all ages.

McKinney Oktoberfest - McKinney, TX - Sep 22 to Sep 24, 2023
Family friendly event with German food, music, drinks and childrens activities. The “beer garden” is 14 blocks in the Historic Downtown square. Since 2008.

Galveston Island Shrimp Festival - Galveston, TX - Sep 22 to Sep 23, 2023
Two days of shrimp, music, and fun in Galveston. Event activities include a fried shrimp dinner at the VIP sponsor party, shrimp gumbo cook-off with gumbo tasting, 5k, Lil’ Shrimps Parade, live music, vendors and a strand merchant walk-about!

Fantastic Fest - Austin, TX - Sep 21 to Sep 28, 2023
A genre film festival specializing in horror, fantasy, sci-fi and action movies from around the world. Held at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.

Plano Balloon Festival - Plano, TX - Sep 21 to Sep 24, 2023
Event takes place at Oak Point Park. 45 hot air balloons, sky divers, live music, fireworks, and kids fun zone. Tethered balloon rides available for $15-20 per person. 1/2 Marathon, 5K and 1K runs. General admission is $5. Parking is $5-10.

Texas Tribune Festival - Austin, TX - Sep 21 to Sep 23, 2023
An annual event where politicians explore the state’s most pressing issues.

Oktoberfest Fort Worth at Panther Island Pavilion - Fort Worth, TX - Sep 21 to Sep 23, 2023
Oktoberfest, zie fest with zie best, is back in Fort Worth! Hosted by Panther Island Pavilion, it’s an authentic German celebration with just the right amount of Texas thrown in to make it unique. You’ll find authentic German food, music, dancing, games, biergartens, dachshund races, as well as Spaten and other Fall and Oktoberfest craft beers from around the country.

Rahr Oktoberfest 5K - Fort Worth, TX - Sep 16, 2023
5k run/walk and 10k run, followed by live German polka and beer garden to benefit Fort Worth Police Officers’ Foundation. Location: 701 Galveston, Fort Worth, Texas

Antique Alley Texas - , TX - Sep 15 to Sep 17, 2023
40+ miles of a biannual community flea market, including the communities of Grandview, Cleburne, Maypearl, Alvarado, Sand Flat, Keene, Venus, and Waxahachie.

Texas Gatorfest - Anahuac, TX - Sep 15 to Sep 17, 2023
Gator burgers, alligator wings and more!

Washington County Fair - Brenham, TX - Sep 15 to Sep 23, 2023
The oldest county fair in Texas, established in 1868.

Dallas Carnival - Grand Prairie, TX - Sep 14 to Sep 17, 2023
An offshoot of the annual pre-Lenten celebrations held in many former European colonies in Latin America and the Caribbean with large Catholic populations, the most renowned being the Carnival celebrations in Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago.

GrapeFest - Grapevine, TX - Sep 14 to Sep 17, 2023
Annual event for over 30 years. The Grapevine Wine Festival includes a People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic with 100+ wine samples from 40+ Texas wineries so that guests can choose their favorite. The GrapeStomp competition is very popular.

Texas State Forest Festival - Lufkin, TX - Sep 14 to Sep 17, 2023
Kick off parade followed by competitions, carnival, and live entertainment. Competitions include a hush puppy festival, so if you’ve got the secret ingredient for the best hushpuppies, enter for your chance to win! The carnival operates on a wristband basis, with wristband prices between $20-$25/day.

Miles Cotton Fest - Miles, TX - Sep 9, 2023
Enjoy brisket, arts/crafts, a concert and more in this small town in West Texas.

San Japan - San Antonio, TX - Sep 1 to Sep 3, 2023
Over 18,000 attendees came in 2018, with non-stop programming for 3 days straight. Located at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, the San Antonio Grand Hyatt Hotel, and the Marriott Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio, TX. Since 2008.

Vitruvian Salsa Fest by Dallas Salsa Congress - Addison, TX - Aug 26, 2023
Bring your dancing shoes to Vitruvian Park the first four Saturdays in August for the Vitruvian Salsa Festival.

Gartenfest - San Antonio, TX - Jun 15 to Sep 15, 2023
An evening in an outdoor Biergarten featuring a German band just wouldn’t feel right without some authentic food and beer to go with it. Beethoven’s food line will offer its usual array of bratwurst, Reuben sandwiches, goulash, Leberkäse and potato salad. Beethoven also has a full selection of German and craft beers in our clubroom and back bar, along with wine available by the bottle or by the glass

H-E-B Christmas Tree Lighting San Antonio - San Antonio, TX - Nov 25, 2022
H-E-B’s Christmas gift to the City of San Antonio, a 50-foot Christmas tree with more than 10,000 red, white and blue lights and dozens of handmade ornaments – at Travis Park

Uptown Houston Holiday Lighting - Houston, TX - Nov 24, 2022
The holiday season will officially begin with the illumination of Uptown’s 300 custom, 20-ft. holiday trees along Post Oak Boulevard from the West Loop to Richmond Avenue. This FREE family event features festive holiday shopping and treats, unique street entertainment and the sights and sounds of the holiday season, along with a special appearance from Santa. Following the ceremonial lighting of Uptown’s holiday trees, the evening will culminate with a dazzling light show followed by an exhilarating fireworks extravaganza.

Houston Turkey Trot - Houston, TX - Nov 24, 2022
Dscontinued, see link. Formerly: The BakerRipley Houston Turkey Trot is an annual event that supports the mission of BakerRipley, a nonprofit that has served this region for 114 years. 10K, 5K and 1 mile fun run

Anime Austin - Austin, TX - Nov 18 to Nov 20, 2022
Anime Austin has been called the best anime and culture convention in Austin. Enjoy a 3 day convention filled with anime, art, and culture.

Gingerbread Stroll - Dallas, TX - Nov 18 to Nov 30, 2022
Stroll and bid on 10 incredible gingerbread houses displayed at Highland Park Village merchants. Raises money for Community Partners of Dallas

Frostival at the Rink at Discovery Green - Houston, TX - Nov 11, 2022
Ice skating, demonstration of chainsaw ice carving, live music, and more at Discovery Green

Light the Night Walk – Houston - Houston, TX - Oct 29, 2022
A fundraising walk to help fund cures for blood cancers, benefitting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, takes place at Hermann Square Park at City Hall

Pecan Fest - Seguin, TX - Oct 29, 2022
Family friendly event across a variety of venues celebrating the pecan heritage of the community, including a pub crawl, 90 vendors, arts and crafts and more.

Grapeland Peanut Festival - Grapeland, TX - Oct 15, 2022
Features a carnival, parade, concert at City Park, and the homecoming game at Sandie Stadium.

Texas Renaissance Festival Oktoberfest Weekend - Todd Mission, TX - Oct 8 to Oct 9, 2022
German music, dancing, bratwurst and steins of beer take over the Texas Renaissance Festival for the weekend. Keg tapping, parade, and three contests for stein holding, bratwurst eating and the Bavarian costume contest. Location: 21778 FM 1774, Todd Mission, TX 77363

Banger’s Oktoberfest - Austin, TX - Oct 6 to Oct 8, 2022

Cystic Fibrosis Cycle for Life – DFW - Bartonville, TX - Oct 1 to Oct 2, 2022
Get your wheels in motion and for the annual bicycle event and ride through some of the most picturesque and scenic terrain in Dallas. CF Cycle for Life is a fully-supported ride with route options of 30 and 60 miles. From breakfast to the cycle post party, you can enjoy fully stocked rest stops every 10-12 miles, bike mechanics for bicycle maintenance and repair, ride marshals to cheer you along the way and plenty of support vehicles to help you complete the ride. This unique event empowers participants to take action and demonstrate their fight in finding a cure for cystic fibrosis in a tangible, emotional and powerful way.

Whitestone Brewery Oktoberfest - Cedar Park, TX - Sep 24, 2022
Live music, cask tapping, food specials, stein hoist, and beer releases

Night Nation Run – Dallas - Houston, TX - Sep 24, 2022
The world’s first running music festival, supporting Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), will feature DJs on a main stage, plus party zones along the route with DJs, dancers, light shows, selfie stations, and Glow Gear giveaways!

Alamo City Comic Con - San Antonio, TX - Sep 17 to Sep 18, 2022

Walburg German Restaurant Oktoberfest - Walburg, TX - Sep 2 to Sep 4, 2022
Live entertainment, family friendly, and beer garden

Dickens on the Strand - Galveston, TX - Dec 3 to Dec 5, 2021
Held the first weekend in December, the annual festival is a holiday tradition with great family programming, live entertainment, special events, and more.

H-E-B Christmas Tree Lighting Corpus Christi - Corpus Christi, TX - Nov 28, 2021
Christmas special with live music and a tree lighting countdown.

Christmas in Comfort - Comfort, TX - Nov 27, 2021
Christmas in Comfort, one of the area’s most popular holiday events, will draw visitors to the Texas Hill Country for holiday shopping and family fun at the end of November, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The event, which started with a handful of local residents manning a few booths in the historic district, now offers more than 125 art and craft vendors and a full day of holiday activities from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Parade is at 7 p.m.

Thanksgiving Eve at Howl at the Moon San Antonio - San Antonio, TX - Nov 24, 2021
Turkey is good, but booze is better! Celebrate the long holiday weekend with some live music, dancing and drinks, with featured drinks, games, dancing and a great night out!

Thanksgiving with Santa at the Children’s Museum of Houston - Houston, TX - Nov 24, 2021
Selfies with Santa – Kick off the holiday season. Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s time to get jolly. Celebrate the season and make it nice with the man of the hour, Santa Claus! This is your chance to tell him how nice you’ve been this year. Dress for the occasion and don’t forget your smile!

Texas Mushroom Festival - Madisonville, TX - Oct 16, 2021
A day of all things mushroom in the Mushroom Capital of the World. Food vendors, wine tasting, biergarten, 5k and kids run, car show, live entertainment, art and photography contests, silent auction and more.

Zest in the West - Houston, TX - Oct 21, 2020
Enjoy culinary offerings as restaurants compete for the Best of Zest Culinary Award.

Gulf Coast International Dragon Boat Regatta - Sugar Land, TX - Oct 10 to Oct 11, 2020
Canceled for 2021, look for their return in 2022. Normally: Held at Brooks Lake at Fluor in Sugar Land, Texas.

Houston Italian Festival - Houston, TX - Oct 8 to Oct 11, 2020
Live music and lots of fun like a Bocce Tournament, Pasta Eating, classic car show, and kids fun.

Autumn Art & Texas Wine Festival - Spring, TX - Oct 3 to Oct 4, 2020
Canceled for 2021, look for their return in 2022. Normally:Come out to Old Town Spring and enjoy great Texas wine and original art. Lots of artists and 150 quaint shops.

West Hickory Street 5K and Oktoberfest - Denton, TX - Oct 5, 2019
The day kicks off with a 5K and costume contest, followed by live music, food, weiner dog races, stein hoists, beer and more! Formerly Fry Street Oktoberfest.

Find other fun things to do in Texas in fall:

Oktoberfest in Texas
Texas Corn Mazes
Texas Ghost Tours
Haunted Houses in Texas
Texas Pumpkin Patches

10 thoughts on “Fall Texas Festivals

  1. Susan says:

    It would be helpful to put festivals in date order, also city or town order, brief entry of what the festival is about, mapquest link or weblink to supporting website of festival and include a picture.

    • Jessica says:

      Before I even got to your comment I was saying the exact same thing. There is absolutely NO order to this list what so ever. It is great that the list is supplied, but you should be able to sort by date, and/or city or within a certain radius of a zip code.

  2. Pingback: 70+ Free Things for Kids and Families to do in San Antonio this Fall | San Antonio Mom Blogs ™

  3. Pingback: San Antonio Pumpkin Patches 2014 | San Antonio Mom Blogs ™

  4. Claudine Humphries says:

    St. Mark Community Carnival
    Friday, Oct. 10, 2014 6 – 10 pm
    Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014 12 pm – 10 pm
    Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014 11 am – 6 pm
    Location: St. Mark Catholic Church & School, 1201 Alma Drive, Plano, TX
    Carnival includes: Rides powered by Triple T Amusements, Delicious foods, Midway Games, Prizes, Live Entertainment and Vendors
    Free Admission & Parking, Open to the Public
    Friday night Concert & Dance 7:30 – 9 pm featuring Miguel Aquino y Marvin Marcano
    http://www.stmarkplano.org\carnival
    http://www.facebook.com/StMarkCommunityCarnival

  5. Dani says:

    Wow – so surprised by the negative comments. This is a great resource and I appreciate you putting it up for us all!

  6. Sarina says:

    As a communication tech major, I have to say I agree myself with the negative comments. Accessibility should be a web designers most important consideration.

    I appreciate the information myself, but if I were doing this as a profession (communicating via web) I would want to coax my users to return by giving them a pleasant user experience that makes them RETURNING users of my site.

    Very tedious and inconvenient user experience. Needs responsive design modifications as well.

    But this is constructive criticism of course.

  7. Mr. Funtober says:

    Hi all – This is Rob and I run Funtober. I’ve previously handled these comments by backchannel replies and emails. But I feel a few public comments at this point are necessary.

    1) Funtober is run by fewer people than you think. There is thus a time trade-off to everything that we do. If I am improving the UI/UX, then I am not gathering more festival dates. If I am personally figuring out which festivals are “paid” and which are “free” (sometimes an impossible task), then I am not working on our pumpkin patches, or halloween events, or something else.

    2) Funtober isn’t profitable. Over the past five years running this website, I’m positive that it has net cost me money. We’re probably going to make a few dollars this year, but to this point I have helped more than 5 million people find events between September and November annually and there has been no fee for this service. This means that I can’t just pay money to a developer and add features.

    3) Susan, Jessica and future visitors – The current cost to add the features that Susan mentions is $10,000. I take Paypal.

    4) Sarina – At this point, redesigning Funtober is easily a $50K to $100K project. It is easy to make a responsive 10 page website as a class project. It is much tougher to do so on a live business site that has 5000+ pages and gets 1 million visitors in a month. Because of #1 and #2 above, it wasn’t feasible to fix the glaring errors this year. And my budget doesn’t allow it. I’ve been planning to fix them in 2017 on my weekends. Why don’t you put me together a list of all of the errors and a proposal to redo the website. I’ll give you access to a copy of the database, my analytics from 5 years of visitors and 3 months to redesign everything to have an amazing UI/UX experience. If it doesn’t suck, it is completed on time and it does what we need it to do (I will put together a list for you of the other requirements), then you’ll get paid. My email is [email protected]. I’m even open to proposals on how we determine whether it sucks or not – because I’m pretty sure that you dove in a pool here that is way, way over your head. This is just some constructive criticism though.

    Everyone who is still reading: I try to read every comment on my website and email in my inbox. There are a lot over the years. I value each of them, which is why I have published all of the above and left them up for the past five years. These comments are by no means the worst I have ever seen – the emails I get after I send out something to my email list can be downright nasty. So I hope you have read my reply here with the friendly, informative and fun tone that I intended. It’s three days before Halloween 2016 and even being told that my site isn’t a “pleasant user experience” couldn’t bring me down.

    However, although I appreciate the constructive feedback here so far, please in the future do so privately to me personally at [email protected].

  8. L Ferguson says:

    Tapping into Celina Oktoberfest
    Inaugural event to take over historic square

    Celina, Texas – Tickets go on sale Aug. 1 for the inaugural Celina Oktoberfest celebration, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday Oct. 13, 2018, in the city’s historic downtown square at West Walnut and North Ohio Streets in Celina. This family friendly event will be presented rain or shine.

    General admission tickets are $5. Children age 12 and under will be admitted free, as will any attendee who wears a traditional German lederhosen or dirndl costume to the festival. Tickets will be available for advanced purchase at http://www.celinaoktoberfest.com, and will also be sold at the gate on the day of the event.
    A limited number of specially priced tickets will also be on sale at http://www.Groupon.com.
    Free parking and shuttles will be at Celina Elementary School, 550 S. Utah Drive, and at Brookshire’s Food & Pharmacy Celina, 675 Sunset Blvd. Paid parking ($20) will be adjacent to the square at West Pecan Street and North Louisiana Drive.

    Alcoholic-drink tickets ($1 each) will be available the ticket booth during the festival (four tickets for a 12-ounce beer; six tickets for 16 ounces). Commemorative, half-liter beer steins ($10) can be purchased and used at Celina Oktoberfest or kept as a souvenir.

    Sponsored by Landmark Bank, Celina Oktoberfest will feature live music from festive bands, a tempting assortment of traditional German foods and a beer garden boasting a bountiful selection of bubbling brews.

    In a nod to Celina’s deeply rooted tradition of championship-winning football, the day’s biggest college-gridiron matchups will be presented at Celina Oktoberfest on a massive LED screen. Pro-football legends and members of the North Texas chapter of the NFL Alumni Association are also scheduled to appear, and radio personalities Mike and Cash Sirois of 1310 AM/96.7 FM The Ticket will broadcast live from noon to 2 p.m.

    “This will be an Oktoberfest celebration unlike any other in Texas,” said Melissa Cromwell, president of the Greater Celina Chamber of Commerce which produces the event.

    Celina Oktoberfest will kick off with a cornhole tournament presented by the Celina Police Department, followed by the ceremonial tapping of the keg by Celina Mayor Sean Terry and a traditional toast.

    Exciting events will follow throughout the day and evening, including a Dachshund Derby dog race, Chicken Dance circles and costume contests for children and adults. Youngsters can enjoy bounce houses, an obstacle course, a rock-climbing wall and a petting zoo in the free Kids’ Zone, sponsored by Martin Marietta, as well as cookie- and pumpkin-decorating activities.

    Celina Oktoberfest will feature a plethora of entertaining performances, beginning with traveling tuba quartet Imperial Brass; followed by American-polka purists The Royal Klobasneks; Bavarian-inspired dance troupe Texanischer Schuhplattler Verein; Alps music aficionados by Auf Gehts Musik; and a high-energy set by headliners The Dogensteins, noted for transforming mainstream-music hits into foot-stomping polka tunes.

    Authentic German delicacies and other culinary treats will be served up at Celina Oktoberfest by more than a dozen food-and-beverage purveyors including Bayer’s Kolonialwaren from Muenster, Texas. Among the numerous merchandise vendors will be a pop-up shop by The Kuckucks Nest, a Bavarian boutique and gift emporium from Fredericksburg, Texas.
    “There will truly be something for everyone at Celina Oktoberfest. The square is going to be packed with entertainment and activities,” Cromwell said. “It will be an exciting, fun-filled start for this new, annual Celina tradition.”

    For additional information and updates about Celina Oktoberfest, visit http://www.celinaoktoberfest.com. Follow @CelinaOktoberfest on Facebook, and @celina_oktoberfest on Instagram.

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