Mark your calendars and plan your trips to catch these long-standing events in the Upper East Side of Texas this year. Some of them have been around more than 100 years. Others are relatively new as creative community leaders keep raising the bar.
Be sure to check out the sites of the many active small towns and cultural districts in the region for updates and year-round events like farmers’ markets, trade days, concerts, theatre, art exhibitions, and pop up fairs.
Listed below are tried-and-true events that have stood the test of time and keep coming back year after year better than ever.
JANUARY
Rhythm in Our Blues. Greenville.
showtimeatthegma.com
Martin Luther King Jr Celebration. Longview. longviewtexas.gov
HYPE Annual MLK Celebration. Winnsboro. hypewinnsboro.org
FEBRUARY
Freeze Your Fanny. Longview.
Mardi Gras Up River. Jefferson.
mardigrasupriver.com
Krewe of Barkus Mardi Gras
Dog Parade and Festival. McKinney.
artinstituteofmckinney.com
Mardi Gras Parade. Palestine.
visitpalestine.com
FEBRUARY/MARCH
Mrs. Lee’s Daffodil Gardens.
Gladewater
MARCH
Fresh 15 Race. Tyler. visittyler.com
Motorized Bar Stool Races.
Ben Wheeler. benwheelertx.com
Happy Days in Terrell America
discoverterrell.com
Sherman Celtic Festival & Highland Games. shermancelticfest.com
Spring Fling. Rockwall.
rockwall.com/mainstreet
Tribute to Townes Van Zandt. Ben Wheeler. theforgebenwheeler.com
Dogwood Arts & Music Festival.
Palestine. visitpalestine.com
LitCon. Greenville.
litcongreenville.com
MARCH/APRIL
Texas Dogwood Trails Celebration.
Palestine. visitpalestine.com
Azalea and Spring Flower Trail.
Tyler. visittyler.com
Nacogdoches Pro Rodeo and Steer Show. visitnacogdoches.org
APRIL
Rangerette Revels. rangerette.com
Derrick Days. Corsicana.
derrickdays.com
Wildflower Trails of Texas.
Avinger, Hughes Springs, Linden.
wildflowertrailsoftexas.org
Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival.
bluebonnettrail.org
East Texas Gusher Days.
Gladewater. gusher-days.com
Avalon Faire Renaissance Festival.
Kilgore. avalonfaire.com
Athens Old Fiddlers Contest
& Reunion. athensfiddlers.com
Dalton Days. Longview.
gregghistorical.org
East Texas Tractor and Small Engine Show. Henderson. visithendersontx.com
Arts in Bloom. McKinney. mckinneytexas.org/687/Arts-in-Bloom
Brew Fest. Nacogdoches.
visitnacogdoches.org
Empty Bowls McKinney.
emptybowlsmckinney.com
SFA Garden Gala Day. Nacogdoches. visitnacogdoches.org
Kite Fest. Nacogdoches.
visitnacogdoches.org
DoDat BBQ. Nacogdoches.
visitnacogdoches.org
Terrell Jubilee. terrelljubilee.com
Tatum Pecan Pie Festival.
tatum.texas.gov
Nacogdoches Wine Swirl.
visitnacogdoches.com
Winefest. Paris.
pariswinefest.com
Claws for a Cause Crawfish Boil.
Sulphur Springs
Everything Texas Ranch Run.
Mount Pleasant. mtpleasanttx.com
Wine Swirl. Longview.
visitlongviewtexas.com
Texas Hot Links Festival. Pittsburg. texashotlinkfestival.com
APRIL/MAY
East Texas Wildflower Trails.
Henderson. visithendersontx.com
Scarborough Renaissance Festival.
Waxahachie. srfestival.com
Downtown Live. Longview.
visitlongviewtexas.com
MAY
Historical Pilgrimage. Jefferson.
jefferson-pilgrimage.com
National Polka Festival. Ennis.
nationalpolkafestival.com
Founders Day Festival. Rockwall.
rockwall.com/mainstreet
Piney Woods Wine Festival.
Lindale. visitlindale.com
Cinco de Mayo Celebration. Sulphur Springs. visitsulphurspringstx.org
Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival.
Tyler. reddirtbbqfest.com
Red Brick Bluegrass Festival.
Nacogdoches. redbrickbluegrass.com
Taco Festival. Terrell.
discoverterrell.com
Run for the Wall. Terrell.
discoverterrell.com
Winnsboro Festival of Books.
winnsborocenterforthearts.com
Fiesta De Mayo. Mineola.
mineolachamber.org
Eiffel in Love with Quilts.
Paris. parisquiltshow.com
Hunt County Festival of the Arts.
Greenville. travelgreenvilletx.com
Cinco de Mayo. Longview.
longviewarboretum.org
Sale on the Trail. Nacogdoches.
visitnacogdoches.org
MAY-SEPTEMBER
San Jacinto Music Series. Rockwall. rockwall.com/mainstreet_music.asp
MAY-OCTOBER
Sail With Scott. Rockwall.
sailwithscott.com
JUNE
Hopkins County Dairy & Balloon Fest
Sulphur Springs
Gingerbread Trail Tour of Homes.
Waxahachie. gingerbreadtrail.org
Salt Festival. Grand Saline.
Antique Tractor Show. Terrell.
discoverterrell.com
Great Texas Balloon Race.
Longview. gtbr.net
Tomato Fest. Jacksonville.
jacksonvilletexas.com/tomato-fest
Texas Blueberry Festival. Nacogdoches. texasblueberryfestival.com
Junebug Music, Makers & Art Show.
Ben Wheeler. theforgebenwheeler.com
Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom.
Terrell. abhpterrell.com
JUNE/JULY
Texas Shakespeare Festival. Kilgore. texasshakespeare.com
Music at the Market Concert Series. Greenville. travelgreenvilletx.com
JULY
Tour De Paris. Paris.
paristexasbiking.com
Duwali Memorial Pow Wow.
Ben Wheeler. aics1839.com
July Fest. Gun Barrel City.
gunbarrelcity.gov
Freedom Fest. Nacogdoches.
visitnacogdoches.org
Terrell Freedom Fest. July 4.
discoverterrell.com
AUGUST
East Texas Sacred Harp Convention.
Henderson. easttexassingings.net
North Texas Antique Fishing Lure
& Tackle Show. Greenville.
travelgreenville.tx.com
AUGUST-FEBRUARY
Dinosaurs Live. McKinney.
heardmuseum.org
SEPTEMBER
Lee Street Jamboree. Greenville.
travelgreenvilletx.com
Bois D’Arc Bash. Commerce. commerce-chamber.com/bois-darc-bash
Terrell Mural Walk.
discoverterrell.com
Family Fun Fest &
Denny Rohe Memorial BBQ Cook-Off.
Terrell. discoverterrell.com
Iron Horse Heritage Days. Mineola. mineolachamber.org
Cotton Patch Challenge Bicycle Rally.
Greenville. cottonpatchchallenge.com
Paris Balloon and Music Festival.
parisballoonandmusicfestival.com
Black-Eyed Pea Jamboree.
Athens. visitathenstexas.com
Winnsboro Cowboy Poetry
& Music Gathering.
winnsborocenterforthearts.com
State Fair of Texas.
Dallas. bigtex.com
East Texas State Fair.
Tyler. etstatefair.com
Downtown Live. Longview.
visitlongviewtexas.com
Old Town Rig Down. Nacogdoches. www.visitnacogdoches.org
OCTOBER
East Texas Yamboree.
Gilmer. yamboree.com
Texas Rose Festival. Tyler.
texasrosefestival.org
Autumn Trails. Winnsboro.
winnsboroautumntrails.com
Hopkins County Fall Festival. Sulphur Springs. visitsulphurspringstx.org
World Champion Hopkins County
Stew Contest. Sulphur Springs.
sulphursprings-tx.com
Edom Art Festival.
edomarts.com
Planes, Trains & Automobiles.
Terrell. discoverterrell.com
Hispanic Heritage Celebration.
Terrell. discoverterrell.com
East Texas Oilman’s Chili Cook-off.
Kilgore. visitkilgore.com
Van Oil Festival.
vanareachamber.com
Hot Pepper Festival.
Palestine. visitpalestine.com
Sweet Potato Festival. Golden.
goldensweetpotatofestival.org
Fire Ant Festival. Marshall.
marshalltexas.com/fireant-festival
Indian Summer Days & Dutch Oven Cook-Off. Sulphur Springs.
Oktoberfest. McKinney.
mckinneytexas.org/664/oktoberfest
SFA Homecoming. Nacogdoches.
visitnacogdoches.org
Fall Feral Hog Festival
Ben Wheeler
Rib Rub Run & Roll.
Rockwall. rockwall.com/parks
Piney Woods Wine Festival.
Lindale. visitlindale.com
Tobaccodoches Cigar Festival.
Nacogdoches. visitnacogdoches.org
Kilgore Oktoberfest.
visitkilgore.com
Main Street Uncorked. Sulphur Springs. mainstreetuncorkedss.com
Great Pumpkin Roll. Longview.
visitlongviewtexas.com
Crossroads of Texas Country Festival.
Waxahachie. texascountryfestival.com
Downtown Live. Longview. visitlongviewtexas.com
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER
Kadee Tree Farm. Greenville.
NOVEMBER
British Bash. Terrell.
discoverterrell.com
BFTS Remembrance Day Activities.
Terrell. discoverterrell.com
Edgewood Heritage Festival.
edgewoodheritagefestival.com
Heritage Syrup Festival. Henderson. visithendersontx.com
Wassail Fest. Nacogdoches.
visitnacogdoches.org
McKinney Art Studio Tour.
mastmckinney.org
Winnsboro Art & Wine Festival.
winnsboroartandwinefestival.com
Dia De Los Muertos Festival.
Nacogdoches. visitnacogdoches.org
Holiday in the Pines. Nacogdoches. visitnacogdoches.org
Bob Wills Fiddle Festival & Contest.
Greenville. bobwillsfest.com
REEL East Texas Film Festival.
Kilgore. reeleasttexas.com
Kilgore Derrick Lighting.
visitkilgore.com
Caddo Culture Day. Alto.
visitcaddomounds.com
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
Kadee Tree Farm. Greenville.
Wonderland of Lights. Marshall.
visitmarshalltexas.com
DECEMBER
Park Street Wagon Rides. Greenville. travelgreenvilletx.com
Parade of Lights. Greenville.
travelgreenvilletx.com
Christmas in a Small Town Tour of Homes. Terrell. discoverterrell.com
Christmas in Historic Terrell.
discoverterrell.com
Annual Stanley Ballard
Senior Christmas Parade.
Terrell. discoverterrell.com
Magical Mineola.
mineola.com
Nine Flags Christmas Celebration.
Nacogdoches. visitnacogdoches.org
Christmas Tour of Homes.
Nacogdoches. visitnacogdoches.org
Millard’s Crossing Old Fashioned Christmas. Nacogdoches.
visitnacogdoches.org
Check community calendars for more holiday events ranging from small town charm to elaborate productions.
