Texas Festivals and Events

Texas has a festival or a fair in almost every town in almost every month, but four events shape the travel calendar more than any others. Each draws large crowds and pushes up hotel prices in its city, which makes it either the reason for your trip or a reason to choose different dates. Event dates move each year, so confirm them with the organizers before you book.

RodeoHouston, March

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo lists its next run as March 2 to 21, 2027. It combines professional rodeo, a livestock show, a carnival and concerts, and it takes over the city for three weeks. Book Houston hotels early if your dates overlap it.

Fiesta San Antonio, April

Fiesta San Antonio lists its next celebration as April 15 to 25, 2027. It is a citywide celebration with parades on the streets and on the river, food, music and medals that people collect and trade. Expect the River Walk and downtown to be busy throughout.

Juneteenth, June 19

Juneteenth marks the day, June 19, 1865, when Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and General Order Number 3 announced the end of slavery in Texas. The Texas State Historical Association records that Texas made it a state holiday in 1979, with the first state celebration in 1980, and that it became Juneteenth National Independence Day on June 17, 2021. Galveston and Houston hold the largest celebrations in the region, with parades, readings of the order, music and family gatherings. Our Texas diaspora guide covers the history in more depth.

State Fair of Texas, fall

The State Fair of Texas at Fair Park in Dallas runs from late September through mid October; its current dates are Sep. 25 to Oct. 18. Big Tex, the giant cowboy, greets visitors at the gate, and the fair is famous for its fried food, its livestock barns and a midway crowned by a tall Ferris wheel. Weekdays are calmer than weekends.

Smaller events worth a detour

• Spring wildflower season in the Hill Country, when towns along the bluebonnet routes fill with day trippers.
• Dance hall nights in the Hill Country and Central Texas, year round.
• Rodeos in Fort Worth and smaller towns, many of them weekly in season.
• Holiday lights on the San Antonio River Walk from late November.

Planning around a big event

Book rooms as soon as your dates are fixed, and expect higher rates and minimum stays. Check parade routes and road closures, plan for heat at outdoor events in late spring and early fall, and carry water. If you would rather see a city quietly, schedule around these weeks instead.

Sources

• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: RodeoHouston: the next show and rodeo, March 2 to 21, 2027. Accessed 11 October 2026.
• Fiesta San Antonio Commission: Fiesta San Antonio: the next fiesta, April 15 to 25, 2027. Accessed 11 October 2026.
• Texas State Historical Association: Juneteenth: Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and General Order Number 3 was read on June 19, 1865; Houston's Emancipation Park deed was signed in 1872; the state holiday law passed in 1979 with the first state celebration in 1980; and Juneteenth National Independence Day was signed into law on June 17, 2021. Accessed 11 October 2026.
• State Fair of Texas: The fair's own site: the dates of the current fair, Sep. 25 to Oct. 18, at Fair Park in Dallas. Accessed 11 October 2026.