Seasonal Highlights

Winter 2024/2025 #TexasToDos

This winter, Texas invites visitors to enjoy cooler weather and a full lineup of events and culinary experiences. From the newest hot spots to legendary festivals, here’s your guide to enjoy the season in the Lone Star State.

Accommodations

Texas hospitality shines this season with the debut of new properties that blend luxury and cultural inspiration.

In Houston, the highly anticipated Hotel Saint Augustine is set to open its doors in December. Located in the heart of the Montrose neighborhood and adjacent to the Museum of Fine Arts, the hotel draws inspiration from the city’s rich history. Designed in collaboration with architecture firm Lake|Flato, this property offers 71 stylish rooms, a courtyard pool and thoughtfully designed spaces for dining and events.

In Fredericksburg, the Albert Hotel opens in early January. This boutique property seamlessly combines the rustic charm of its restored 19th-century buildings with modern sophistication, while offering the vibrant spirit of Texas wine country—a perfect winter retreat for those seeking comfort and authenticity.

Culinary Experiences

Texas is making its mark on the culinary world with the inaugural MICHELIN Guide Texas, spotlighting top restaurants across the state. The debut of the MICHELIN Guide Texas pays homage to its local traditions, while also celebrating those pushing the boundaries of Texas cuisine.

In Austin, InterStellar BBQ reimagines classic Texas barbecue by blending time-honored smoking techniques with a relentless drive for innovation. Pitmaster John Bates doesn’t just uphold tradition, he elevates it with unorthodox menu items like peach tea-glazed pork belly, the beer-brined tipsy turkey and kielbasa sausage, infusing every bite with bold flavors and meticulous craftsmanship that push the boundaries of what barbecue can be.

San Antonio’s Mixtli revolutionizes Mexican cuisine by presenting it as an artistic and narrative-driven experience as tasting menus shift often, focusing on a different part of Mexico and even offering interpretations of Oaxacan specialties or a meal focused on the cuisine of "Tierra Caliente." Chefs Diego Galicia and Rico Torres craft dishes that not only honor Mexico’s rich culinary history but also reinterpret it with modern precision - creating a seamless connection between past and present. These restaurants embody how Texas traditions are being elevated and redefined by visionary chefs.

Houston adds to its cultural prestige with Le Jardinier, where Chef Alain Verzeroli pairs seasonal vegetables and French techniques to create colorful, garden-inspired dishes. The vibrant dishes reflect not just French refinement but also embodies Houston’s unexpected role as both a global food hub and a haven for cultural exploration offering options like zucchini spaghetti with yellow pepper coulis and Comté foam, as well as plump Maine diver scallops with carrot jus reduction and sugar snap peas.

In Dallas, Tatsu offers a rare and intimate dining experience, where Chef Tatsuya Sekiguchi’s Edomae-style omakase surprises guests with a delicate balance of precision, creativity and global influences. The omakase follows the Edomae tradition as a meal that gets steadily stronger in flavor as dinner progresses, while blending the flavors of Alaskan sockeye salmon, Spanish tuna and uni from Hokkaido and ending with eel from Maine.

From reimagined barbecue to refined omakase, Texas proves it captivates with the unexpected, delivering options that redefine the state’s culinary identity. Check out the MICHELIN Guide to learn about additional honorees across the state!

Festivals and Celebrations

The Round Top Antiques Festival Winter Show kicks off January 23-26, 2025, transforming small-town Texas into a treasure hunter's paradise.

Known as one of the largest antiques shows in the country, this event offers everything from high-end furniture to vintage neon signs, spread across barns, tents and hayfields. For sports fans, the Dallas Open tennis tournament upgrades to the ATP 500 level in February and moves to Ford Center at The Star in Frisco. The move will allow the tournament to continue to grow as one of only 16 global events at the 500-level.

In Galveston, Mardi Gras returns from February 21 to March 4 as the third-largest celebration of its kind in the United States. Parades, live music and vibrant festivities fill the historic downtown streets with an unforgettable energy. Brownsville’s Charro Days, from February 27 to March 1, celebrates the region’s deep Mexican heritage. This binational fiesta features daily parades, music and traditional contests, bringing together over 50,000 attendees for an authentic cultural experience that has been celebrated since 1938.