Seasonal Highlights

Fall 2025 #TexasToDos

As the weather cools this fall, the Lone Star State rolls out a season packed with cultural celebrations, outdoor adventures and flavors worth traveling for. From new openings and culinary gems to beloved traditions and festive fall gatherings, consider this your ultimate guide to experiencing Texas this season.

Accommodations

Texas continues to debut new hotels, experiences and attractions that showcase the state’s blend of history, innovation and family-friendly fun.

The Faust Hotel in New Braunfels, a Texas Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the city’s only downtown hotel with convenient access to local shops and restaurants. Set to reopen in late 2025 following a $3.5 million renovation, the 58-room property preserves its 1920s charm while introducing modern design, a full-service restaurant and bar, a speakeasy and upgraded amenities in the heart of the Hill Country.

Netflix House is set to open a massive 100,000-square-foot location at Galleria Dallas in late 2025. The permanent, year-round entertainment venue will bring the magic of beloved Netflix shows and movies to life, including Stranger Things, Squid Game and Bridgerton. As the first Netflix House in Texas and one of only two in the United States, it promises an unforgettable destination for fans to explore and celebrate the world of Netflix.

Washington-on-the-Brazos, a cornerstone of Texas history, is where delegates signed the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836. Following a transformative $54 million investment in the state historic site, the Star of the Republic Museum and Visitor Center will reopen this November with immersive exhibitions showcasing rare artifacts, updated interactive exhibits and an interactive family gallery that brings to life the story of Texas as an independent nation.

Culinary Spotlights

The MICHELIN Guide is returning to Texas. On Oct. 28, the 2025 selections will be unveiled at a ceremony at Houston’s Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. This year’s ratings will once again spotlight five cities: Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston. From innovative new concepts to long-celebrated local favorites, this year’s ratings promise to celebrate the creativity, skill and bold flavors that make Texas a star on the global food stage.

Across the state, food festivals are turning up the flavor, celebrating the bold, diverse and unmistakably Texan tastes that define the season.

In the Hill Country, the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival on Oct. 21 - 26 showcases the region's rich agricultural heritage, outstanding culinary experiences and award winning wineries. The Austin Food & Wine Festival is back Nov. 7 - 9, bringing together renowned chefs and winemakers, surrounded by views of the iconic Austin skyline.

Texas Monthly’s signature culinary event is back this season. The Texas Monthly BBQ Fest takes place Nov. 1 - 2 in Lockhart, the “Barbecue Capital of Texas,” where attendees can savor smoky, award-winning barbecue while enjoying live music and family-friendly fun. Rounding out the lineup, Chefs for Farmers Food & Wine Festival brings a farm-to-table focus to Houston Nov. 27 - 28 and to Dallas Nov. 1 - 2.

Festivals and Celebrations

The State Fair of Texas kicks off in Dallas from Sept. 26 - Oct. 19, welcoming guests with its iconic Big Tex, thrilling rides, live music and a wildly inventive lineup of fried foods. In 2026, the nation’s first and oldest state fair will celebrate its 140th anniversary.

Austin City Limits Music Festival takes over Zilker Park Oct. 3 - 5 and Oct. 10 - 12, drawing music lovers from around the country to enjoy a star-studded lineup across multiple stages and immersive festival experiences.

State Fair of Texas photo credit for Big Tex image

Just outside of Houston, the Texas Renaissance Festival continues as the country’s largest Renaissance fair, running weekends from Oct. 11 - Nov. 30. Visitors step into a world of knights, jesters and fantastical creatures, explore 400+ shops with handcrafted treasures and savor global flavors from gyros to bratwurst to the festival’s famous turkey legs. Eight themed weekends, including Oktoberfest, Pirate Adventure and Highland Fling, bring new adventure and whimsy to every visit.

Tyler embraces its floral heritage during the Texas Rose Festival, Oct. 16 - 19, where parades, pageantry, and vibrant rose displays fill the city with color and celebration.

Travelers can celebrate life and heritage as Texas honors Día de los Muertos with vibrant festivals, parades and cultural events across the state. San Antonio hosts the nation’s largest Day of the Dead celebration, highlighted by the River Parade on Oct. 24, while Corpus Christi welcomes visitors to its 18th annual Día de los Muertos Festival on Nov. 1, transforming downtown with music, dance, colorful ofrendas, local art, authentic Mexican cuisine and lively performances celebrating this cherished tradition.

Spooky Season

Across Texas, fall transforms theme parks, towns and historic hotels into thrilling, eerie playgrounds where fright and fun collide.

Attractions & Events

In San Antonio, Six Flags Fiesta Texas Fright Fest delivers heart-pounding thrills with haunted houses, sinister scare zones and nighttime rollercoaster rides that plunge guests into the dark.

North of Dallas, Scarborough’s Hollow Fall Fantasy Festival will debut in Waxahachie mixing Renaissance flair with seasonal chills, offering costumed performers, candlelit pathways and Halloween-themed entertainment that brings a whimsical edge to spooky season.

And in Denton, officially named the “Halloween Capital of Texas,” the entire town embraces the holiday with ‘Thirty One Days of Denton Halloween’ consisting of haunted tours, ghostly parades and a monthlong lineup of eerie events that make it a must-visit destination for spirited celebrations.

Haunted Stays

For those brave enough to sleep where spirits are said to linger, Texas hotels offer hair-raising overnight experiences.

In Mineral Wells, the Haunted Hill House is a Victorian mansion that has served as both a brothel and a makeshift hospital. Visitors do not simply book a stay, but rather an investigation, as they are given 24 hours to roam the property independently and are trained to use paranormal equipment.

In Austin, the storied Driskill Hotel combines Romanesque-style architecture with legendary ghost tales. Built in 1886, this landmark along Sixth Street’s grand staircase is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young girl, and room 525 reportedly houses the spirits of two brides who died on their honeymoons 20 years apart.

On the Gulf Coast, Grand Galvez in Galveston is notorious for the ghostly spirit of “the Lovelorn Lady,” a bride whose life was cut short after the death of her fiancé. Her story lingers within the hotel’s elegant halls, making it one of the most famous haunted destinations in Texas.