Photo courtesy of Sheila Scarborough/CC BY 2.0.
No matter where you are in the Lone Star State, you’re never too far from a few unusual festivals. Which ones will you visit this year?
Festivals bring a burst of excitement to any city. Folks from around Texas—and often around the world—travel to experience something new. The good news is there’s no shortage of Texas festivals, though some are certainly more unusual than others.
From catching rattlesnakes to building beautiful sand sculptures to showcasing sigh-inducing puns, the Lone Star State is full of wacky events. We’ve put together a guide to help you keep track of what’s going on. Here are 17 of our favorite quirky Texas festivals that will make your 2025 even more exciting.
1. Texas Storytelling Festival
Where: Denton
When: March 6-9, 2025
The Tejas Storytelling Association is putting on the 40th annual Texas Storytelling Festival in 2025, and plenty of tales are in store. Several featured tellers, such as Charlotte Blake Alston and Bil Lepp, will make appearances. Guests can also partake in ghost stories, story swaps, poetry slams, and perhaps the most intriguing, a liars contest. Bonus points if you go the extra mile and tell your lie while lying down.
2. Sweetwater Jaycees Rattlesnake Roundup
Where: Sweetwater
When: March 14-16, 2025
The Rattlesnake Roundup, held by the Sweetwater Jaycees, is a sss-superb way to learn more about our scaly friends. Snake hunters and Texas Parks & Wildlife experts share their knowledge while leading guided hunts. Other non-snake activities include a cook-off and a gun, knife, and coin show. Last year, participants rounded up nearly 2,000 pounds of snakes, including one that weighed 389 pounds alone.
Photo courtesy of Carol Highsmith/Library of Congress.
3. Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival
Where: Fort Worth
When: April 10-13
As the name suggests, the Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival is a celebration of all kinds of art in downtown Fort Worth. You’ll see stunning artwork and can support local vendors by adding a new piece to your home, all while enjoying live music and entertainment. The activities are kid-friendly, with cool features like sand art, printmaking, henna tattoos, face painting, and caricature artists. The festival also works hard to support sustainable initiatives, such as using non-toxic, organic, or recycled materials and offering free water fill stations.
Photo courtesy of Dave Hensley/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
4. Texas SandFest
Where: Port Aransas
When: April 25-27
Let your inner architect shine at Texas SandFest, the largest beach sand sculpture competition in the United States. There are plenty of photo opportunities around the impressive sculptures; meanwhile, hands-on lessons will give a few pointers and teach the science behind making a quality sand castle. The festival also has several unique non-sand elements, including a painted rock treasure hunt and Bollard Buddies, where the bollards near the Horace Caldwell Pier are decked out in stylish yarn hats.
5. Chicken Fried Steak Festival
Where: Lamesa
When: April
In the running for cutest festival mascot, the Chicken Fried Steak Festival is a tasty event put on by the Lamesa Chamber of Commerce. There’s also quite a bit of physical activity, with volleyball and kickball tournaments, a team roping competition, a 5K run and walk, and multiple tumbling and dance performances. Luckily, all of those activities come before you eat any chicken fried steak. Jogging after a hearty meal just sounds like a bad idea.
6. Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest
Where: San Marcos
When: May 9-18
San Marcos’s entry is newer on the list, but it’s already making a big splash. The Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest was born from the spirit of the former Aquarena Springs amusement park. The fest is moving to May this year to take advantage of cooler temperatures; we thank the event organizers in advance. You’ll find a treasure trove of mermaid-designed floats and costumes, plus delightful moments like the Mermaid Art Ball and MERtini Shakedown Competition. This year, the event is encouraging ARRRT, or Artivisim: Reimagine, Recycle, Repurpose for Texas, putting a sustainable spin on the sea.
7. The O. Henry Museum Pun-Off
Where: Austin
When: May 10
The “Grand Daddy” of all pun competitions is one of Austin’s best free events. The O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships competition has made people groan and roll their eyes for nearly 50 years as punsters from all across the country (and sometimes around the world) come to wow the crowds. The event is divided into two parts. First is Punniest of Show, where a participant riffs on a particular theme—for instance, a monologue about European countries and cities might include something like, “I’m Czeching out of this conversation because my mind is Roman.” The grand finale is Punslingers, a tournament-style debate where competitors receive a topic, such as currencies or colors, and go back and forth sharing puns until someone gets stumped. So, as they said in the very first Pun-Off: “Lend us an ear, and we’ll lend you some corn.”
8. Kerrville Folk Festival
Where: Kerrville
When: May 22-June 8
The longest festival on the list, the Kerrville Folk Festival packs a powerful punch. Over 1,500 musicians have graced the festival’s stages as live concerts echo through the sky each night. During the day, you might stumble upon a campfire jam session, canoe trips, ukulele, harmonica, and guitar workshops, a performance incubator, or guided nature walks. For folks (pun absolutely intended) with any interest in songwriting, this is one of the most immersive experiences out there.
9. Luling Watermelon Thump
Where: Luling
When: June 26-29, 2025
In a setting that would make Gallagher proud, the Luling Watermelon Thump has been celebrating melons since 1954. A carnival entertains the kids, while the car show is a place for enthusiasts to admire some sweet rides. But let’s be real; we’re here for the watermelons, and they are abundant. Guests can participate in melon-eating contests for adults and children, seed-spitting events, and a champion melon auction to take home a gorgeous (and delicious) prize.
Photo courtesy of mlhradio/CC BY-NC 2.0.
10. Hotter’N Hell Hundred
Where: Wichita Falls
When: August 21-24
You don’t have to head all the way to France for a cycling event. The Hotter’N Hell Hundred brings over 10,000 riders to Wichita Falls for one of the oldest cycling events in the U.S. Whether you go for a 10k ride or the entire 100 miles, it’s a test of endurance against the summer heat. Thankfully, features like cannon blasts, sports massages, a consumer show, and a spaghetti dinner might make you forget about all the aches in your muscles and sweat in your eyes.
Photo courtesy of Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
11. The Great Texas Mosquito Festival
Where: Clute
When: July 24-26
If your first thought upon seeing a mosquito isn’t swatting at it, but rather, “Let’s get this sweet creature safely outside,” The Great Texas Mosquito Festival is for you. The origins of the festival date back to 1981. Willie-Man-Chew, a 26-foot-tall mosquito donned in a cowboy hat and boots, flew into a prime spot in Brazoria County with his mosquito friends. Led by the “Swat Team,” the festival features events like a Mosquito Chase 5K run, a BBQ cook-off, mini golf, bounce houses, and a petting zoo. Despite the overall mosquito theme, the petting zoo does offer more options than insects.
12. Marfa Lights Festival
Where: Marfa
When: August/September
One of the most mysterious occurrences in Texas, the Marfa Lights continue to wow and perplex visitors. The Marfa Lights Festival celebrates that mystery with a bevy of events. Live music continues throughout the day and into the night, and the festival parade embraces the uniqueness of Marfa. Other activities include a pie-baking competition, ballet performance, and a visit from Carl the Camel. And if you’re really lucky, you just might glimpse the Marfa Lights themselves off in the distance.
13. Kolache Festival
Where: Caldwell
When: September 13
Caldwell is the Kolache Capital of Texas, so it’s only natural that it would host the annual Kolache Festival in the downtown square. The event is free to enter and features plenty of kolaches, from eating contests to baking championships, plus a 5K Kolache Krunch run. You can also get your dance on to polka music while admiring displays such as a quilt show, antique machinery, museums, and a ton more. Czech it off your bucket list!
14. Texas Rose Festival
Where: Tyler
When: October
Tyler is the Rose Capital of Texas, and it lives up to that name with the annual Texas Rose Festival. This festival has been a tradition since 1933—that’s a lot of blooms! The roses aren’t the only beautiful thing, either, with ample gorgeous and vibrant costumes, outfits, and floats throughout the Rose Parade. The Queen’s Tea and Coronation help crown an annual Rose Queen, and you can take home a palette of roses artwork as a souvenir.
Photo courtesy of Texas Rose Festival.
15. The East Texas Yamboree
Where: Gilmer
When: October
The East Texas Yamboree has something for everyone. While classic festival goers might appreciate the elements such as concerts, carnivals, and parades with classic cars, we’re here for the quirk! The barn dance, a “no limits” livestock and agriculture mechanics show, fiddlers’ contest, and the Queen’s Race are some of the top highlights in that case. Each year, the Yamboree also crowns a queen in an impressive coronation ceremony.
16. RipFest
Where: Eastland
When: October
RipFest has one of the most unique backstories among Texas festivals. In 1897, people in Eastland created a time capsule full of coins, newspapers, and a Texas horned lizard named Blinky. Horned lizards are believed to live up to 100 years in hibernation, and Eastland residents were a scientific bunch. The city opened the time capsule 31 years later—and Blinky was still alive. The lizard was renamed “Old Rip” in honor of Rip Van Winkle. Today, RipFest honors the history of Eastland with a parade, car show, art competition, and runs that support Meals on Wheels.
17. Terlingua Chili Cook Off
Where: Terlingua
When: October-November
Terlingua is a ghost town near Big Bend, and you will undoubtedly encounter at least one ghost pepper during your visit to the Terlingua Chili Cook Off. Learn just how creative Texans can be with their chili, from casually calm to fire-breathingly hot. Not a chili fan? Indulge in wine, cheese, brisket, margarita, and other goodies, or just put on your dancing boots and groove away during nightly music performances.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
