The 10 Best Texas Towns To Visit In The Fall

From Oktoberfest celebrations and fall festivals to pumpkin patches and chili cook-offs.

By Pam LeBlanc

Published on September 19, 2024

Photo: BROWN W. CANNON III

Fall comes as a relief in Texas. The blow torch of summer heat finally eases, and the first autumn breezes cool the air. It’s time to get out, and explore.

You could always head to the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, where a 55-foot cowboy greets visitors and everyone munches on corndogs, but the state’s small towns offer plenty of charm, too. Whether you want to celebrate the state’s German heritage (and traditional German fare like bratwurst and apple strudel), visit the Pumpkin Capital of Texas, learn about Mexico’s Day of the Dead tradition, or even admire some fall foliage display, we’ve got you covered.

Here are our picks for the 10 best Texas towns to visit in the fall.

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New Braunfels

Michael Anthony Mascorro / 500px / Getty

In 1961, the city meat inspector started a celebration to honor New Braunfels’ favorite pork and beef-packed product, sausage, and Wurstfest was born. The event has grown into the biggest German festival in the state, one that draws more than 240,000 people to Landa Park downtown over 10 days.

This year’s the 10 Day Salute to Sausage runs in early November and features oompah music, dancing, yodeling, a cavernous beer hall, carnival rides, and traditional German fare such as sausage, Weiner schnitzel, pretzels, apple strudel, and traditional German potato pancakes called kartoffelpuffers.

Our Guide to New Braunfels

Terlingua

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In the eclectic old ghost town of Terlingua in the Big Bend region of Far West Texas, locals decorate graves at the historic cemetery with candles, favorite foods, and trinkets reminding them of their loved ones, then gather at sunset in early November to pay their respects. It’s all part of the Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, tradition.

While you’re in town, stop by the Starlight Theatre for food and a margarita, and poke your nose into the Terlingua Trading Company, where you can find housewares, artwork, toys, and an excellent selection of books by Texas authors. Pack your hiking boots and tent, too, because Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park are right down the road.

Our Guide to Terlingua

Floydada

Courtesy Floydada Chamber of Commerce

Farms around Floydada, the self-proclaimed Pumpkin Capital of Texas, supply the basketball-sized orange gourds to sellers all over the state. To celebrate that heritage, they throw a pumpkin-themed festival called Punkin Days that includes games, team roping, live music, a chili and barbecue cookoff, a fun run, a car show, and plenty of pumpkins. The fest is typically set for the second Saturday in October.

Canadian

Courtesy Citadelle Art Museum

All eyes turn to the trees each fall in the Panhandle community of Canadian, named for the river that flows just north of town. Since 1957, the city has celebrated the vibrant display of yellow, orange and red foliage during the Fall Foliage Festival.

This year’s event includes a pumpkin patch, crafts fair, hay rides, and cornhole tournament. The event is set for late October on Main Street. Learn about the area’s history and culture while you’re there—drop by The River Valley Pioneer Museum and the Citadelle Art Museum, which hosts seasonal art workshops for children.

Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg Brewing Company.

The Hill Country town of Fredericksburg, embraces its German heritage too, with an Oktoberfest celebration at the Marktplatz downtown in early October. Expect non-stop oompah music, 50 kinds of beer, a fun run, and more.

Other reasons to visit Fredericksburg in fall? The Texas Mesquite Arts Festival in mid-October, featuring handcrafted furniture, decorative items, and holiday ornaments made by artisans; the Knights of Columbus Bestfest on October 19 this year, highlighted by an all-you-can-eat sausage meal and live polka and country music; and the Fredericksburg Food and Wine Festival in late October, with culinary booths, an intimate “street” dinner and a grand tasting event.

Our Guide to Fredericksburg

Paris

Getty Images/Sabrina Gordon

Paris—the one in North Texas, not the one “across the pond” in Europe—honors everyone’s favorite fall gourd with its own Festival of Pumpkins. This year’s 24th annual event in late October will include costume contests, a pumpkin decorating contest, live music and vendors, plus free activities for kids. 

And when you’re done at the festival, check out the city’s scale version of the Eiffel Tower. At 65 feet tall, it’s about one sixteenth of the height of the original in France.

Vanderpool

Lost Maples State Park. BROWN W. CANNON III

Besides the U.S. Post Office, there’s not much to the community of Vanderpool, located at the intersection of twisty and scenic Highway 337 and RR187, but it’s what’s nearby that matters. Each fall, visitors flock to Lost Maples State Park to pitch tents, hike, and take in the fall color show, which typically peaks in early November.

Campsites book early, so if you plan to go, book in advance. Another reason to visit? The Lone Star Motorcycle Museum, just down the road, where you can peruse a collection of more than 60 motorcycles, some more than a century old.

Gilmer

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Gilmer is known as the birthplace of musicians Don Henley, Johnny Mathis, and Freddie King, but in fall it’s all about yams in this northeast Texas town. For three days, locals and visitors alike bow to the almighty yam, a starchy tuber that’s not as sweet as a sweet potato but just as important in the kitchen. The East Texas Yamboree, featuring a barn dance, live music, parades, a carnival, and a livestock show, runs in mid-October.

Beaumont

Getty Images/DenisTangneyJr

The east Texas city of Beaumont, known more for its petrochemical industry and resident alligators than its German heritage, hosts its own Oktoberfest in early October at Rogers Park. Drop by the free event to sample an array of German beers in the beer garden, tap your toes to polka music, and enjoy kids’ activities.

And while you’re in Beaumont, take a ride down the Neches River on the Ivory Bill, an open-air pontoon boat. The Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum pays homage to the gusher that ignited an oil frenzy more than a century ago.

Galveston Island

Getty Images/DenisTangneyJr

Even Galveston Island, the birthplace of Juneteenth and the fourth-biggest cruise port in the United States, celebrates the season with beer, dancing and sausage. This year’s 42nd annual Island Oktoberfest takes place in late October on the grounds and streets surrounding First Lutheran Church in the historic downtown area. Wear your German garb and try the “wurstabendessen,” a sausage dinner served with traditional side dishes, then join in the chicken dance or enter the stein-holding competition.

Our Guide to Galveston