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As the Texas wildflowers bloom and the weather warms, the Lone Star State comes alive with spring festivals celebrating everything from Texas history to food and flowers – even sandcastles. Here’s your guide to the best spring festivals across Texas, where good times, great food, and unforgettable experiences await.
Fiesta San Antonio
April 24 – May 4, 2025
Fiesta is San Antonio’s biggest celebration with more than three million people taking part in some 100 events that make up the 11-day festival. It is truly a party with a purpose. But you may not know that it was a Flower Battle that marked the beginning of Fiesta San Antonio in 1891. The celebration was held in tribute to fallen heroes of the Alamo and those who fought the Battle of San Jacinto gaining Texas its independence from Mexico.
Elle Maury Slayden, wife of U.S. Congressman James L. Slayden, inspired the parade for keeping Texas history in the minds of future generations. She and a large group of volunteer ladies organized a “Flower Battle” similar to one she had seen in Valencia, Spain. Handpicked from San Antonio and surrounding community gardens, fresh flowers adorned carriages as they paraded through the streets to Alamo Plaza. The revelers also pelted each other with the fresh flowers in a “Flower Battle” (imitating soldiers fighting).
“The Battle of Flowers Association is honored to be the founding organization where Fiesta San Antonio began,” said Battle of Flowers President Betsy Zachry. It was Texas women that created, organized and staged the first Battle of Flowers Parade in 1891.
Today, the Fiesta San Antonio Commission plans and coordinates the annual Fiesta San Antonio working with over 100 participating member organizations comprised of nonprofit groups from throughout San Antonio. The groups host a myriad of activities including parades, musical entertainment, food festivals and carnivals raising funds for their organizations.
Poteet Strawberry Festival
April 11 – April 13, 2025
Poteet, Texas, is a small town (population 2,876) about 30 miles south of San Antonio. However, every spring you will find 100,000 visitors converge on the town for its annual Poteet Strawberry Festival.
The first festival was held in 1948 when the Poteet Rotary Club organized it primarily as a way to encourage World War II veterans to return to the farms. Through the hard work of volunteers, the Poteet Strawberry Festival has continued for 77 years and today is crucial for promoting Poteet’s strawberries. It also helps to provide scholarships for local youth.
Visitors to the 78th Annual Poteet Strawberry Festival this year will enjoy a parade, concerts, arts & crafts, food vendors, carnival and more. For the first time, the festival is opening its gates on Thursday night, April 10, for a special musical tribute to Poteet native and Grammy-winning artist David Lee Garza. This first-ever Berry Bash Musical Thursday presented by Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails Strawberry Punch will honor Garza’s deep roots in Poteet and lasting impact on the Tejano music scene.
Red Poppy Festival, Georgetown, Texas
April 25 – April 27, 2025
Georgetown, Texas, is the “Red Poppy Capital of Texas” and one of the few places in the United States where red poppies grow naturally every spring. Located 25 miles north of Austin, the town celebrates red poppy season every year with a weekend full of family-friendly activities, including live music, parades, a classic car show, local arts and crafts vendors, food court and more.
Immediately after World War I, Henry Purl Compton, who served in the American Expeditionary Forces, sent red poppy seeds to his mother, who planted them at her home. Birds, bees, and people spread them down the river and over Old Town Georgetown. For over 100 years, red poppies have grown naturally in street and highway right-of-ways, covering the Georgetown landscape and delighting Georgetown residents and visitors.
The Red Poppy Festival is held around the “Most Beautiful Town Square in Texas.” Georgetown’s downtown historic Square features shops, restaurants, wineries, bars, art galleries, and an Art Center.
Texas Sandfest, Port Aransas
April 25 – April 27, 2025
Texas Sandfest, held each year in Port Aransas, Texas, is the largest beach sand sculpture competition in the United States. It originated as a local competition in 1997. The three-day family event has grown internationally, attracting renowned sculptors and tens of thousands of visitors worldwide.
Visitors stroll through the festival, enjoying mind-blowing sand sculptures, lively music, local vendors, and fantastic food from the coast.
Magnificent works of art are created from tons of sand during the three-day festival. Solo or two-person-team sculptors create exquisite sculptures at the Masters’ Gallery. Some of the sculptors have planned their design for weeks or months, astounding beachgoers. Other sculptors’ inspiration comes instantly. Both leave visitors astounded.
Visitors can also visit the “Science of Sand Exhibition” for exclusive sandcastle lessons and learn why Texas has some of the best beaches in the United States for building sandcastles. Then spend the rest of the week practicing your newly learned sandcastle-building techniques and impress your friends with your own fabulous sandcastle creation.
Frontera Festival
April 11–12, 2025
Mark your calendars as the Frontera Festival rides back into Dallas’s Bishop Arts District for its second year. Joining the festival is a collection of groundbreaking voices who showcase the Southwest’s unique cultural phenomenon of language and culture reflected in literature, music, comics, and film. Hosted by Southwest Review, the nation’s third-longest-running literary magazine, the free two-day event will take place across iconic venues like The Wild Detectives, Kessler Theater, and Texas Theatre. Highlights include a conversation with renowned cartoonist Lynda Barry and fiction writer Mary Miller, live performances from The Paranoid Style, Karly Hartzman, and Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado, as well as a screening of Blood Simple (1984) followed by a discussion with crime novelist Megan Abbott and William Boyle. Attendees can also enjoy readings from an impressive lineup of contemporary writers, making Frontera a must-visit cultural experience in Texas this spring.
SAVOR at Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa
May 1–4, 2025
SAVOR debuts at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa, celebrating Texas’s finest culinary talents, elite golf, and world-class entertainment. Curated by Chef Beau MacMillan and Emmy-winning producer Scott Savlov, this four-day experience will feature award-winning chefs like Aarón Sánchez, Antonia Lofaso, and Stephanie Izard, alongside renowned mixologists crafting signature cocktails. The SAVOR Celebrity Golf Invitational will bring sports and entertainment icons like Michael Strahan and Rob Riggle to the greens, while live performances from Midland and D. Vincent Williams add a musical touch. Event highlights include exclusive dining experiences, live-fire grilling showcases, and a festive Margaritas & Mariachis Celebrity Brunch. A portion of proceeds will support the North Texas Food Bank, reinforcing Omni’s commitment to giving back. Tickets are available now.
Lone Star Smokeout
May 2–4, 2025
Ready your bibs and start eating your greens now, as The Lone Star Smokeout descends on AT&T Stadium from May 2–4, 2025, uniting Texas’s best barbecue and top country artists for an unforgettable three-day feast and festival. Emceed by Matt Pittman, Founder and CEO of Meat Church BBQ and Official Pitmaster for the Dallas Cowboys, the event will showcase 14 of the nation’s top pitmasters, including Michelin-recommended Panther City BBQ, James Beard-nominated 2M Smokehouse, and legendary Texas joints like The Salt Lick and Black’s BBQ. Fans can indulge in expertly smoked meats while enjoying a stacked country lineup featuring Cody Jinks, Jon Pardi, Midland, and more. BBQ lovers can meet their favorite pitmasters as they serve up signature dishes, while single-day and three-day tickets are now available here.
Luling Watermelon Thump
June 26 – June 29, 2025
In 1954, Hermon Allen, principal of Luling Elementary School, suggested a celebration to honor growers and promote the Luling watermelon market. There was a contest to name the event, and Mr. Carol Ferguson, a Luling High School student, won. Since then, the Luling Watermelon Thump has been held the last full weekend in June.
Over time, numerous added events and attractions have drawn an estimated 30,000 visitors to this town of 5,000. Each year a Champion Melon award is given to the largest and best-grown watermelon. The 2024 champion melon weighed 125.1 pounds! The festival gained recognition in years past by sending the winning melons to celebrities, like Johnny Carson and President Ronald Reagan.
Other activities at the festival include a carnival, competitions like a Watermelon Eating Contest and Seed Spitting Contest, art and crafts, food and more.
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Cover Photo of Red Poppy Festival, courtesy City of Georgetown.
Minnie Payne grew up in South Carolina but because of her husband’s government job, lived in many different U.S. cities. Having lived in Texas 38 years, she claims it as home and appreciates the many opportunities and advantages that the Lone Star State provides.
Martin Ramirez is a brisket-eating, Shiner-loving, road-tripping enthusiast of all things Texas. This Dallas-born writer / adventurer is ready to take his ‘78 El Camino to find the best in food, fun, and fitness throughout the Lone Star State.
