While there are plenty of fun events coming up in Dallas, we also feel like there are festivals across Texas that are worth taking a day trip for. Who knows? Maybe the grass is greener (or should we say, browner and crunchier) somewhere else.
Here are 15 Oktoberfest and fall festivals around or within reasonable driving distance of Dallas.
Dallas Moon Festival
Sept. 6, 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.8015 Doran Circle, Flag Pole Hill Park The Dallas Moon Festival, which is celebrating its second year, is inspired by the mid-autumn moon festivals that are common across Asian cultures. Traditionally, these events have honored the harvest season and the gathering of families and communities and this local iteration aims to do the same with food, art and live performances that represent the full scope of Asian culture in the city. Food trucks and stands will serve food and drink from across the continent, from tea to street food to desserts, and live entertainment will include traditional dance and martial arts demonstrations. Entry is free. More information can be found on Eventbrite.
Addison Oktoberfest
Sept. 18–214970 Addison Circle, AddisonThe city of Addison kicks off fall with a massive Oktoberfest celebration. Addison Oktoberfest has been dazzling attendees for over 35 years with live polka bands and a wide selection of food, ranging from traditional German fare like schnitzels and bratwurst to more standard fair bites like corn dogs and fried turkey legs. There will also be plenty of themed games to get involved with, like Bier Bingo, Bier Barrel Rolling and, for the ladies with big hands and ample serving experience, Bier Maiden Stein Carrying. More information is on the Addison Oktoberfest website.
Garland Guzzler and Fall Fest
Sept. 20, 5–10 p.m.300 N. Fifth St., Garland If you’re looking to get ahead of that holiday weight, this is the 5K for you. After embarking on a run (or stroll) through downtown Garland, participants will be rewarded with event swag and a party at Intrinsic Smokehouse and Brewery. Then head over to Garland's Fall Fest on the Square, which includes a pumpkin patch, live entertainment and games. Registration for the 5K is $35 and must be completed ahead of time on the event website. The Fall Fest is free.
Pumpkins & Pints Night, Dallas Arboretum
Sept. 22, 24 26 and 29, Oct. 6, 8, 25 and 25, 6–9 p.m.8525 Garland Road Hopefully, we’ll be getting some cool fall weather any day now, and we can’t think of a better place to spend those crisp evenings than the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. The garden’s Pumpkins & Pints Nights, held in the sprawling pumpkin village with its 110,000 inhabitants, will offer live music and craft beers and wines from Gil’s Elegant Catering. Admission starts at $21.95 and can be purchased on the Arboretum website.
Fort Worth Oktoberfest
Sept. 25–272401 University Drive, Fort WorthIn addition to dachshund races, barrel rolling, carnival rides, a 5K and live music from 50 (FIFTY!) polka bands, Fort Worth Oktoberfest, a Munich-style celebration located in Trinity Park, will have all of the fair food you could want and then some: sausage, pretzels, cotton candy and seasonal craft beer. More ambitious eaters can sign up for the brat-eating contest. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased on the Fort Worth Oktoberfest website.
Legacy Hall Oktoberfest
Sept. 27, noon – 6 p.m.7800 Windrose Ave., PlanoLegacy Hall, a food hall and live music venue in Plano, is encouraging guests to throw on their lederhosen and help them “bring Oktoberfest to the ‘burbs.” There will be autumnal photo opps and pop-up vendors, live polka and country music, a costume contest and, of course, enough bratwurst, pretzels and beer to send you into a coma. Tickets start at $15.26 and can be found on Eventbrite.
Oktoberfest Dallas
Sept. 27, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.8100 Doran CircleLocated at Flag Pole Hill Park in Lake Highlands, this Oktoberfest is going big with food selections from some favorite local vendors. Pizza will be served by Cane Rosso, burgers will come courtesy of Burger Schmurger and Aw Shucks has the seafood locked down. Oak Highland Brewery and Vector Brewing will be there, too. There’ll be bratwurst and beer to go with the live entertainment, including Red, a Taylor Swift tribute act, and Superfreak, a disco cover band. Tickets are $25 for adults and $12 for kids. Kids under four get in free of charge. More information can be found on the event’s website.
Frisco Oktoberfest
Oct. 4, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.1 Cowboys Way, FriscoThe Star in Frisco, the Dallas Cowboys training facility, will transform into a giant biergarten for the annual Oktoberfest celebration on Oct. 5. Look for elk brats, German sausages, Bavarian pretzels, skillet potatoes and turkey legs, among other festival foods. Activities include keg rolling, a brat-eating contest and a beer-stein race. The event is free to attend and activities are $25 each to participate.
Murphy Maize Days
Oct. 4, noon – 9 p.m.550 N. Murphy Road, MurphyCorn is a staple of fall and is incorporated into just about every festival’s food selection, but nobody’s serving up corn like Murphy, a suburb in Collin County. You can eat the corn. You can get lost in a corn maze. You can participate in a cornhole tournament. If you have kids who might think all of this is a little too corny, they can hang out at the Primrose Playground for toddlers or the silent disco for teens 13 and up. More information can be found on the Murphy Maize Days website.
Texas Mushroom Festival
Oct. 18, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.Downtown MadisonvilleWhen we talk about fall flavors, the conversation is usually dominated by pumpkin spice, apples and caramel. But have you considered the humble mushroom? Madisonville, a town about two hours south of Dallas known as “The Mushroom Capital of Texas,” certainly has. Their annual festival is, in their own words, “a celebration of fungi, [...] a testament to community spirit, agricultural innovation and the incredible potential of sustainable farming.” Attendees will enjoy a mushroom market, art and photography contests, a silent auction and a chance to participate in the Shiitake 5k. More information can be found on the event’s website.
Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival
Oct. 21–26126 W. Main St., Fredericksburg This is the place to be for foodies and wine snobs this fall. Located in Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country, the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival event will offer culinary demonstrations, food and beverage tastings and a wide selection of wine, beer and liquor as well as demos on how to pair them. You’ll walk away armed with the knowledge necessary to throw the most enviable dinner party your friends have ever seen. Early bird badges have already sold out, but further updates will be on the event website.
Silobration
Oct. 23–25601 Webster Ave., WacoThis homecoming event, hosted by Chip and Joanna Gaines of HGTV fame, is the party of your Gen X mom’s dreams. In addition to shopping for home decor, apparel and art, attendees can enjoy live music and eat at various on-site food trucks. There are also plenty of year-round attractions for Gaines enthusiasts to check out, including sit-down restaurants, hotels, tours of their properties, and several weeks' worth of furniture shopping. The event itself is free to attend, but you'll need tickets to attend special events like concerts.
Wurstfest
Nov. 6–16178 Landa Park Drive, New BraunfelsLocated in New Braunfels, about four hours south of Dallas, this 10-day festival offers only the best of the wurst. Dozens of vendors throughout the festival will serve traditional Bavarian and Alpine food and beer to the sweet, sweet sounds of live polka music. Many of the food vendors are local organizations; can't wait to see what the Noon Lions Club and the Comal County Senior Citizens Center cook up (and we're not being sarcastic here). Visit the website for a list of each day's concerts, which include a fair amount of yodeling. Entry on some days is free (like Monday – Thursday) and $18 and up on weekends. Children under 12 are always admitted for free. Entry costs more at the door, so plan ahead if you can.
