East Texans know how to take full advantage of celebrating rural living when the weather starts to cool and people want to get out and soak up the area’s natural beauty and talents. A few highlights are noted here and elsewhere in this publication and find more details in the County Line eMagazine Annual Events and Calendar listings. Also, check the Partners Page with direct links to each community.
September 6-14. Gregg County Fair. Longview. greggcountyfair.com.
September 12-14. Tyler Film Fest. Liberty Hall. tylerfilmfest.com
September 13-14. Paris Balloon and Music Festival. Hot air balloons, live music, marketplace, food trucks, and more. Lamar County Fairgrounds. parisballoonandmusicfestival.com
September 13-14. Old Town Rig Down. Nacogdoches. Big Rig Truck Show featuring the biggest, baddest rigs in the country lined up on the brick streets of Nacogdoches. Also brings food, games, live auction, and live music. visitnacogdoches.org
September 19-21. Black-Eyed Pea Jamboree. Athens. Music, food, and contests. Uncle Fletch Hamburger Cook-off. visitathenstexas.com
September 21. Cotton Patch Challenge Bicycle Rally. Greenville. Bike routes range from 12 to 75 miles with stops, scenic views. cottonpatchchallenge.com
September 27-October 20. State Fair of Texas. Dallas. The oldest state fair in America, featuring food, carnival rides, livestock shows, concerts, and more. The Art Deco buildings were built in 1936, housing exhibits, museums, and entertainment. bigtex.com
September 20-29. East Texas State Fair. Tyler. Attractions, food, entertainment, and livestock. The Park of East Texas. etstatefair.com
October 4-November 3. Great Harvest Farm’s Pumpkin Patch and Fall Festival. Montalba. Open Friday-Sunday, this transformed 1800s farm offers an array of activities for all ages including a two and a half-acre hay maze, a corn pit, pumpkin painting station, potato gun, and hay slide. visitpalestine.com
October 5. Indian Summer Days and Dutch Oven Cook-Off. Sulphur Springs. Native American dancers, music, candle making, quilt show, butter curing, soap making, blacksmithing and gristmill operation. Dutch oven cooking contest. Heritage Park. hopkinscountymuseum.org
October 5. Rib Rub Run & Roll. Rockwall. Barbecue cooking competition with live music, 5K run, and more. Harry Myers Park. rockwall.com/parks
October 5. Great Pumpkin Roll. Longview. Participants of all ages roll pumpkins down a hill to win up to $500 in prizes. The cost is $2 per roll and a limited supply of pumpkins are available for purchase. In past years pumpkins have rolled up to two city blocks. The festival also features a maze, outdoor games, and vendors, food trucks, and a pumpkin pie eating contest. visitlongviewtexas.com/pumpkin
October 5-27. Autumn Trails. Winnsboro. A full month of scheduled activities take place with self-guided driving tours of the beautiful fall foliage surrounding Winnsboro. Events include car parades; horse and wagon trails; contests for pets, beards, pies, cakes, chili, and hot pepper eating; beauty pageant, live music, trade days, arts and crafts, and mule rodeo. winnsboroautumntrails.com
October 9-26. Hopkins County Fall Festival. Sulphur Springs. Parade, crafts show, kids zone, carnival, exhibits, and hay bale contest. Hopkins County Regional Civic Center. visitsulphurspringstx.org
October 11-13 and 18-20. The 39 Steps. Palestine. A twist on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film takes the original story and cranks up the humor. thetexastheater.com
October 12. Fire Ant Festival. Marshall. One of America’s most unusual festivals, entertainment includes a Diaper Derby, Chicken Chunking contest, FireAnt Calling contest, as well as Tour De FireAnt bike ride, scavenger hunt and dozens of vendors. marshalltexas.com/fireant-festival
October 16-19. East Texas Yamboree. Gilmer. Queen’s coronation, carnival, parades, live music, barn dance, car show, fiddler’s contest, exhibits, livestock show and sale, arts and crafts. yamboree.com
October 19. Hot Pepper Festival. Palestine. Features a parade, food and merchandise vendors, and a hot pepper eating contest. Downtown Palestine. visitpalestine.com
October 19. Harvest Cotton Festival. Corsicana. visitcorsicana.com
October 19. Tobaccodoches Cigar Festival. Nacog-doches. Featuring pipe vendor and nine renowned cigar vendors, live music, food and drinks. Nacogdoches Cigar Co. visitnacogdoches.com
October 19. The Reserve at Montalba Music Festival. Features performances by Riley Thompson, the Shelby Ballenger Band, Hotel Drifters Band, Luke LaPrade Band, and Curtis Grimes. Food vendors on site. Small coolers welcome and lawn chairs. Tickets $50. visitpalestine.com
October 22-26. Sweet Potato Festival. Golden. Celebrating the sweet potato harvest in the Sweet Potato Capital of the World with activities benefiting local charities. goldensweetpotatofestival.org
October 25-26. Fall Feral Hog Festival. Ben Wheeler. The official Wild Hog Capital of Texas with a hog queen’s pageant, parade, live music, cook-off, kids zone, pig races, hog calling contest, and more. FB/FallFeralHogFestival
October 26. World Champion Hopkins County Stew Contest. Sulphur Springs. Teams compete in a campsite atmosphere with gingham, denim, and calico-clad men and women stirring simmering pots and stoking glowing campfires. Buford Park. sulphursprings-tx.com
October 26. Totally Unleashed Masquerade Gala. Tyler. Live and silent auctions, music, dinner, drinks, and games. Benefits Therapet, which promotes health, hope, and healing through their pet programs. W.T. Brookshire Conference Center. therapet.org/unleashed
October 26. Crossroads of Texas Country Festival. Waxahachie. Longtime host of Texas Country Reporter Bob Phillips along with his wife Kelli, host this annual festival spotlighting ordinary people doing extraordinary things in Texas. texascountryfestival.com