Summer is coming to an end, which means festival season is right around the corner. From inaugural music festivals and grape stomping to one of the biggest state fairs in the country, fall is when Cowtown thrives.
Get ready to get outside with these 13 festivals happening in September and October.
🎨 Art + culture
The Longhorn Film Festival | Farr Best Theater, Mansfield
Happening Saturday, Sept. 2, the 6th annual film festival will bring filmmakers from around the world to North Texas to celebrate both feature-length and short films made on a budget.
¡Celebramos! | Fort Worth Botanic Garden
The festival will celebrate Latin American culture and heritage from Friday, Sept. 15 to Sunday, Oct. 15 with live performances, exhibitions, food, and shopping experiences.
Otsukimi Festival | The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
The Modern by Moonlight Otsukimi Festival will coordinate with the Harvest Moon on the evening of Saturday, Sept. 16. Enjoy Japanese-inspired food and drinks, special exhibitions, and a drumming performance by Dondoko Taiko.
Tarrant County Harambee Festival | William M. McDonald YMCA and surrounding areas
Harambee, a Swahili word meaning “all pull together,” will feature two days of fun-filled events starting with a Chicken & Seafood Blues Fest on Friday, Oct. 6. The family-friendly celebration will include food, street dancing, poetry, local vendors, live music, and cultural awareness.
Art Worth | Will Rogers Memorial Center Lawn
The 2nd annual art festival will take place Friday, Oct. 20-Sunday, Oct. 22 with an impressive collection of cultural resources, juried art, food, libations, and live music.
ArtsGoggle | Near Southside
The free, family-friendly art festival will return on Saturday, Oct. 21 on Magnolia Avenue with 750+ artists, 20 bands, artistic displays + food vendors.
🎶 Music
Bedford Beats and Eats Fest | Generations Park at Boys Ranch, Bedford
Jumpstart the Labor Day holiday with this free music festival on Saturday, Sept. 2 with special guests Jobs Abbott Band and Stoney LaRue. Guests can expect food trucks, a Time Machine Car Show, and a kid’s zone.
Shaq’s All-Stars Festival | Panther Island Pavilion
NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal will debut his inaugural electronic music festival on Saturday, Sept. 16 with 15 entertainers across two stages. The curated lineup includes Alison Wonderland, Kai Wachi, Sullivan King, Crankdat, Jantsen, Layz, Emorfik, and Hairitage, to name a few.
Hwy 30 Music Fest | Texas Motor Speedway
The inaugural Fort Worth series will run Thursday, Oct. 19-Monday, Oct. 23 with artists from several genres including country, Americana, rock, and red dirt. Some of the biggest headliners include Granger Smith, Koe Wetzel, and Aaron Lewis.
🍽️ Food + drink
Grapefest | Historic downtown, Grapevine
The four-day event spanning Thursday, Sept. 14-Sunday, Sept. 17 is the largest wine festival in the Southwest. Guests can enjoy the award-winning tasting rooms on Grapevine’s Urban Wine Trail, a charcuterie board workshop, live music performances, and a KidZone entertainment area.
Oktoberfest | Trinity Park
Celebrate German culture during the three-day festival beginning Thursday, Sept. 21 with German beer, Bavarian food, shopping, family-friendly entertainment, and the highly-anticipated Dachshund Dash.
State Fair of Texas | Fair Park, Dallas
Known to be the longest-running fair in the nation, this year’s festival will run from Friday, Sept. 29 to Sunday, Oct. 22. Guests can expect new attractions like circus acts, fried food delicacies, butter sculptures, thrilling rides, and so much more.
Q BBQ Fest | AT&T Stadium, Arlington
Happening Saturday, Oct. 7 + Sunday, Oct. 8, guests can chow down on delicious barbecue cooked by 12 world-class and award-winning pitmasters, live music, a rib-eating contest, and live cooking demonstrations.