Fun Texas Festivals Close to the Crossroads
As we count down the days until one of our favorite festivals, Texas SandFest, makes its way down the coastline to Corpus with a promise to be better than ever, we started talking about our favorite festivals closest to the Crossroads.
Well, those festivals are all right around the corner so we thought we'd get them on a list just for you. Mark your calendars because here come the best festivals in our area!
Texas SandFest begins on April 23rd and if you've never been, this year is the year to go. Celebrating its 16th year, it's just gotten bigger and better every year. What began as a small local competition in 1997 has grown into an internationally recognized three-day family event that draws renowned sand sculptors and tens of thousands of visitors from around the world each year to Port Aransas. Texas SandFest attendees enjoy amazing sand sculptures, food, live music, kids’ activities, and shopping for arts & crafts, apparel, jewelry, furniture, souvenirs, and more.
Rockport Wine Festival will celebrate its 24th annual festival featuring over 75 different types of wines, craft beer, local cuisine, and live music from some of our local favorites, the Staudt Brothers on May 28th. It all happens at the Texas Maritime Museum in Rockport, so it's not just wine, it's beautiful coastal scenery and maritime history too.
Tom-Tom Festival in Yoakum. Get ready to see red June 3rd through 5th. As one of the oldest festivals in Texas, the Tom Tom Festival honors the tomato heritage of Yoakum. This year marks the 93rd annual celebration, and festivities include the Miss Yoakum pageant, a children's parade, the Grand Parade, arts and crafts, a barbecue and bean cookoff, car show, softball, and horseshoe tournaments, and live music all weekend long.
Luling Watermelon Thump is a multi-day festival scheduled this year from June 27th through the 30th. Other highlights of the four-day activities include a carnival, concert/dances, food booths, a beer garden with continuous live entertainment, children’s entertainment, and an exhibitors market. There is seed-spitting and melon eating contests, an auction of the top melons, and an arts and crafts exhibit. Did you know that the Champion watermelons are often sent to celebrities like Johnny Carson?
Now this one is new on our radar, but it's Gonzales Texas' Float Fest July 23rd through the 25th. Cooling festival-goers down in the San Marcos River, Float Fest brings a range of music from indie-pop and electro to hip hop and progressive rock to Texas each summer. Float Fest also attracts a large college-aged audience from the nearby Texas State and the University of Texas. Taking a break from the stages, attendees can bring their own floats to splash around in the summer sun. I mean with the tag line as "Come and Float It' how you possibly say no?
We'd love to hear what your favorite festival in the Crossroads is, so feel free to include your favorite below.
READ MORE: 25 Companies You Might Not Know Are Owned by Disney