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Fall Festivals
Best time of the year
CELEBRATING FALL West U Parks and Recreation will host its Full Moon Festival at Colonial Park Oct. 18, with pumpkin decorating, face painting and costume contests.
Cooler fall temperatures means we can comfortably venture outdoors these days. Here are some ideas for how to spend your fall weekends.
Oct. 3-6; hours vary
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 3511 Yoakum Blvd.
Opa! The 53rd Houston Greek Festival includes live music, dance, authentic cuisine and imported gifts and jewelry.
Admission: $5; free 12 and younger
Oct. 3-6; hours vary
Station Theater, 1230 Houston Ave.
Ten shows over four days, with more than 120 comedians performing. Headliners: Vanessa Gonzalez and White Women.
Oct 5; noon-10 p.m.
Water Works Park at Buffalo Bayou, 105 Sabine
Cheers to the fall season with a limbo contest, salsa contest and bands. Ages 21 and up.
Admission: starting at $8
Oct. 5; 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney St.
Get a taste of Korean culture with food, traditional and modern performances, crafts and games.
Admission: Free
Oct. 10-13; hours vary
University of St. Thomas, 3800 Montrose Blvd.
The Italian Cultural and Community Center presents the 41st Houston Italian Festival. Bingo, wine, music, pasta-eating contest.
Admission: $6; free on Thursday and on Friday until 4 p.m.
Oct. 12; 6-10 p.m.
Bellaire-Zindler Park, 7008 5th St., Bellaire
Celebrate Diwali – the annual festival of lights and the new year celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists – with Indian food, classical and Bollywood dance performances and vendor booths.
Admission: $40; children $20. Price includes dinner, entertainment and henna.
Oct. 12-13; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Downtown Houston, 901 Bagby St.
Art, music, food and a Children’s Creative Zone at this festival benefitting local nonprofits.
Admission: $10-16; $5 for children 6-12
Full Moon Festival at Colonial Park
Oct. 18, 5:30-7 p.m.
Colonial Park, 4130 Byron St.
Get in the fall spirit with West U Parks and Recreation’s annual Full Moon Festival. Pumpkin decorating, face painting and costume contests.
Admission: Free
Oct. 18, 6 p.m.; Oct. 19, 4 p.m.
Sam Houston Race Park, 7575 North Sam Houston Pkwy W.
The ZiegenBock Music Festival returns to Sam Houston Race Park for the 17th year. Headliners: Aaron Watson and Josh Abbott Band.
Admission: $20
Nature Discovery Center’s Pumpkin Patch Festival
Oct. 19-20; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Nature Discovery Center, 7112 Newcastle St., Bellaire
Pumpkins, games, horse-drawn wagons, food trucks, bounce house, obstacle course and more at this family-friendly festival.
Admission: Free
9th Annual Houston Halloween Festival
Oct. 19; 5-10 p.m.
200-300 blocks of 19th St.
Celebrate Halloween with entertainment, food trucks, art vendors, a “blood splatter zone,” a kids’ costume contest and more. Proceeds go to Too Ghoul for School Education fund.
Admission: $10; children 11 and under free with ticketed adult
FALL FUN The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center hosts its ArBOOretum festival Oct. 19, with pony rides, pumpkin decorating, a Trick-or-Treat Nature Trail and more. (Photo: Ethelyn Kuldell)
Oct. 19; 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, 4501 Woodway Dr.
Wear your costumes and enjoy pumpkin decorating, a trick-or-treat nature trail, train rides, a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, food trucks, Halloween market and spooky science show.
Admission: Free for members; nonmembers $15-20; kids under 3 free
Water Lantern Festival Houston
Oct. 19; 4-10 p.m.
Magnolia Garden Houston, 12044 Beach St.
Design your own lantern and launch it to float on the water. This family-friendly festival includes food trucks and music.
Admission: $40, or $30 in advance
Oct. 19-20; 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m. (last entry at 3 p.m.)
Ellington Airport/Lone Star Flight Museum, 11551 Aerospace Ave.
Take in the sights and sounds of military aircraft. Headliner performers are the U.S.A.F. Thunderbirds and Royal Canadian Air Force. Displays of modern aircraft. Meet aviation and military legends and heroes.
Admission: $30
PUMPKIN SEASON Kids are invited to wear Halloween costumes and hunt for toys and candy at the Bellaire Great Lawn Oct. 24. (Photo: Dee Zunker Photography)
Oct. 24, 4-5:30 p.m.
Bellaire Great Lawn, 7008 S. Rice Ave., Bellaire
Kids ages 10 and under are invited to dress in Halloween costumes and hunt for toys and candy. Grand prize for each age group (0-4 and 5-10). The hunt begins at 4:30 p.m.
Admission: Free
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays in October, plus Oct. 29-31; hours vary
1500 Elton St.
Haunted house and festival, with zombie paintball, live concerts and carnival games.
Admission: $40
Oct. 26-27, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Discovery Green, downtown, 1500 McKinney St.
Featuring 75 U.S. artists. Shop for paintings, sculpture, photography and jewelry at this fine art and contemporary art market. Crafts and activities.
Admission: Free
Oct. 25, 6-10 p.m.
Discovery Green, downtown, 1500 McKinney St.
Wear your Halloween costume and head to Discovery Green for a costume contest and celebration with games, a movie, living statues, fortune tellers, a sing-along, music and more.
Admission: Free
Houston Grilled Cheese Festival
Nov. 9, 12:30-7:30 p.m.
Midtown Park, 2811 Travis St.
If grilled cheese is your favorite food, you will enjoy this event. Samplings of grilled cheese and an open bar. Ages 21 and up.
Admission: $49-85
Worth the drive
Oct. 5-Dec. 1 on Saturdays, Sundays and Thanksgiving Friday; 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
21778 FM 1774, Todd Mission
Travel back in time with performances, shopping and feasting. Themed weekends include Oktoberfest (Oct. 5-6), 1001 Dreams (fairies and fanciful creatures, Oct. 12-13), Pirate Adventure (Oct. 19-20), All Hallow’s Eve (Oct 26-27), Return to the Renaissance (Nov. 2-3), Heroes and Villains (Nov. 9-10), Barbarian Invasion (Nov. 16-17), Highland Fling (Nov. 23-24) and Celtic Christmas (Nov. 29-Dec. 1).
Admission: $23.95; $11.95 kids 5-11
HEADING TO ACL The Austin City Limits Music Festival takes over Austin the first two weekends in October; headliners this year include Guns N’ Roses, The Cure, Billie Eilish and Cardi B. (Photo: Sara Marjorie Strick)
Austin City Limits Music Festival
Oct. 4-6 and Oct. 11-13
Zilker Park, 2100 Barton Springs Road, Austin
A two-weekend music festival. Headliners include Guns N’ Roses, Mumford & Sons, Childish Gambino, The Cure, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Tame Impala, Robyn and Megan Thee Stallion. See complete lineup online.
Admission: $105 and up
Through Nov. 10, Saturdays and Sundays; hours vary
Dewberry Farm, FM 362 & Morrison Road, Brookshire
Corn maze, pumpkins to pick, live entertainment, fireworks show, biergarten and more.
Admission: $31.82
Weekends in October; hours vary
Kemah Boardwalk, 215 Kipp Ave., Kemah
Get in the Halloween spirit on Freaky Fridays, Spooky Saturdays and Scary Sundays on Kemah Boardwalk. Haunted house, fun house, Witches Night Out, costume contest.
Admission: Fees for rides and food.
Oct 12, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Bicentennial Park, 1001 Market St., Baytown
Celebrate fall with carnival rides, games, a petting zoo and more.
Admission: Free
38th Annual Island Oktoberfest
Oct. 25-26; hours vary
First Lutheran Church, 2415 Winnie St., Galveston
Live entertainment in the Oktoberfest spirit, with folk dancing, German food and libations, arts and crafts, children’s activities and more.
Admission: Free
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