Texas Highways – September 2019

98 texashighways.com

Nature &

Outdoors

NORTH TEXAS / PANHANDLE

Abilene

Big Country Balloon Festival

Sept. 27-29

The 25th annual event includes

hot air balloons, live entertain-

ment, children’s games and inflat-

able rides, vendors, and a balloon

glow on Friday and Saturday

nights. Red Bud Park, 3125 S. 32nd

St. abilenevisitors.com/calendar

Dallas

Dino Fest

Aug. 31-Sept. 1

Activities invade all five levels of

the museum, from fossil hunts and

dissections to dinosaur dig pits,

T. rex sports challenges, paleo

demonstrations, live music, and

art activities. Perot Museum of

Nature and Science, 2201 N Field St.

214-428-5555; perotmuseum.org

McKinney

Dinosaurs Live!

Aug. 31-Feb. 17

Encounter the 46-foot tall T. rex

and nine new life-size animatronic

dinosaurs along the nature trails at

the 14th annual exhibit. This year,

experience an outdoor fossil dig.

Heard Natural Science Museum and

Wildlife Sanctuary, 1 Nature Place.

972-562-5566; heardmuseum.org

Plano

Plano Balloon Festival

Sept. 20-22

This year marks 40 years of bal-

looning in Plano. The event offers

live music and entertainment, a

parachute team exhibition, a kids

fun zone, food, merchandise and

handmade products, and more

than 40 hot air balloons. Oak Point

Park & Nature Preserve, 2801 E.

Spring Creek Parkway. 972-867-

7566; planoballoonfest.org

SOUTH TEXAS / GULF COAST

Lake Jackson

Xtreme Hummingbird

Xtravaganza

Sept. 14, 21

Watch thumb-size hummers dart

in and out of nectar-producing

flowers, or spy them sipping

nectar at feeders hanging from

tree limbs and building awnings.

See a bird-bander hold a tiny

hummingbird while taking mea-

surements and clamping a thin,

number-coded band on one of its

teensy-weensy legs. Gulf Coast

Bird Observatory, 299 SH 332.

979-480-0999; gcbo.org

Rockport-Fulton

HummerBird Celebration

Sept. 19-22

The 31st annual event has

workshops, bus and boat tours,

exhibits, bird banding, and lectures

presented by world-renowned

experts. Various locations. 361-729-

6445; rockporthummingbird.com

Sports

CENTRAL TEXAS

San Marcos

Texas Junior Water Safari

Sept. 21

This 16-mile water adventure lets

canoeists and kayakers test their

skills, gain experience in the water,

and prepare for the big Texas Wa-

ter Safari in June. San Marcos City

Park, 170 Charles Austin Drive. 512-

738-6607; texaswatersafari.org

NORTH TEXAS / PANHANDLE

The Colony

Red Bull Soapbox Race

Sept. 28

This international event chal-

lenges both experienced racers

and amateurs alike to design and

build outrageous soapbox dream

machines and compete against

the clock in a downhill race. Red

Bull has held more than 100 soap-

box races around the world since

the first one in Brussels in 2000.

Austin Ranch, Windhaven Parkway.

972-624-5253

Dumas

Texas Tumbleweed 100 Bike Ride

Sept. 28

Cyclists descend upon Dumas,

located 50 miles north of Amarillo,

every September to experience

beautiful High Plains terrain.

Routes include 12-, 35-, 67.2-, and

100-mile options. McDade Park,

14th and Durrett streets. 806-935-

4136; txtumbleweed100.com

Frisco

National Soccer Hall of Fame

Induction Weekend

Sept. 21

Celebrate the 2019 National

Soccer Hall of Fame induction

class with events and concerts by

OneRepublic and The Fray. Toyota

Stadium, 9200 World Cup Way.

972-292-5266; visitfrisco.com

Garland

Garland Guzzler 0.5K Race

Sept. 28

That’s no typo, this is a .5K, which

is only 546 yards, 500 meters,

or 1,638 feet—perfect for couch

potatoes or those too busy to

train. This year’s race includes

Oktoberfest-themed festivities

such as games, food, and live mu-

sic. The event is dog-friendly, so

bring your pup in costume to help

you dash across the finish line.

Downtown Garland Square, 520 W.

State St. 972-205-3896

EAST TEXAS

Palestine

El Camino: The Texas Gravel

Adventure Bike Ride

Sept. 28

There are three distances to this

ride: 35, 65, and 105 miles. Rural

roads are paved near towns so

the longer the ride, the more

dirt and gravel you encounter.

All rides are loops, offering

constantly changing scenery,

challenges, and varied terrain.

Oxbow Bakery, 301 E. Crawford St.

903-594-8200; camino205.com

WEST TEXAS

Fort Davis

Cyclefest

Sept. 21-22

This scenic bike tour has beautiful

vistas, easy novice routes, and

challenging hills. There are three

distance routes: 25, 55, and 75

miles. Prude Ranch, 201 Prude

Guest Ranch Road. 432-426-3015;

active.com/fort-davis-tx/cycling/

fort-davis-cyclefest-2019

(^) Rodeos &
Fairs
CENTRAL TEXAS
Bandera
Bandera Roundup
Aug. 30-Sept. 1
Bandera honors its cowboy and
Western heritage with a Longhorn
Cattle Drive Parade on Saturday,
arts and crafts, music, gunfight
reenactments, and a ranch rodeo.
EVENTS | SEPTEMBER 2019
Experience Oktoberfest, Dinosaurs
Live, Home for the Holidays and
more in McKinney this fall.
VisitMcKinney.com/THfall
TEXAS