Texas Highways – September 2019

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Waco

Heart of Texas Wine and

Food Festival

Sept. 21

This festival is the major fun-

draiser of the Humane Society

of Central Texas. Patrons may

taste more than 200 wines and

sample food from more than 30

restaurants. Event activities in-

clude live entertainment, a large

silent auction, and the famous

“Cork Pull.” McLane Stadium,

1001 S. M.L.K. Jr. Blvd. 254-754-

1454; wacowinefestival.com

NORTH TEXAS / PANHANDLE

Amarillo

Good Times Celebration

Barbecue Cookoff

Sept. 12

The cookoff brings together more

than 100 cooking teams with thou-

sands of barbecue fans. Amarillo

Chamber of Commerce Grounds,

1000 S. Polk St. 806-373-7800

Dallas

Chocolate Festival

Sept. 6-8

The 10th annual festival brings in

more than 60 chocolate makers

and chocolatiers from around the

world for 3,000 attendees to learn,

taste, shop, and experience the

artistry and craftsmanship of qual-

ity chocolate. The expo on Saturday

and Sunday features samples,

shopping, demonstrations, a kids’

area, and food trucks. Hands-on

workshops, including guided tast-

ings and chocolate-making classes,

are also available. Fashion Industry

Gallery, 1807 Ross Ave. 214-559-

0122; dallaschocolate.org

Grapevine

GrapeFest: A Texas Wine

Experience

Sept. 12-15

The 33rd annual event is the larg-

est wine festival in the Southwest

United States. Various locations.

817-410-3185; grapevinetexasusa

.com/grapefest

SOUTH TEXAS / GULF COAST

Beaumont

Craft Beer Fest

Sept. 14

The fourth annual festival show-

cases Texas and national craft

breweries. Event attendees must

be 21 or older. The Event Centre,

700 Crockett St. 409-838-3435;

discoverbeaumont.com

Galveston

Galveston Island Shrimp Festival

Sept. 27-28

This year’s event features a cookoff,

gumbo tasting, live music, and

a children’s area. Historic Strand

District, Strand and 23rd streets.

galvestonshrimpfestival.com

Houston

Houston Jerk Fest

Sept. 14

Bringing community and culture

together with food, family,

music, and fun, the event centers

around a Caribbean jerk food

cookoff. There are also other

foods, vendors, a kids zone, and

family activities. Don’t miss live

performances by world-renowned

reggae artists. Midtown Park,

2811 Travis St. 832-922-7264;

houstonjerkfestinc.com

Houston

Texas Hot Sauce Festival

Sept. 21-22

This festival celebrates 20 years

of serving hot sauce, salsa,

dips, peppers, marinades, jams,

pickled products, condiments,

and wing sauces. Thousands of

attendees come to sample prod-

ucts from award-winning chefs

and vendors from across the

country. Cool drinks combat the

heat, and live music, a kids area,

and arts and crafts complete the

festival. Bayou City Event Center,

9401 Knight Road. 281-802-2776;

texashotsaucefestival.com

WEST TEXAS

McCamey

Wind Energy Capital of Texas

Cookoff and Festival

Sept. 27-28

This annual event has a barbecue

competition, live music, children’s

activities, vendors, and a cornhole

tournament. There are 46 camp-

sites for competitive cookers.

Santa Fe Park, 604 Santa Fe Road.

432-652-8202; windenergycapital

oftexascookoff.com

History &

Heritage

CENTRAL TEXAS

Fredericksburg

Pacific Combat Living

History Reenactment

Aug. 31-Sept. 1

See equipment and weapons used

during WWII and a battle reenact-

ment set on an island in the Pacific

with flamethrowers, tanks, uni-

formed actors, and more. National

Museum of the Pacific War—Pacific

Combat Zone, 508 E. Austin. 830-

997-8600; pacificwarmuseum.org

Gatesville

Spurfest

Sept. 14

Enjoy old-time demonstrations,

contests, music, a book signing by

author Waylon Corgill, and more

than 6,000 spurs in the Lloyd

Mitchell Spur Collection. Admission

is free. Coryell Museum and Histori-

cal Center, 718 Main St. 254-865-

5007; coryellmuseum.org

Serbin

Texas Wendish Festival

Sept. 22

Learn about the Wendish, who

emigrated to Texas from Lusatia

(part of Germany) in 1854. Enjoy

Wendish Easter-egg decorating,

sauerkraut and noodle making,

vintage machinery, spinning, quilt-

ing, blacksmithing, sausage stuff-

ing, a washer-pitching contest, a

cross-cut saw competition, and

children’s activities. Texas Wendish

Heritage Museum, 1011 CR 212. 979-

366-2441; texaswendish.org

Temple

Homespun History Day

Sept. 7

Step back to a time before modern

machinery and automation. See

how craftspeople create hand-

made works of art and household

goods through traditional methods

like weaving and metalworking.

Temple Railroad and Heritage

Museum, 315 W. Avenue B.

254-298-5172; templerrhm.org

NORTH TEXAS / PANHANDLE

Bonham

Farming Heritage Day

Sept. 21

Learn farming activities such as

how to gin cotton, spin wool, make

corn husk dolls, churn butter, and

milk cows, See farm animals and

antique tractors up-close. Sam

Rayburn House State Historic Site,

890 SH 56 W. 903-583-5558;

samrayburnhousemuseum

Frisco

Shawnee Trail Cowboy Day

Sept. 28

Activities include stagecoach

rides, Old West gunfights,

armadillo races, pony rides, and

a petting zoo. Experience how

EVENTS | SEPTEMBER 2019