Hill Country Events: October and November 2026
The first cool snap is here, and the Hill Country calendar is as full as it gets between now and the holidays. I went back through the community calendars again this week so this guide reflects the dates as they stand today. From the festivals in San Marcos and Wimberley to the music weekends in New Braunfels and the big city celebrations in San Antonio, there is a reason to be out in every one of these communities over the next several weeks.
A quick note on the earlier event guides on this blog: they stay up as an archive of the season so far, and the guide from mid-September covers the Comal County Fair, Wimberley Market Days, and the early dance hall shows. The guide you are reading now is the one to bookmark, with the newest dates, locations, and official links as of today.
Between the powwow in San Marcos, the arts weekends in Wimberley, the wine festival in Gruene, and the river of lights, music, and fireworks in San Antonio, the next month and a half shows the Hill Country at its most social. That is the rhythm people move here for, and it is the rhythm I help clients find every day.
Sacred Springs Powwow
The 16th annual Sacred Springs Powwow brings native dance, art, storytelling, and food to the headwaters of the San Marcos River at The Meadows Center. It is a meaningful, family friendly weekend that honors the springs that gave the town its name, and it draws dancers and artists from across the region. For anyone scouting San Marcos as a place to live, it is a warm introduction to a community that stays connected to its land and its history.
More DetailsGruene Music and Wine Festival
The 40th annual Gruene Music and Wine Festival fills the historic Gruene district with four days of Texas music, wine, and beer, with headliners including Robert Earl Keen and Shane Smith and the Saints. It benefits the United Way of Comal County, so every ticket does some good. The whole district, with Gruene Hall and the river just steps away, becomes one long festival weekend, and it is one of the friendliest gatherings on the New Braunfels calendar.
More DetailsWimberley Arts Fest
The Wimberley Arts Fest is a juried fine arts festival in the heart of downtown, with painters, sculptors, jewelers, and other working artists, plus live music and food. It is the kind of weekend that reminds you why Wimberley has long drawn creative people, and it is an easy, unhurried way to walk the town and meet the community. For relocating buyers, one afternoon here tells you a lot about the character you would be settling into.
More DetailsBoo! Hole Halloween at Blue Hole
Blue Hole Regional Park turns festive for a family Halloween evening with trick-or-treating, carnival games, live music, costumes, a haunted trail, and s'mores under the oaks. Admission is free, which makes it a favorite for young families and a good reminder that Wimberley knows how to do community fun without a lot of fuss. It is a relaxed way for families scouting the area to spend an October evening.
More DetailsDiwaliSA
DiwaliSA is billed as the largest city-sanctioned Diwali festival in the country, and it fills the River Walk and Hemisfair with a river parade, music and dance, South Asian food, vendors, and fireworks. It is free, warm, and welcoming, and it is a wonderful evening that brings a whole community together in downtown San Antonio. For anyone weighing the San Antonio side of the Hill Country, it is a bright introduction to the city's diversity.
More DetailsWimberley Film Festival
The third annual Wimberley Film Festival screens Texas-made short films with live music woven through the day, presented by Wimberley Parks and Recreation. It is a small, hometown take on film that fits the town's creative spirit, and it gives locals and visitors alike a reason to gather in the slow season before the holidays. If you are curious about what keeps Wimberley artists coming back, this is a good place to see it.
More DetailsLuminaria Contemporary Arts Festival
Luminaria turns a stretch of downtown San Antonio into an open air gallery for one night, with live music, film, dance, digital art, theater, and monumental installations from more than fifty artists. Admission is free, and the whole event is designed to be walked at your own pace. It is one of the most distinctive nights on the San Antonio calendar, and it is an easy drive from the lake country if you want a city evening without the city pace.
More DetailsDowntown Lighting and Santa's Arrival
New Braunfels flips the switch on thousands of downtown lights at Main Plaza, with a countdown, music, and Santa arriving to greet the crowd. It is free and family friendly, and it officially starts the holiday season in town. With Wurstfest just wrapped and the calendar cooling off, it is the signal that the most festive weeks of the year are here, and it is a lovely evening for anyone thinking about settling in New Braunfels.
More DetailsWishes for Wimberley Lighted Parade and Toy Drive
The Wishes for Wimberley Lighted Parade brings floats, classic cars, marching bands, and Santa down the streets of downtown Wimberley, with a toy drive and a tree lighting that follows in the Christmas Courtyard. It is the town's big holiday kickoff, and the whole square glows afterward with hot cocoa and neighbors catching up. For families and retirees, it is a warm picture of the community you would call home.
More DetailsCanyon Lake Christmas Parades
Canyon Lake closes out the season with a pair of holiday parades: the Toy Drive and Christmas Parade with its signature decorated golf carts rolling down Canyon Lake Drive to Eastport Park, and the long-running Noon Lions Christmas Parade along FM 2673 in Sattler. Both are free, family friendly, and packed with neighbors, food vendors, and Santa. There is no better way to see what lake community life is really about than a December afternoon on the parade route.
More DetailsPlanning the Weeks Across the Hill Country
A few notes from my years around here that might help you plan the season:
- San Marcos opens October with the powwow. The Sacred Springs Powwow runs October 3 and 4 at the headwaters, and the weekly farmers market on the downtown square keeps running every Saturday through mid-December.
- Gruene makes a long festival weekend of it. The Gruene Music and Wine Festival runs October 8 through 11 in the historic district, right around the same stretch as the music at Gruene Hall. Book lodging and tickets early, because it fills.
- Wimberley is an arts town in October. The Wimberley Arts Fest takes over downtown October 17 and 18, then Boo! Hole brings a free family Halloween to Blue Hole on the 24th.
- San Antonio shines in November. DiwaliSA fills the River Walk and Hemisfair on November 7, and Luminaria turns Houston Street into an outdoor gallery on November 14. Both are free and worth the drive from the lake country.
- The holidays start before Thanksgiving. New Braunfels lights up Main Plaza on November 20, Wimberley's Lighted Parade follows on November 28, and Canyon Lake's parades close out the season in December.
“When someone asks me what it is like to live in the Hill Country, I tell them to come out for a season like this one. Every weekend there is a different reason to be outside, a different town to walk, and a different group of neighbors to meet. There is no better time of year to see what these communities are really about.”
Steve Giannone
If you are thinking about a move to any of these communities, pick two events and go. You will learn more about a town in an afternoon than any listing page can teach you. And whenever you want, I am happy to answer questions about the neighborhoods around any of them.
Thinking about a move to the Hill Country? Let us talk.