F E S T I V A L FESTIVAL S E A S O N SEASON

A ROUND-UP OF FALL FESTIVALS TO ENJOY AS THE TEMPS COOL DOWN

BY: ALEXA RODRIGUEZ PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY: DEBBIE NOBLE

The arrival of fall brings festival season along with it. The cooler temps beckon us outdoors — and what better way to partake in local food, drink, music and art than combining them to be enjoyed alongside your favorite people? Here are some local festivals you won’t want to miss out on this fall.

Tamalada Festival

September 9

John E. Conner Museum

In anticipation and celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Texas A&M University-Kingsville will host the Tamalada Festival to share the family, food and traditions of Hispanic heritage with the Coastal Bend. Enjoy tamale tastings and preparation, entertainment, educational speakers, arts and crafts and more. The public is invited to attend from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the John E. Conner Museum in Kingsville.

Friends of Padre Fall Fiesta

September 30

15820 Park Rd 22

Come out to the Briscoe King Pavillion in Corpus Christi for a fun-filled day to celebrate life on the beach. Enjoy live music, kid’s activities, food, craft beer from local breweries, plenty of vendors, wildlife education and lots of community – all with the shared goal of showing love to the longest barrier island in the world and spreading the word about beach clean-up efforts with Friends of Padre.

Bailando International Dance FesTIval

October 5-7

TAMU-CC Performing Arts Center

This annual festival invites choreographers and dancers to partake in a weekend full of master classes and showcases from talented artists from around the globe. Participants purchase a festival pass which grants them access to the classes and concerts and the public is invited to attend both choreography showcase concerts and the gala concert.

Hummerbird

4th Annual South Texas Food Truck Festival

October 14

601 N. Shoreline Blvd

This year, the South Texas Food Truck Festival is taking the fun to Downtown Corpus Christi with its largest event to date. Stop by the bayfront any time between noon and 10 p.m. for cuisine from 40 different food trucks and a host of family-friendly activities like live music, arts and crafts, a petting zoo, face painting and a kid’s zone. Admission is free.

6th Annual Corpus Christi Vegfest

October 14 Heritage Park

Head to Heritage Park on Oct. 14 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. to celebrate healthy living and eating by way of a plant-based lifestyle. The festival will host engaging speakers, delicious food and other local vendors to celebrate and promote plant-based foods and environmental sustainability.

Celebration

September 14-17

319 Broadway St.

Witness the spectacular hummingbird migration through Rockport with the 35th Annual Hummerbird Celebration. This festival will consist of all things birding in South Texas with boating tours, bus birding trips, shopping, keynote speakers and more. To register for individual events and for a full schedule, visit rockporthummingbird.com.

48th Annual Rockport Fulton Seafair

October 6-8

Rockport Beach

Enjoy food, fun and a celebration by the sea at the 47th Annual Rockport-Fulton Seafair Oct. 6-8. The Rockport-Fulton Seafair is a 3-day sea-themed festival featuring live entertainment, arts and crafts, market vendors, dessert and salsa competitions, crab races, water activities, a boat and car show, cardboard boat races and more. Tickets start at $20 and kids under age 12 get in free.

12th Annual Thomas J. Henry Bark in the Park

October 14

Water’s Edge Park

Pet-parents and the community are invited to Water’s Edge Park for free family-friendly entertainment, a Howl-o-Ween costume contest, pet expo, a kid’s zone and an adoption drive in attempt to raise money and awareness for pet initiatives in the community. The expo benefits Peewee’s Pet Adoption, Gulf Coast Humane Society Mission Pawsible and Shelteramutt.

61st Annual Texas Jazz Festival

October 20-22

Heritage Park

The Texas Jazz Festival is the longest and largest freerunning festival in Texas. The three-day festival will host jazz bands on three different stages, a plethora of delicious cuisine and other offerings from local vendors. This family-friendly event at Heritage Park is free to attend and a perfect festival to celebrate the brink of fall in the Coastal Bend.

9th Annual Port Aransas Wooden Boat Festival

October 20-22

Roberts Point Park

This three-day event exists to celebrate Farley Boat Works and the longstanding tradition of building boats in Port Aransas. Food trucks, flea market vendors and family-friendly activities are to be enjoyed as well as the opportunity to watch four families build different boats from start to finish. Prospective boat builders can attend tutorials and festival-goers can peruse the wooden boat display. Head out to Roberts Point Park from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday for two full days of fun and until 2 p.m. on Sunday for the champagne launch of the completed boats.

9th Annual Surftoberfest

October 21

Chaparral Street

Join in on the fun for the 9th Annual Surftoberfest! This year, Surftoberfest is taking over Chaparral Street for an Oktoberfestthemed party that’s bigger and better than ever. The festival will feature polka bands, plenty of beer, food vendors, steinholding competitions, costume contests and more. The event is free to attend, with food and drinks available for purchase once you arrive.

Sea Turtle Festival

October 21

Brisco King Pavilion

16th Annual Dia De Los Muertos Festival

October 28

Downtown Corpus Christi

The Dia De Los Muertos Festival is bringing life, music and culture to Downtown Corpus Christi for the 16th year. As one of the most popular local festivals, the goal is to celebrate and honor the rich cultural heritage of Mexico and South Texas while educating and uniting our community, drawing tourists to the area and promoting the city. This year, festival goers will enjoy mariachis, ballet folklorico, Latin-influenced rock and pop live music, art exhibitions, community ofrendas at The Ritz, local vendors, food and drink offerings and so much more.

60th Annual Greek Festival

November 5

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church a.m.-4 p.m.

Every year, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church invites the community to partake in an all-day celebration of Greek cuisine and culture. Enjoy gyros, kebabs, spanakopita, baklava and more delicious Greek foods underneath the festival tent with live music and cultural dance presentations. This year, in celebration of its 60th anniversary, the festival will raffle off a brand-new 2023 Nissan Rogue to one lucky winner. For more raffle information and to keep up to date with festival details, follow the Greek Festival of Corpus Christi on Facebook.