April Events in Texas: Best Festivals, Bluebonnets, and Spring Things to Do

April is one of my favorite times to road trip around Texas because it somehow manages to pack in bluebonnets, spring festivals, art events, rodeos, and some of the prettiest weather of the year before summer starts showing off. If you want the full mix of big-ticket festivals, quirky annual events, and a few great free picks, this is the April Texas events guide I would start with.

I rebuilt this guide around official sources for April 2027 whenever those dates are already live. If an organizer has not posted 2027 details yet, I only included events with official pages that clearly show they return every April, so this still works as a real planning guide instead of a random old roundup.

If you want a stricter no-ticket-needed version, head to my free April events in Texas guide too. That one is curated much more heavily for budget-friendly spring outings.

Seasonal Texas Events

Best Spots to See Bluebonnets in Texas: If you are planning an April road trip, this is one of the easiest ways to pair a spring drive with one of the events below.
Where to Pick Flowers in Texas: April is one of the best months for flower season across the state, especially if you want to turn an event weekend into a full spring day trip.
Where to Pick Berries: Some berry farms start opening in late spring, so this is a good extra layer if you are building a family-friendly April itinerary.
Other Texas Festivals: If you want even more statewide festival ideas beyond April, this guide is a good place to keep the inspiration going.

By City

Austin

ABC Kite Fest (Free): This is one of those classic April in Austin events that still feels worth planning around. It is family-friendly, easy to understand at a glance, and such a fun excuse to spend the day outside at Zilker. April 10, 2027
Old Settler’s Music Festival: If your ideal April Texas trip is built around live music and camping instead of a giant city festival, this is such a strong pick. The official festival already has the 2027 dates posted, and it is one of the more established spring music weekends in Central Texas. April 16-18, 2027

Dallas

Dallas Arts Month: If you want a citywide April planning anchor instead of a single one-day event, this is a helpful one. Dallas treats Arts Month as an annual April tradition with exhibits, performances, festivals, and cultural events spread across the city.
Deep Ellum Community Arts Fair (Free): This is one of the better free April events in Dallas if you want something that feels creative and neighborhood-driven instead of overproduced. The fair is positioned as an annual spring weekend built around visual art, music, and local makers. Official 2027 dates not posted yet; the official 2026 fair ran April 3-5.
Dallas Blooms: If your ideal April outing leans more garden-pretty than festival-chaotic, this is such an easy Dallas spring pick. The arboretum treats Dallas Blooms as its annual floral festival, and it runs well into April each year even before the next season’s exact schedule is posted.

Fort Worth

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (Free admission): This is one of the strongest April event anchors in North Texas if you want something big but still easy to enjoy casually. Downtown Fort Worth turns into a huge outdoor arts festival, and the official site already has the 2027 dates posted. April 15-18, 2027

Houston

Houston Art Car Parade (Free to watch): If you have never planned an April Houston trip around this, it is one of the most delightfully weird events in the state. The parade weekend is such a strong Texas-only kind of experience, and the official site already has the 2027 parade date posted. April 10, 2027

San Antonio

Fiesta San Antonio: If you want one of the biggest reasons to visit Texas in April, this is it. Fiesta is really a full citywide season of parades, food, cultural events, and traditions, and the 2027 dates are already live on the official calendar. April 15-25, 2027
Fiesta Fiesta (Free): This is the official kickoff event and one of the easiest Fiesta events to recommend if you want the atmosphere without immediately buying into a more expensive ticketed experience. It is a fun starting point if you want to build a San Antonio weekend around Fiesta season. April 15, 2027
Battle of Flowers Parade: Even people who are not usually parade planners tend to know this one. It is one of Fiesta’s most iconic traditions, and the 2027 official calendar already has it on the lineup. April 23, 2027

Ennis

Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival: This gives the bigger bluebonnet season a more specific event anchor with music, vendors, and downtown energy. It is a nice pick if you want the flowers and an actual festival weekend. Official 2027 dates not posted yet; the official 2026 festival ran April 17-19.

Georgetown

Red Poppy Festival (Free admission): Georgetown in poppy season is already pretty enough to justify the drive, and this festival makes it feel like a full spring event weekend instead of just a quick flower stop. The 2027 dates are already posted on the official site. April 23-25, 2027

Port Aransas

Texas SandFest: If you want an April Texas event that feels unmistakably coastal, this is such a fun one. The official site already has the 2027 dates live, and it turns Port Aransas into a full weekend around sand sculpture competition, beachfront energy, and spring crowds. April 16-18, 2027

Waxahachie

Scarborough Renaissance Festival: If you want a spring Texas weekend that feels more immersive than ordinary, this is such a fun wildcard. The official site already has the full 2027 run posted, and it is one of the biggest themed festival experiences you can plan around in April. April 10-May 31, 2027 on Saturdays, Sundays, and Memorial Day Monday

Poteet

Poteet Strawberry Festival: This is one of the April classics if you want a festival that feels unapologetically Texas and a little old-school in the best way. The official site is already promoting the festival’s 80th annual return, even though the final 2027 schedule is still pending.

Conroe

Montgomery County Fair & Rodeo: If you want a more traditional fair-and-rodeo April weekend, this is a strong one to keep on your radar. The official site already lists the 2027 dates, which makes it a useful planning anchor for a spring trip north of Houston. April 8-18, 2027

Burnet

Burnet Bluebonnet Festival: If you want bluebonnets plus a more built-out festival weekend, Burnet is one of the better April picks in the Hill Country. The official festival site already has the 2027 dates posted. April 9-11, 2027

Chappell Hill

Official State of Texas Bluebonnet Festival: This is another April staple if you want to pair flower season with a true festival atmosphere. The Chappell Hill Historical Society already has 2027 festival materials live, which is enough to treat it as a real returning spring event even before the final weekend details are posted.

Corpus Christi

Buc Days: If you want a late-April event that can spill into a longer spring trip, this is one of the better South Texas anchors. The official site already has the 2027 dates live, and the event mixes parade energy, carnival fun, rodeo spirit, and citywide festivities. April 29-May 9, 2027
Birdiest Festival in America: This is a really nice wildcard if you want an April event that feels more nature-forward than carnival-heavy. The official festival site positions it as an annual birding weekend on the coast with guided outings, education, and spring migration energy. Official 2027 dates not posted yet; the 2026 festival ran April 22-26.
First Friday ArtWalk (Free): If your April trip lands early in the month, this gives Corpus Christi a lower-pressure artsy option too. Downtown Corpus Christi describes it as a first-Friday event with vendors, food trucks, live music, and activities spread across the district.

McKinney

Arts in Bloom (Free): McKinney’s official event pages make this one easy to recommend. It is an annual downtown arts-and-wine weekend that the city says traditionally lands on the second weekend in April, and the 2026 city release also confirms free admission and free parking.
Unique by Nature Juried Art Show (Free): This is a quieter but still worthwhile April arts add if you like smaller cultural events. The City of McKinney’s official art show page lists the April 2026 exhibition as free and open to the public, which makes it a strong recurring spring option to keep on your radar.

Lubbock

Lubbock Arts Festival: This is one of the stronger West Texas April additions if you want a spring event with a fuller festival footprint. The official site already has the 2026 dates live and frames it as West Texas’s largest fine art event, which is enough to treat it as a dependable annual spring festival while the 2027 page catches up.
First Friday Art Trail (Free): If you would rather keep your Lubbock April plans more casual, this gives you a recurring arts night that is easy to drop into. LHUCA describes it as a free, self-guided public art event held on the first Friday of every month.

Galveston

FeatherFest Birding & Nature Photo Festival: If you want an April Galveston weekend with a more outdoorsy angle, this is one of the strongest annual spring events on the island. Visit Galveston already lists the 2027 festival dates, and the official FeatherFest site confirms the event keeps returning during spring migration. April 15-18, 2027
The Grand Kids Festival (Free): This is such a sweet family-friendly April add if you are road tripping with kids. Visit Galveston already lists the 2027 date, and both the tourism page and The Grand describe it as a hands-on arts event built for children and families. April 24, 2027
RAILFEST: Model Train Rally: This is one of those fun niche events that makes an April weekend feel more specific and memorable. Visit Galveston treats it as an annual event at the Galveston Railroad Museum with train displays, rides, and interactive activities. Official 2027 dates not posted yet; the 2026 event ran April 25-26.

Weatherford

Weatherford Blooms Home & Garden Festival (Free): If you want a spring event that feels especially small-town Texas in a good way, this is a great one. The City of Weatherford says it is always held on the last Saturday in April and explicitly frames it as a free downtown event.
First Monday Trade Days: Weatherford’s official page positions this as one of Texas’s oldest open-air markets, and it is easy to work into an April weekend if you like shopping, browsing, and walkable downtown energy.

La Porte

Spring Fest (Free): La Porte’s official special events page makes this one an easy free April add. The city says Spring Fest is hosted every April, and the 2026 city calendar already showed a spring date in April at Five Points Town Plaza.

San Jacinto

San Jacinto Day Celebration (Free admission): If you want a living-history style April event instead of another art or flower festival, this is a really good one. The museum’s official pages and sponsor materials describe it as an admission-free annual celebration with reenactments and family activities around the anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto.

Tomball

2nd Saturday at the Depot (Free): This is such an easy family-friendly April add if you want a lower-key evening event. The City of Tomball says the program runs on second Saturdays in April, with free admission, kid-friendly activities, and a movie at dusk.

Harlingen

Market Days (Free): If you want a Rio Grande Valley add that feels casual but still event-driven, Harlingen’s Market Days is a good one. The city’s downtown pages say it happens on the first Saturday of every month with live music, food, antiques, and local art.

April is one of those months when Texas can give you just about every kind of weekend, from flower-filled Hill Country drives to giant city festivals to coastal art walks and spring rodeos. That mix is exactly why this month is such a fun one to plan around.

If you want the version that stays stricter on budget, head next to my free April events in Texas guide.

Save This Guide for Later

Planning a Texas spring trip? Save this list now so you can come back as more April 2027 event pages and final schedules continue rolling out.

Last Updated 1 day ago ago by Jessica Serna | Published: March 31, 2024

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