Day Trips & Beyond: July Events Roundup
Get hip to these timely travel tips
By Gerald E. McLeod, 7:00AM, Tue. Jul. 3, 2018
Route 66, film festivals, and watermelon festivals are calling summer day trippers.
Retracing Route 66 is the ultimate summer road trip. Extending from Chicago, Ill., to Santa Monica, Ca., the 2,448 miles of blacktop stretches into songs, movies, television, and many family vacations. In Texas, most of the traffic across the Panhandle has been diverted to Interstate 40, but 91% of the 178 miles of the original “Mother Road” in the state are still in use as city streets and feeder roads. From Shamrock to Glen Rio there will be special events to celebrate the annual Texas Route 66 Festival.
July 12-15, Texas Route 66 Festival, Shamrock and other locations, 830/373-1427, www.texaswelcomestheworld.com/festival.
For 16 years the Asian Film Festival of Dallas has showcased movies from around the world. This year’s edition includes 66 films and six blocks of short films. More than 10 countries contributed films in a wide variety of genres. Several of the filmmakers will be in attendance to talk about their entries in the festival, some of which are having their Southwest premieres. Tickets are available for the entire festival or individual screenings.
July 19-26, Asian Film Festival of Dallas, Angelika Film Center, Dallas, 214/620-0885, www.asianfilmdallas.com.
Travel Notes:
Tickets for the Houston BBQ Throwdown 2018 have gone on sale, but they won’t last long. Set for Sunday, Sept. 16, at Saint Arnold Brewing Company in Houston, the annual meat fest pits barbecue joints against each other for public approval of their innovative and delicious new dishes.
Just in time for the summer holidays from school, Westcave Preserve has extended guided tours to the spring-fed canyon to Fridays. The tour journeys from the upper grassland down into the cool, spring-fed canyon decorated with ferns and chirping birds. Tours are at 10am and noon on a first-come, first-served basis through Aug. 10. Cost is $15 for adults and $7 for children.
Built in 1932 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, Indian Lodge has commanded a mountain view outside of Fort Davis and the hearts of anyone who has visited the remote hotel. The 35 rooms have reopened after renovations of the National Park Service pueblo-style building. To make reservations, visit the State Park Reservations page, or reserve a room by calling 512/389-8900.
No matter where you’re traveling this summer you can support Texas State Parks by staying at La Quinta Inns & Suites. By using the special Support Texas State Parks reservation page, the Texas-based hotel chain will donate 10% of your stay to our state parks.
If you’re heading west this summer you’ll want to get a copy of the all-new 2018 California Road Trips guide. The 36-page free magazine features 12 off-the-beaten-path driving tours that let you day trip like a local. The guide, along with a California Visitors Guide and state highway map, is available from Visit California.
Other July Events:
Live Thoroughbred Racing
July 1, 3-4, 13-15, 19-22, Grand Prairie, www.lonestarpark.com
Texas Shakespeare Festival
July 1-29, Kilgore, www.texasshakespeare.com
Celebration of American Independence
July 4, Comfort, www.comfort-texas.com
Fourth at Panther Island
July 4, Fort Worth, www.pantherislandpavilion.com
July Fourth Fireman’s Celebration
July 4, Giddings, www.giddingstx.com
Robert Earl Keen’s Fourth on the River
July 4, Kerrville, www.kerrvilles4th.org
Independence Day Fireworks Show
July 4, Kyle, www.cityofkyle.com/recreation
Boat Parade
July 4, Rockport, www.rockport-fulton.org
Parade & Fireworks Display
July 4, South Padre Island, www.sopadre.com
Summer Rodeo
July 6, 13, 20, Bandera, www.banderacowboycapital.com
Half-Moon Holidays Celebration and Barbecue Cook-off
July 6-7, Shiner, www.shinertx.com
Balcones Heights Jazz Festival
July 6, 13, 20, 27, San Antonio, www.sanantoniocentral.org
Llano Rock’N Riverfest
July 7, Llano, www.llanorocknriverfest.com
Big Scoop Ice Cream Festival
July 7, Wimberley, www.facebook.com/campgoodsamwimberley
Live Pari-Mutuel Horse Racing
July 7-8, 21-22, Fredericksburg, www.gillespiefair.com
Crider’s Rodeo & Dance
July 7, 14, 21, 28, Hunt, www.cridersrandd.com
Rockport Art Festival
July 7-8, Rockport, www.rockport-fulton.org
Polish Heritage Day
July 8, San Antonio, www.texancultures.com
U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship and Raising Cane’s Red River Balloon Rally
July 9-15, Shreveport-Bossier City, La., www.redriverballoonrally.com
ScienceFest
July 11-15, Los Alamos, N.M., www.losalamossciencefestival.com
Marfa Film Festival
July 11-15, Marfa, www.marfafilmfestival.com
Route 66 Festival
July 12-15, Shamrock, www.texaswelcomestheworld.com
Spring Ho Hot as Hell Barbecue Cook-off
July 13-14, Lampasas, www.lampasaschamber.org
International Sister Cities Festival
July 13-15, Laredo, www.visitlaredo.com
Stagecoach Days
July 14, Anderson, www.wheretexasbecametexas.org/about/fanthorp-inn
McDade Watermelon Festival
July 14, McDade, www.mcdadetexas.com
Harvest Festival & Grape Stomp
July 14, Santa Fe, www.haakwine.com
Parker County Peach Festival
July 14, Weatherford, www.parkercountypeachfestival.org
Hemingway Days
July 17-22, Key West, Fla., www.fla-keys.com/hemingway-days
Zoo After Dark
July 19, Houston, www.houstonzoo.org
Shakespeare at Winedale
July 19-Aug. 12, Round Top, www.liberalarts.utexas.edu/winedale
Star Party
July 20, Boerne, www.visitboerne.org
Paris Balloon and Music Festival
July 20-22, Paris, www.parisballoonandmusicfestival.com
Plumeria Sale
July 21, Corpus Christi, www.stxbot.org
FridaFest
July 21, Edinburg, www.edinburgarts.com
Cheeseburger Festival
July 21, Friona, www.frionachamber.com
Boots’N Eats on the Beach
July 21, Galveston, www.galveston.com
White Grape Harvest Festival
July 21, Harleton, www.enochsstomp.com
Living History Saturday
July 21, Washington-on-the-Brazos, www.wheretexasbecametexas.org
Float Fest
July 21-22, San Marcos, www.floatfest.net
“Salado Legends”
July 21, 28, Aug. 4, Salado, www.tablerock.org
Crush for Fun
July 21-22, 28-29, Aug. 4-5, 11-12, Brenham, www.pleasanthillwinery.com
“Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors”
July 21-Sept. 30, San Antonio, www.wittemuseum.org
Great Texas Mosquito Festival
July 26-28, Clute, www.mosquitofestival.com
Moonlit Harvest
July 27, Bryan, www.messinahof.com
Dripping Springs Fair and Rodeo
July 27-29, Dripping Springs, www.drippingspringsfairandrodeo.com
Grape Stomp!
July 28, Seguin, www.bluelotuswinery.com
Gerald McLeod has been traveling around Texas and beyond for his "Day Trips" column for more than 25 years. Keep up to date with his journeys on his archive page.
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Gerald E. McLeod, May 1, 2025
Gerald E. McLeod, April 3, 2025
May 16, 2025
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Day Trips, Route 66 Festival, Asian Film Festival, Houston BBQ Throwdown, Westcave Preserve, Indian Lodge, Texas State Parks, La Quinta Inn & Suites
