Day Trips & Beyond: October Events Roundup

Fall colors and women’s undergarments are showing as the temperatures become ideal for getting outdoors.

The British are coming! There is something about the British monarchy that intrigues Americans. Perhaps it is our ancient connection to the kings and queens of the British Isles or that the crown keep a running drama going over several centuries. Whatever it is the blue bloods will arrive at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston by way of the exhibition “Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits from Holbein to Warhol.” The exhibition features 150 objects from the National Portrait Gallery, London, including paintings, sculptures, and photographs, many of which have never traveled outside of England. Tickets are discounted on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Oct. 7-Jan. 27, 2019, Museum of Fine Art, Houston, 713/639-7300, www.mfah.org.

Take a trip back in time as the Menard County Historical Commission leads a morning program at the ruins of Presidio San Saba. Built in 1757 to protect a nearby Spanish mission, the fort lasted until 1768. The Spaniards came to the area to convert the Lipan Apache and to mine for silver. Neither endeavor was successful. The program will feature docents in period attire, dashing horsemen, cannon fire, and lots of fun and history. The stone ruins two miles west of Menard are open year-round free of charge during daylight hours for self-guided tours.
Fri. & Sat., Oct. 5 &6, 10am, Menard, 325/456-0709, www.presidiodesansaba.org/index.html.

Women’s undergarments have finally become the subject of serious study in the exhibition “Inside Out” at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts. More than a fashion statement, the collection speaks to women’s roles in American society over the centuries. Organized by the staff of SAMFA, the artifacts are on loan from various museums and private collections from all over the U.S. The exhibition leaves little to the imagination and attempts to answer the question: “What were they thinking?”
Through Jan. 20, 2019, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, 325/653-3333, www.samfa.org.

Travel Notes:

Lost Maples State Park outside of Vanderpool is known for its gorgeous fall colors as the trees put on their fall show. Beginning around Oct. 11 (depending on Mother Nature) until the end of November, the park will post fall foliage reports on their Facebook page or you can get updates by calling 830/966-3413. Keep in mind that crowds on weekends can overwhelm the park. Once the parking lots are full, the park is closed to addition visitors until the next day.

The leaves of the trees are turning beneath October skies in East Texas. To find suggested driving routes and attractions, visit www.east-texas.com/east-texas-fall-foliage.htm.

Tibetan Buddhist Monks from Drepug Loseling Monastery travel to the Crow Museum of Asian Art to build a Green Tara sand mandala. The public is invited to watch the sand painting from Oct. 6-13. Free and open to the public, the museum showcases ancient to contemporary art of Asia. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm.

October is the last month of the year that Brenham’s Antique Carousel at Fireman’s Park will be open on weekends. Rides are only $1 per rider. Built around 1911, the carousel has been a feature in Brenham since 1932. The carousel operates on Saturday from 11am to 4pm and Sunday from 1 to 4pm.

Other October Events:

Tom Lea Month
Oct. 1-31, El Paso, www.tomlea.com

Texas Super Chef Throwdown Series
Oct. 3-6, Port Aransas, www.texassuperchefs.com

Red River Celebrity Softball Game
Oct. 4, Frisco, www.rrcsg.org

Gruene Music & Wine Fest
Oct. 4-7, Gruene, www.gruenemusicandwinefest.org

Sand Castle Days
Oct. 4-7, South Padre Island, www.sandcastledays.com

Pirate Festival
Oct. 5-6, Palacios, www.palaciospiratefestival.com

Glampasas Tour of Christmas Glampers
Oct. 5-6, Lampasas, www.fb.com/events/458573564624485

A Walk Through Time
Oct. 5-6, Menard, www.presidiodesansaba.org/index.html

Bootfest
Oct. 5-6, Victoria, www.bootfest.org

Oktoberfest
Oct. 5-7, Fredericksburg, www.oktoberfestinfbg.com

Galveston Island Film Festival
Oct. 5-7, Galveston, www.galvestonislandfilmfestivalandconference.com

Great Hill Country Pumpkin Patch
Oct. 5-8, 12-15, 19-22, 26-29, Medina, www.lovecreekorchards.com

Spanish Influenza Epidemic Exhibit
Oct. 5-Nov. 11, Lampasas, www.lampasasmuseum.org

Fall Native Plant Sale & Festival
Oct. 6, Kerrville, www.riversidenaturecenter.org

Camerata Salon
Oct. 6, Kerrville, www.cameratasa.org

Oktoberfest on the Square
Oct. 6, La Grange, www.visitlagrangetx.com

Evening with the Authors
Oct. 6, Lockhart, www.eveningwiththeauthors.com

Cottonwood Art Festival
Oct. 6-7, Richardson, www.cottonwoodartfestival.com

Columbus Day Weekend at the Arboretum
Oct. 6-8, Dallas, www.dallasarboretum.org

Mystical Arts of Tibet
Oct. 6-13, Dallas, www.crowcollection.org

“Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits”
Oct. 7-Jan. 27, 2019, Houston, www.mfah.com

Fort Concho After Dark
Oct. 11, San Angelo, www.fortconcho.com

Seafair
Oct. 11-14, Rockport-Fulton, www.rockport-fulton.org/seafair-home

Guadalupe County Fair & Rodeo
Oct. 11-14, Seguin, www.gcfair.org

Tyler Film Festival
Oct. 11-14, Tyler, www.tylerfilmfest.com

Moonlight in the Gardens
Oct. 12, Corpus Christi, www.stxbot.org

Wings Over Port Aransas
Oct. 12-13, Port Aransas, www.portaransasparrotheads.com/events

Texas Mesquite Art Festival
Oct. 12-14, Fredericksburg, www.texasmesquiteartfestivals.com

Comic Con
Oct. 12-14, San Angelo, www.sanangelocomiccon.com

Turkeyfest
Oct. 12-14, Cuero, www.turkeyfest.org

Stagecoach Days
Oct. 13, Anderson, www.wheretexasbecametexas.org/about/fanthorp-inn

Fort Croghan Day
Oct. 13, Burnet, www.fortcroghan.org

Octoberfest
Oct. 13, Burnet, www.burnetoctoberfest.com

Cedar Bark Fest
Oct. 13, Cedar Park, www.cedarparkparks.com

Monarch Celebration
Oct. 13, Fredericksburg, www.wildseedfarms.com

Texas Mushroom Festival
Oct. 13, Madisonville, www.texasmushroomfestival.com

Shorty’s 35th Annual Pig Party
Oct. 13, Port Aransas, www.portaransas.org/beachtoberfest

South Texas Music Festival
Oct. 13, San Benito, www.sanbenitoevents.com

Smithville Photo Festival
Oct. 13, Smithville, www.smithvilletx.org

Stonewall VFD Fall Fish Fry
Oct. 13, Stonewall, www.fb.com/events/376055255806028

Food & Wine Festival
Oct. 13, Waco, www.humanesocietycentraltexas.org

Edom Art Festival
Oct. 13-14, Edom, www.visitedom.com/edom-art-festival

Alliance Air Show
Oct. 13-14, Fort Worth, www.allianceairshow.com

Kerrville Chalk Festival
Oct. 13-14, Kerrville, www.kerrvillechalk.org

Choo Choo Fest
Oct. 14, Coupland, www.susangarry.wixsite.com/choochoofest

Taste of Cedar Park
Oct. 16, Cedar Park, www.cedarparkchamber.org

Humphrey Bogart Film Festival
Oct. 17-21, Key Largo, Fla., www.bogartfilmfestival.com

Come and Taste It
Oct. 18, Gruene, www.grapevineingruene.com

Texas Bigfoot Conference
Oct. 19-20, Jefferson, www.fb.com/texasbigfootresearch

Llano River Chuckwagon Cook-off
Oct. 19-20, Llano, www.llanochuckwagoncookoff.com

Texas Jazz Festival
Oct. 19-21, Corpus Christi, www.texasjazz-fest.org

Dripping Springs Songwriters Festival
Oct. 19-21, Dripping Springs, www.drippingspringssongwritersfestival.com

Las Cruces Country Music Festival
Oct. 19-21, Las Cruces, N.M., www.lccountryfest.com

Hill Country Living + Rainwater Revival Festival
Oct. 20, Dripping Springs, www.hillcountryalliance.org/rainwaterrevival

Country Schools and Vineyards Trail
Oct. 20, Fredericksburg, www.historicschools.org

T-Bone Walker Day
Oct. 20, Linden, www.fb.com/lindenecondevcorps

Old Town Fest
Oct. 20, Port Aransas, www.portaransasmuseum.org

Shiner Music Fest
Oct. 20, Shiner, www.shinermusicfest.com

ARToberFEST
Oct. 20-21, Galveston, www.artoberfest.com

Texas Guitar Quartet
Oct. 21, Fredericksburg, www.fredericksburgmusicclub.com

State Fair of Texas
Through Oct. 21, Dallas, www.bigtex.com

State Fair of Louisiana
Oct. 25-Nov. 11, Shreveport, La., www.statefairoflouisiana.com

Island Oktoberfest
Oct. 26-27, Galveston, www.galvestonoktoberfest.com

Ghost Tours of the 1859 Ashton Villa
Oct. 26-27, Galveston, www.galvestonhistory.org

Czhilispiel 46
Oct. 26-28, Flatonia, www.flatoniachamber.com

Pecan Fest Heritage Days
Oct. 26-28, Seguin, www.seguingonuts.com

Heritage Scaritage Festival
Oct. 27. Baytown, www.baytownhistory.org

Dia de los Muertos Street Festival
Oct. 27, Corpus Christi, www.diadelosmuertoscc.com

Day of the Dead Festival
Oct. 27, Denton, www.dentondayofthedeadfestival.com

Hogeye Festival
Oct. 27, Elgin, www.hogeyefestival.com

Chamizal Cultural Festival
Oct. 27, El Paso, www.nps.gov/cham

Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival
Oct. 27, Fredericksburg, www.fbgfoodandwinefest.com

Llano River Pumpkin Float
Oct. 27, Llano, www.llanochamber.org

Kooky Spooky Chemistry Day
Oct. 27, Johnson City, www.sciencemill.org

Hot Pepper Festival
Oct. 27, Palestine, www.cityofpalestinetx.com

Port A Brew N’ Que
Oct. 27, Port Aransas, www.portaransas.org/beachtoberfest

Dia de los Muertos
Oct. 27, San Antonio, www.guadalupeculturalarts.org/dia-de-los-muertos

Texas Country Reporter Festival
Oct. 27, Waxahachie, www.waxahachiecvb.com

Screams
Through Oct. 27, Waxahachie, www.screamspark.com

Cemetery Tours
Oct. 27-28, Fort Worth, www.stockyardsmuseum.org

Texas Clay Festival
Oct. 27-28, Gruene, www.texasclayfestival.com

Cemetery Tour
Oct. 27-28, Victoria, www.victoriapreservation.com

“Dali: Poetics of the Small”
Through Dec. 9, Dallas, www.meadowsmuseumdallas.org

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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.