Festivals & Events
Surfing for Fun? The Island Has It!
Galveston Island offers a year-round collection of must-experience events. From Mardi Gras to Dickens on The Strand, from Chili to Shrimp, from ARToberFEST to Oktoberfest, Galveston’s got the fun.
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The Holidays
THE POLAR EXPRESS™
The Galveston Railroad Museum celebrates the return of THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride from November 10 to December 23, 2023. This immersive family-oriented experience hosted over 1.4 million riders at 54 locations in the US, Canada, and the UK. Popular dates and times are expected to fill quickly.
Holiday in the Gardens
As the largest holiday destination in the Southwest, Moody Gardens offers more holiday attractions, activities, festive fun, dining and hotel packages than you can imagine.
Dickens on The Strand
For almost 50 years, Galveston Historical Foundation’s Dickens on The Strand festival has highlighted downtown Galveston’s Victorian-era architecture while providing a one-of-a-kind holiday destination filled with the sights and sounds of Charles Dickens’s work.
Spring
Mardi Gras! Galveston
Mardi Gras! Galveston, the third largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States, offers the unique chance to experience sand between your toes and gorgeous beach sunsets while taking in the revelry and lavish parades known to dominate Galveston Island during carnival season. Don’t miss it, February 18 thru March 1, 2022
Galveston FeatherFest
Galveston Nature Tourism Council presents FeatherFest, the Island’s annual birding and nature photography festival held in April during spring migration. Mark your calendar now to attend the largest birding festival on the Upper Texas Coast, and the only one with a dedicated nature photography track.
Historic Homes Tour
Galveston Historical Foundation opens the doors to Galveston’s architectural history through public tours of privately owned homes during its annual Galveston Historic Homes Tour held each May.
Fall is Festival Season!
Galveston Island Shrimp Festival
Galveston Island is a seafood lover’s paradise all year round, but this September, Yaga’s Entertainment Inc. will bring foodies a little taste of heaven at the Galveston Island Shrimp Festival to be held September 23-24, 2022.
Galveston Island Greek Festival
Celebrate the Mediterranean at the 39th Annual Galveston Island Greek Festival, October 14 and 15, with the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church at their annual party at 1824 Ball St.
ARToberFEST
Galveston’s premier juried fine arts Festival will set sail into fall in the island’s historic downtown cultural arts district into an open air gallery bursting with color and culture during the weekend of October 15-16, 2022.
Octoberfest
This fun, family weekend will feature continuous live entertainment with music and dancing on two stages plus an expanded menu of authentic German food and libations on October 27 & 28, 2023
Lone Star Rally
With juried bike shows, truck, jeep & classic car shows and free concerts on two stages, this year’s Lone Star Rally will be jam packed with entertainment November 3-6, 2022.
See Sharks Overhead
Take a Self-guided Tour
Wetlands Are Bird Magnets
Find out the best places to visit salt marsh wetlands to see birds they attract. When you raise your binoculars to observe the birds, remember: Like a magnet, it’s the wetlands that brought them here.
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