Texas This Weekend: Three Roads Worth Taking

by Cassidy Everett

Some weekends are made for catching up on chores. This is not one of them.

This weekend, Texas offers three distinctly different adventures. You can spend two days listening to some of the best songwriters in the state, lose yourself in a nearly century-old small-town festival, or watch fireworks burst over a lake while barbecue smoke drifts through the evening air.

The hard part isn’t finding something to do. It’s deciding which direction to point the car.

Friday Night: Follow the Music to McKinney

For music lovers, the biggest story of the weekend is the 30th annual Texas Music Revolution in downtown McKinney. The festival, which began in 1997, has become one of the premier showcases for Texas and Americana music. This year’s lineup includes Flatland Cavalry, Dawes, Keifer Sutherland, Wilder Blue, Silverada, Lola Kirke, and Jamie Richards performing across multiple stages throughout the historic downtown district. The festival runs Friday and Saturday, turning the square into one giant block party for music fans.

There’s something magical about downtown McKinney after sunset. The courthouse lights glow, patios fill with conversation, and every few steps another guitar seems to be tuning up. By the end of the night you’ll likely discover a favorite new artist and wonder why you don’t do this more often.

Saturday: A Tomato Festival That Refuses to Grow Old

If Texas had a contest for “Most Delightfully Texas Weekend Tradition,” the Tom Tom Festival in Yoakum would be a contender.

Now in its 98th year, the festival runs Friday through Sunday and celebrates the town’s agricultural heritage with a parade, barbecue cook-off, rodeo, car show, vendors, live music, and enough food to challenge even the most ambitious appetite. This year’s entertainment includes Little Texas on Friday night, with additional bands performing throughout the weekend.

The beauty of the Tom Tom Festival isn’t that it tries to be trendy. It doesn’t. It knows exactly what it is: a classic Texas community celebration where grandparents, kids, ranchers, and visitors all end up sharing the same sidewalks and cheering the same parade.

In an age of curated experiences, there’s something refreshing about a festival that simply says, “Come on down and have a good time.”

Saturday Evening: Barbecue, Beer, and Fireworks

For North Texans looking for a one-day adventure, the Brew & Que Festival returns to Little Elm this Saturday. Along the shores of Lewisville Lake, pitmasters, breweries, wineries, and musicians gather for an event that feels tailor-made for a Texas summer evening.

The formula is simple: excellent barbecue, cold drinks, live music, lake views, and a fireworks finale. Sometimes the best ideas are the ones that don’t require much explanation.

Arrive hungry. Leave impressed.

Sunday: Take the Scenic Route Home

Texas has a habit of rewarding curiosity.

Whether you spend the weekend listening to music in McKinney, cheering at a rodeo in Yoakum, or watching fireworks over Lewisville Lake, you’ll discover the same thing Texans have known for generations: the best weekends rarely happen on the couch.

They’re usually found somewhere down the highway, just beyond the next exit.