Texas Hill Country festivals worth checking out this summer

Summer, summer, summertime. Time to sit back and unwind — unless you want to go to a fun festival you might have never been to.

There are plenty of things to do and festivals to attend around the Hill Country this summer.

Technically, summer doesn’t start until the solstice on June 21 but... ‘tis the season right?

Here is a list of events worth checking out in the upcoming months:

June

• Old Town Street Festival - The Old Town Street Festival in Leander will take place on June 3. Texas musicians bring the stage to life all day while family-friendly activities delight both adults and children. Food vendors provide both healthy and indulgent choices, and local and regional wineries and breweries bring a special flair to Old Town, according to the event website. This year’s headliner is a Texas favorite, Dale Watson, followed by the afterparty featuring The SPAZMATICS.
• Burnet County Fair - The Burnet County Area Fair will take place June 9-10. The first Burnet County Fair was held in 1903. Attendees can expect live music, vendors and various exhibitions throughout the fair. Entry to the fair is free.
• Blanco Lavender Festival - Blanco’s Lavender Festival will take place June 9-11 on the grounds of the Historic Old Blanco County Courthouse. There will also be live music at Bindseil Park. Guests can enjoy libations while they shop the lavender market. Enjoy dining in a local restaurant or get festival treats from one of the many food vendors located on the festival grounds. There will be shuttles available for parking. Pets are not allowed.
• Fredericksburg Craft Beer Festival - Prost! Fredericksburg Craft Beer Festival is taking place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 10 at the Marktplatz in downtown Fredericksburg. General admission tickets are $20 per person. 2023 craft brewers have yet to be announced but more than 16 breweries participated in last year’s festival.
• Menard River Rat Fest & Jim Bowie Cook-Off - Head out to Menard, a roughly two-hour drive from downtown San Antonio, for the River Rat Fest & Jim Bowie Cook-Off that will take place from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on June 10 at 301 Decker Street. Tickets are $10 for children ages 7-10 and $20 for adults. Kids ages 6 and younger are free. There will be a barbecue cook-off, vendors, live music all day, food, a cornhole tournament, kids activities and a concert featuring Cody Canada & the Departed, formerly known as Cross Canadian Ragweed.
• Stonewall Peach JAMboree - The annual peach JAMboree and rodeo is returning for its 62nd year on June 16 and 17 at the Stonewall Chamber of Commerce Grounds, located at 250 Peach Street in Stonewall. Tickets are $25 for adults and $5 for kids ages 2-12. This celebration of the annual peach crop includes peach judging, the crowning of the Peach Queen, parade, peach eating, pit spitting, food, mutton bustin’, music and rodeo.

• Bandera RiverFest - There will be live bands, a barbecue cook-off, food trucks, vendors, kids activities and more at Bandera’s RiverFest, which takes place June 24 at Bandera City Park. Admission for kids is $5 and adult admission is $10.

July

• Hye 4th Fest - Check out Hill Country wineries and vendors at the Hye 4th Fest on July 1. There will be fireworks, live music and tons of food from a number of different vendors. The festival will take place in Johnson City. Tickets are $40 each and that includes drink tickets for tastings from various winery and brewery vendors.
• Red, White & Buda - From 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 4, you can celebrate Independence Day in Buda. There will be a bike parade, vendor market, food trucks, live music and a fireworks show at 9:15 p.m.
• Kerrville’s 4th on the River - This Independence Day celebration consists of a concert, vendors, and the “largest fireworks display in the Hill Country,” according to the city of Kerrville. Festivities will take place on July 4 at Louise Hays Park. The fireworks display will start around 9:30 p.m.
• Kerrville Open Pro Rodeo - Events for the Kerrville Open Pro Rodeo, which takes place July 7-8, include bull riding, bareback and saddle bronc riding, ladies barrel racing, calf roping, team roping, mini bull and mini bareback riding, and drill team performing nightly. There will also be a calf scramble and mutton busting for the kids. The rodeo will take place at the Kerr County Hill Country Youth Event Center.

• Marble Falls Rodeo - Marble Falls is gearing up for its annual rodeo on July 21 and 22. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. and the rodeo starts at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online or cash at the gate. Children ages 6 and younger are free, kids ages 6-12 are $5 and adults are $15 per person. There will be live music after both rodeos.

August

• Junction Rodeo - Junction Texas’ Hill Country Fair Association will host the annual Junction Rodeo on Aug. 11 and 12 at the HCFA Grounds located off FM Road 2169. Both nights will feature bull riding and dancing. The gates will open at 6 p.m. each night with performances starting at 7 p.m. Admission to the rodeo is $6 for kids and $10 for adults. Admission to the dance is a separate cost.
• Gillespie County Fair - The 135th annual fair will take place Aug. 24-27. There will be livestock shows, a carnival and midway, your favorite fair food, livestock judging, agricultural and household exhibits, arts and crafts, washer pitching tournament, antique tractor shows, and live pari-mutuel horse racing, according to the event website. Performers at the fair include Los Pedernales, Wade Hayes and Joe Nichols. Tickets are required for races and concerts.