10 Fascinating Festivals in Galveston, Texas

On Galveston Island, the festival scene is more than a single-season affair. Summer is a popular time to visit the Texas island, pulling crowds to beautiful beaches and sand dunes around its 32-mile coast. But ask the locals, and they’ll tell you that a vibrant public life can be found year-round here, thanks to sunny, mild temps keeping the social calendar busy in any season.

Galveston’s storied history, as both a busy immigrant port and the birthplace of Juneteenth, certainly sets the festival stage. On top of that, it seems that residents simply love any occasion to entertain. Historical circumstances like the 1900 Great Storm in Galveston, the deadliest U.S. natural disaster to date, have shaped a local character that is resilient, celebratory, and grateful for any excuse to get together. Galveston’s festivals vary widely, from sand sculpting to prawn feasts and art parties, yet they all keep a family-friendly, community-oriented vibe. Southern hospitality and laid-back island life keep the good times rolling. From Victorian-era traditions to festive holiday extravaganzas, there is a celebration here for everyone.

Here are 10 festivals in Galveston you should check out during your next visit.

Fat Tuesday

1. Mardi Gras

Galveston Island’s Mardi Gras celebrations, the third-largest (and one of the oldest) in the U.S., turn out costumes and pageantry with beachy Texan vibes. Every year, around 250,000 partygoers descend onto Galveston to celebrate grand parades and masquerade balls defined by Lone Star sociability.

What began in 1867 as a single masked ball has evolved into a celebration showcasing Texan and Gulf Coast traditions. Galveston’s Mardi Gras puts on more than 20 parades in over-the-top fashion with elaborate floats, marching bands, and street performances across the city. Not to be missed is the “Umbrella Brigade Parade”, a Galveston Mardi Gras original, where parasols of all kinds—decorated and designed—are paraded through the streets, often with some fancy choreography.

Time Warp

2. Dickens on The Strand

At the turn of the century, Galveston, a booming port city, was known for its wealthy high society’s obsession with Victorian England.

To celebrate this cultural heritage, Galveston Island hosts Dickens on The Strand every year. The Victorian-themed Christmas festival sees the Strand Historic District’s 19th-century architecture become a scene straight out of turn-of-the-century London. Locals parade through the streets in Victorian-era garb, British-inspired attire, and holiday finery—think a sea of Charles Dickens characters, Queens of England, and Father Christmases, mingling with marching nutcrackers and high-flying Union Jacks.

Live entertainment includes caroling, storytelling, and dancing, while vendors sell era-inspired goodies and demonstrate traditional crafts like blacksmithing and glass blowing.

Most highly anticipated, though, are the Victorian Bed Races. This beloved event sees teams dressed in old-timey nighties race elaborately decorated beds down the street. It’s a silly tradition, but don’t be fooled: it’s also a competition taken very seriously, with a whole list of rules including many bed specifications. Of course, the best time wins.

Survey the Scene

3. ArtWalk

Every six to eight weeks, ArtWalk is a Galveston event to look forward to. At this bustling crafting and creativity market, usually hosted on Saturday evenings, local artists showcase and sell their handmade creations. There are trinkets galore, but also larger mixed-media works from paintings to sculptures and photography prints. The atmosphere is always friendly and sociable, with artists chatting about their inspirations and brainstorming special commissions with eager visitors.

On the sidelines of the art market, Galveston Island’s downtown historic district turns into a pop-up public gallery. Numerous art institutions and studios, especially those in the Postoffice Street Arts District, fling their doors open for free-entry art parties. The Galveston Arts Center (GAC), located nearby on The Strand, is usually a surefire bet for a great cultural program. More local boutiques and restaurants also join in on the fun, hosting live music, pop-up art shows, and the like.

Since ArtWalk is often timed to accompany other events like Dickens on The Strand and Mardi Gras, you may be able to hit up two Galveston festivals in one.

Cutting Edge Christmas

4. Holiday in The Gardens

At the Holiday in the Gardens festival, Christmas cheer goes into innovative overdrive. Moody Gardens, a multi-purpose outdoor park overrun with lush tropical greenery, transforms into a winter wonderland with countless cutting-edge holiday displays.

The main event, the Festival of Lights, creates a twinkle-filled fantasy with over two million lights and immersive experiences. Visitors stroll along a mile-long trail, illuminated across animations brought to life with holiday music and other sound effects. Instagrammable chillout areas, like hot chocolate stands and s’more stops, are sprinkled throughout.

There’s also ICE LAND’s extraordinary labyrinth of ice sculptures, ranging from life-sized buildings to cartoon characters and even a gigantic ice slide. Ice-carving masters from Harbin, China—globally renowned for incredible ice festivals—use over two million pounds of ice to create intricate, amazing displays. Every winter, a fresh theme ensures the sculpture park’s loyal fan base shows up for the spectacle.

Elsewhere across Moody Gardens, even more winter-themed attractions promise wholesome holiday fun. Christmas films are shown with special effects (think classics like Rudolph with real blowing snow in a gingerbread-scented theater); there’s also a holiday market, ice bar, and ice rink.

Birthplace of a Holiday

5. Juneteenth Festival

Since 2021, Juneteenth has been designated a federal holiday that’s celebrated across the U.S. However, for many families in Galveston, Texas—where the Juneteenth tradition originated—annual June 19th celebrations have been cherished over generations.

Every year, the holiday marks the 1865 arrival of Union troops in Galveston to announce the end of slavery in Texas, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Locally, Juneteenth fuses together historical remembrance with street parties, prayers, and more. Readings of General Order No. 3, the decree ending slavery, are read around the city, especially at Juneteenth monuments, of which there are over 200 in Galveston. There’s also a parade with colorful floats, live bands, dancers, and reenactments, as well as a sophisticated black-tie Juneteenth gala.

Beyond the annual festival, Juneteenth discovery is a year-round affair in Galveston. Visitors can explore the historical moment’s enduring legacy through guided walks and self-guided tours. There’s also an abundance of fascinating art and archival exhibits open year-round.

See Amazing Art

6. ARToberFEST

In Galveston, October is synonymous with creative energy thanks to ARToberFEST. The juried fine art festival, started almost 30 years ago by local visual artists and business owners, is now hosted by The Grand 1894 Opera House’s non-profit.

The outdoor festival sees the downtown Postoffice Street Arts District become an open-air atelier with over 120 artists from across the U.S. on display. Spirits stay high across rows of booths showcasing a vast array of mediums: metal, glass and textile work, jewelry, paintings, sculptures, and more.

Aside from all the eye candy, the festival’s lively atmosphere includes live music, food trucks, and hands-on artsy activities for all ages. Above all, though, the allure of ARToberFEST is how it brings together artistic expression and community engagement, creating a space for artists to network, and for new fans to find them.

Seafood- Palooza

7. Galveston Island Shrimp Festival

The Galveston Island Shrimp Festival offers up the flying buffet of a shellfish lover’s dreams. Every September, it celebrates the rich local culture of Southern-style cooking and the Gulf Coast’s seafood bounties with vendor stands and high-pressure culinary showdowns.

Fried shrimp, po’boys, scampi, shrimp Creole, shrimp tacos—you name it, you’ll find it served hot and fresh at the festival. There’s also the chance to try different sizes and species of shrimp, including the white and brown varieties which are native to the Gulf Coast.

Two highly anticipated events take place each year: first, the Friday kickoff with a Texas-sized fried shrimp dinner for over 800 guests. Not to be outdone, though, is the shrimp gumbo cook-off where restaurants and amateur chefs compete in various categories, putting kitchen techniques and family recipes to the test.

Retro Fantasy

8. Galveston Revue Weekend

Time-warp back to the golden age of Galveston as the “Coney Island of the South” at the annual Galveston Revue Weekend. This event, beloved by locals, brings together vintage dress-up and antique appreciation to remember the seaside resort’s 1920s and 1930s heyday as the “Playground of the Southwest”.

Every May, the Beach Revue comprises a classic car show, vendors selling retro goods, and nostalgic live music. And the headliner? The famed Bathing Beauties Contest which is said to be the genesis of the U.S. swimsuit pageant phenomenon. Galveston’s tradition blends Southern sass and retro fashion as participants flaunt classic swimwear, parasols, vintage swimming caps, and other accessories.

Go Bird or Go Home

9. FeatherFest & Nature PhotoFest

Galveston’s annual springtime celebration, FeatherFest & Nature PhotoFest, is a big deal for bird lovers and nature photographers. The festival attracts outdoors and wildlife enthusiasts from near and far for a week of diverse activities including birdwatching tours, camera workshops, and expert-led educational seminars.

Galveston’s position along a major migratory flyway makes it an ideal location for birders to gather. Field trips are focused on a diverse range of species or specific ecosystems, providing opportunities for those just starting out as birders, as well as those longtime enthusiasts looking to spot rare species and truly nerd out.

Anyone can come and spread their wings into the scene. FeatherFest also features kids’ activities and painting workshops, plus the chance to bid on nature artists’ unique works.

Super Sand Art

10. Galveston Sandcastle Festival

The Galveston Sandcastle Competition is a true social media sensation. Every year, the festival is responsible for sand sculptures ranging from gorgeous to gargantuan and gravity-defying.

The competition features over 60 teams vying for the prestigious Golden Bucket Award. Spectators come out in droves to watch participants sculpt over five intense hours under the sweaty sun, and afterwards, the sand creations are judged, as well as oohed and ahhed at by thousands. Free sandcastle building ensures anyone can join in the fun. Live music, food trucks, and an epic Sunday brunch also add up for a lively, beach-blessed affair.