Annual Events in Dallas, Month by Month

At a glance

• Where: Across Dallas, Texas, with the biggest events at Fair Park and the Dallas Arboretum
• Busiest stretch: September through December
• Cost: Varies by event; parades are typically free, the fair, garden and zoo events charge admission. Check each official site.
• Dates: Dates shift every year, so this guide gives the usual month and links the official site for current dates

The annual events in Dallas worth planning a trip around are Dallas Blooms in late winter and spring, the State Fair of Texas and the Red River Showdown in early fall, and the BMW Dallas Marathon in December. Between them sit a Mardi Gras parade in Oak Cliff, a film festival, a month-long arts celebration and two holiday light shows. This guide gives the usual month for each, not this year's dates, and links the official site so you can check the current schedule.

We skip any month where we could not confirm a recurring event on an official site. That is why May through August are missing: better a gap than padding.

How we chose

Every event below was checked against its own official site or its organiser's page, and must recur every year and take place in the city of Dallas. We left out events held in suburbs such as Addison, Irving or Grapevine, and events we could not confirm are still running. Dates move each year, so we give the usual month only. For what is on this week, see the Dallas events calendar and this weekend.

January: what is the big Dallas event after New Year's?

The Martin Luther King Jr. Parade is the main January event, held in Dallas on the Monday MLK holiday.

Dallas MLK Parade

The organisers, H.E.L.P. and the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center at 2922 MLK Boulevard in South Dallas, bill it as the Official Martin Luther King Jr. Parade of the City of Dallas, and it has run for more than four decades. It typically takes place mid-morning on MLK Day in January. Check the H.E.L.P. parade page for the route and start time.

February: is there a Mardi Gras in Dallas?

Yes, Oak Cliff holds a Mardi Gras parade, usually in February.

Mardi Gras Oak Cliff Parade

Go Oak Cliff, the organiser, bills it as the largest Mardi Gras celebration in North Texas. The route runs along Davis Street in Oak Cliff, starting near Nova by the Kessler Theater, and it has typically stepped off on a Sunday afternoon. Dates move with the calendar, so look at Go Oak Cliff's Mardi Gras page for the current date and parking.

February to April: when is Dallas Blooms?

Dallas Blooms runs from late February to mid-April at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, 8525 Garland Road in East Dallas.

Dallas Blooms at the Dallas Arboretum

The Arboretum calls it the largest annual floral festival in the Southwest. It is a spring tradition on the shore of White Rock Lake, and the official page lists a run of roughly late February to mid-April. Arboretum members get free daytime admission and parking, which makes a membership pay off if you plan to visit in more than one season. Details are on the Dallas Blooms page.

April: which Dallas events fall in April?

April brings two long-running events: Dallas Arts Month and the Dallas International Film Festival.

Dallas Arts Month

Dallas Arts Month is held annually every April and began in 2013 as Dallas Arts Week. It is organised with the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture and a group of cultural districts, and it spreads across the city instead of sitting at one address. Start at dallasartsmonth.com, and pair it with a walk through the Dallas Arts District.

Dallas International Film Festival

The official site calls it the annual Dallas International Film Festival, and it typically takes over about a week in late April. Screenings, schedules and passes are at diffdallas.org.

September and October: what happens in Dallas in the fall?

Fall is the Dallas season: a pumpkin garden, the State Fair of Texas and the Texas-Oklahoma football game all overlap.

Autumn at the Arboretum

The Dallas Arboretum calls Autumn at the Arboretum a Dallas fall tradition. It typically runs from mid-September to early November, and its Pumpkin Village uses more than 100,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash across the garden's 66 acres. The theme and the pumpkin houses change every year. See the Autumn at the Arboretum page.

State Fair of Texas

The State Fair of Texas traces its roots to 1886 and is held at Fair Park, 3809 Grand Avenue in Dallas. It has skipped only a handful of years, including 1918 and 1942 to 1945 during the two world wars. It typically lasts 24 days from late September to mid-October. Big Tex, the fair's mascot, has his own page on the official site. Fletcher's corny dogs trace back to 1942, when two brothers first dipped a hot dog in cornmeal batter for the fair. Plan the day with the State Fair of Texas site and read more about Fair Park.

Red River Showdown (Texas vs. Oklahoma)

The Texas–Oklahoma football game has been played at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Fair Park since 1912, and the rivalry itself dates to 1900, according to the game's official site. It is usually held in October, during the State Fair. The Cotton Bowl Stadium seats 92,100. The game has its own site at redrivershowdown.com, and Fair Park lists the stadium at fairparkdallas.com.

Tip: the game and the fair share a weekend crowd, so use DART and book parking early if you drive to Fair Park.

November to January: where are the Dallas holiday lights?

Two official holiday experiences run from November into early January: Dallas Zoo Lights and the Dallas Arboretum's holiday season.

Dallas Zoo Lights

Dallas Zoo Lights takes place at the Dallas Zoo, 650 S. R.L. Thornton Freeway, and typically runs from November to early January on selected evenings from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Its Holiday Igloos are booked in 90-minute slots. Tickets are sold on the Zoo Lights page. Check the official site before you go, since only select nights are open.

Holiday at the Dallas Arboretum

The Dallas Arboretum at 8525 Garland Road typically runs a holiday season from mid-November to early January, including Christmas Village, where Santa visits on set days, plus evening hours on select nights. The lineup changes from year to year, so check before you build a visit around one display. Current offerings are on the Dallas Arboretum site.

December: what is the Dallas holiday parade and marathon?

December brings the Dallas Holiday Parade downtown and the BMW Dallas Marathon, usually the second weekend.

Dallas Holiday Parade

The Dallas Holiday Parade is held in downtown Dallas on a Saturday in early December, with a morning step-off. The official site traces it to December 3, 1988, when employees of The Adolphus hotel and Children's Medical Center Dallas produced the first one, which became known as the Miracle on Commerce Street. Tickets go on sale in advance, typically in the fall. See dallasholidayparade.com.

BMW Dallas Marathon

The BMW Dallas Marathon is held in December, with Marathon Day on the second Sunday and a weekend of events around it. The official site says the courses run through Dallas neighborhoods and landmarks, and that the weekend events can sell out well ahead of race day, so register early. Details are at dallasmarathon.com.

What does the Dallas year look like at a glance?

Here is the whole calendar in one list, by usual month.

• January: MLK Parade, South Dallas
• February: Mardi Gras Oak Cliff Parade
• Late February to mid-April: Dallas Blooms, Dallas Arboretum
• April: Dallas Arts Month and the Dallas International Film Festival
• Mid-September to early November: Autumn at the Arboretum
• Late September to mid-October: State Fair of Texas, Fair Park
• October: Red River Showdown, Cotton Bowl Stadium
• November to early January: Dallas Zoo Lights and holiday season at the Dallas Arboretum
• December: Dallas Holiday Parade and BMW Dallas Marathon

If you only get one weekend, pick one of the fall weekends: with the pumpkins, the fair and the Red River game all in the same few weeks, October is the one stretch of the year where Dallas does three big things at once.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the biggest annual events in Dallas?

The biggest annual events in Dallas are the State Fair of Texas at Fair Park, the Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas Blooms and Autumn at the Arboretum, and the BMW Dallas Marathon. The State Fair of Texas traces its roots to 1886.

When is the State Fair of Texas?

The State Fair of Texas usually runs for 24 days from late September to mid-October at Fair Park in Dallas. Dates change each year, so check bigtex.com for the current schedule.

When is the Red River Showdown played?

The Red River Showdown between Texas and Oklahoma is usually played in October at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Fair Park during the State Fair of Texas. The official site says the game has been held there since 1912.

When is Dallas Blooms at the Dallas Arboretum?

Dallas Blooms typically runs from late February to mid-April at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, 8525 Garland Road. Check the Arboretum's site for exact dates and tickets.

What happens in Dallas in December?

December in Dallas includes the Dallas Holiday Parade downtown, the BMW Dallas Marathon on the second weekend, Dallas Zoo Lights and the Dallas Arboretum's holiday season. Check each official site for current dates.