life's a beach

Gulf Coast getaways from Galveston to Padre beckon with a perfect Labor Day weekend escape

Labor Day weekend offers the perfect three-day respite before the full reality of back to school and the fall fury gets underway. Here in the Greater Houston area, that means a beachy getaway is a short drive away to Galveston and the surrounding communities.

For those up for a longer road trip, Gulf Coast cities such as Port Aransas, Corpus Christi (three hours or more) and South Padre Island (six hours) boast white, sandy beaches, blue water, palm trees, and coastal community charm. Consider them balmy versions of Cape Cod or 30A – but with a Texas ZIP code. Even better, a flight is as fast than an average commute from the 'burbs to downtown.

With that in mind, we've rounded up a list of favorite getaways in each city. Given the myriad options via Airbnb, Vrbo, boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts, and discount sites, we placed particular focus on high-end hotels and resorts that offer choice amenities for couples or families. As publication time, reservations are still available at each destination for that warm, sunny, last-minute beach escape.

Galveston

Grand Galvez

Long known as the only truly historic beachfront hotel on the Gulf Coast, the Galvez has seen guests since 1911. The AAA 4-Diamond landmark hotel and spa known as the "Queen of the Gulf" has just undergone a massive renovation and update throughout the entire space and all 219 rooms, courtesy of new owners Mark and Lorenda Wyant.

The sweeping East Loggia at the Grand Galvez.Photo via Grand Galvez Galveston

True to its name, the Galvez dazzles with iconic, beachside and pool views, a grand entry and communal spaces, and lavish, old world design evoking Great Gatsby-era living. Don't let the fact the Galvez is considered the most haunted hotel in Texas deter from booking a room at 20 percent off the published rate for Labor Day (be sure to call the hotel directly to book).

2024 Seawall Blvd; 409-765-7721

Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa and Convention Center

The Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa and Convention Center is a no-brainer, one-stop-shop for on-site attractions and upscale lodging. Photo via Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa and Convention Center

A Galveston landmark, the complex is known as an oasis within the city. Comprised of 242 acres, the palm-tree-lined destination includes an upscale hotel and spa near next to the aquarium, discovery museum, golf, zip line, ropes course, an on-site palm beach, and even its own boat dock/slip and marina for visiting boaters. The iconic, glass rainforest pyramid is visible from miles away and is a year-round attraction. One part resort, one part beach theme park overlooking the water, Moody Gardens is a no-brainer for families or those who want to maximize the on-site fun. (The Moody Gardens hotel sits across the street from Schlitterbahn Waterpark.)

Currently, available rooms include island view, bayou view, and pyramid view — all distinct. Look for a Summer Fintastic Package: Sharks in Depth and Planet Earth: Deep Sea Adventure exhibits in the Discovery Museum, a 20,000 Leagues show in the Audience Recognition Theater, One 3D theater film in the MG3D theater, and two Deep plushies. Other packages include an Explore Moody Gardens for couples and families.

7 Hope Blvd.; 409-741-8484

The San Luis Resort, Spa and Conference Center

Like the Galvez, Tilman Fertitta's massive resort sits on Galveston's seawall, offering guests the famed Houston billionaire's brand of over-the-top luxury. Enjoy pampering via spa treatments, dine at upscale in-house restaurants Grotto and The Steakhouse, and stroll the palm-lined compound. Opt for a standard room or for even more luxury, book one of the five private, secluded villas with their own controlled pool and private bar.

For Labor Day weekend, the San Luis is hosting Pickleball Paddle Battles, where guests and the public can face off in a fun, open-play format for all skill levels (Friday through Sunday). Or, grab that yoga mat and stretch out with an adorable goat yoga session on the grounds, in partnership with Goats On The Bayou farm. (Book here; free for kids aged 10 and younger.)

5222 Seawall Blvd.; 409-744-1500

The Tremont House

One of the oldest standing properties in Galveston, the Tremont dates back to 1839, when it was originally constructed. Nestled in a historic area in the city, the Tremont is a local and state favorite for its rooftop bar (a must for any visit) overlooking the city and site to sweeping sunsets and 360-degree views. Now part of the Tribute hotel group, the Tremont has also seen major updates and renovations to all 135 guestrooms and suites. In a nod to the hotel's past, the Tremont now is home to the 1872 Toujouse Lobby bar, on loan from the Galveston Historical Foundation, but the live piano sessions are also a draw. Unlike many hotels, the Tremont is entirely pet friendly and provides water bowls outside of the main entrance, dog beds, and a pet amenity.

For Labor Day, the Tremont is promoting a Stay For Breakfast in Galveston package, which includes breakfast in the hotel restaurant for up to two adults and children 12 years old and under (registered in the same room).

2300 Ship Mechanic Row St.; 409-763-0300

Port Aransas

Cinnamon Shore

Photo courtesy of The San Luis Resort

Tilman Fertitta's San Luis Resort offers over-the-top luxury.

Sitting on Mustang Island, Cinnamon Shore is a picturesque community of beach homes, condos, gulf view homes, large-family rental homes, pet-friendly rentals, and townhomes in Port Aransas. Rental guests can look forward to beach homes and condos with golf cart boardwalk access to the beach. Beachfront and gulf view rentals offer room for couples, families, or themed getaways with up to eight bedrooms in modern, handsomely appointed houses. Other outdoor draws (besides the obvious Gulf Coast waters and Mustang Island beachfront) include charming parks, lakes, and onsite pools, parks. Staff are on hand to direct guests to on-site dining and amenities, as well as island attractions.

Port Aransas, Cinnamon Shore Cinnamon Shore brings a bit of Cape Cod to Texas. Photo courtesy of Cinnamon Shore

Travelers checking in during Labor Day weekend can take advantage of a reduced, three-night minimum stay. Hope on a golf cart and head to themed summer activities like surfing and sandcastle lessons, live music, and s’mores nights at community fire pits. Lake fun includes outdoor movie nights and fishing lessons for kids and adults. For a romantic or memorable night, book a private beach bonfire session. Find more Labor Day information here.

Those charmed by the destination or who can't make it for Labor Day can check out a Late Summer/Fall Special, offering 50 percent off an additional night for when booking two or more nights. (The promotion excludes holiday weekends, including Labor Day; other restrictions apply.)

5009 TX-361; (888) 893-0658

Corpus Christi

Omni Corpus Christi

Situated on the Corpus Christi Bayfront, the Omni Corpus Christi is perfect for families or couples looking for a relaxing getaway. The hotel offers four restaurants and bars, including South Texas' only AAA Four Diamond restaurant, The Republic of Texas. Located at the top of the hotel, the restaurant serves a delicious Texas and seafood-forward menu with stunning views of Corpus Christi Bay.

The hotel is also minutes away from some of the area's most sought-after attractions, including The Texas State Aquarium, Whataburger Field, USS Lexington, and the Harbor Bridge. Guests can choose from nearly 500 comfortable rooms or luxurious suites. The hotel also offers indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a fitness center, a full-service spa, and racquetball courts.

900 N Shoreline Blvd.; (361) 887-1600

Located on Corpus Christi Bay, Omni Corpus Christi Hotel offers accommodations with ocean views and close proximity to the many area attractions.Photo courtesy of Omni Corpus Christi

South Padre Island

Isla Grand Beach Resort

This South Padre Island resort offers the exclusive perk of private beach access and a lush 10-acre tropical paradise just waiting to be explored. The resort also boasts two resort-style swimming pools and tennis and sand volleyball courts catering to relaxation and play.

When it comes to accommodations, Isla Grand Beach Resort has something for everyone. For those seeking space and luxury, the resort has two-bedroom, high-rise condominiums with panoramic views of the stunning Gulf of Mexico. Guests can also choose from cabana rooms, each offering scenic views of the beach, garden, or swimming pools.

The resort offers families a seasonal array of children's activities and convenient access to various beach services, including adventures like parasailing and banana boat rides. The resort has daytime and evening live entertainment between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Daily schedules include family-friendly comedy shows, live music, and fun events like crab races – and don't miss the Thursday evening fireworks show to cap off a fantastic stay.

500 Padre Blvd. South; 800-292-7704

Isla Grand Beach Resort is right on the beach and includes two swimming pools, hot tubs, tennis courts, beach volleyball, and more.Photo by Isla Grand Beach Resort

Margaritaville Beach Resort at South Padre Island

When guests arrive at the brand new Margaritaville resort, they will immediately recognize its familiar tropical charm. The resort offers a selection of 200 thoughtfully appointed guest rooms and an additional 50 luxurious beachfront condos, all providing panoramic views of the Gulf.

The resort has three restaurants and bars on-site, each seamlessly encapsulating the well-known brand. Margaritaville South Padre Island also has amenities, including the region's largest temperature-controlled hotel pool, outdoor fire pits, and hammocks.

Guests can choose from relaxing on the beach or exciting adventures like windsurfing, banana boat rides, and parasailing. Offshore fishing, dolphin-watching sessions, and wave runner rentals are also available. Margaritaville has a fully equipped exercise center and a full-service spa, Sapphire Spa, which offers a full menu of luxurious treatments and services, and a professional hair salon.

310 Padre Blvd.; 956-761-6551

Enjoy a daycation at Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island, a premier oceanfront resort.Photo by Margaritaville Beach Resort at South Padre Island

Farm to fairground

Ultimate guide to Texas' top food festivals for summer and fall 2026

Photo courtesy of Parker County Peach Festival

Everyone eats peaches at Parker County's famous festival.

Only in Texas can an entire weekend revolve around watermelon seed-spitting, pickle juice drinking, or a championship goat cookoff. Across the state, summer and fall bring a packed calendar of food festivals celebrating everything from peaches and peanuts to black-eyed peas and barbacoa. These beloved events pair hometown traditions with live entertainment, quirky contests, and enough local flavor to fill a cooler.

Here's a calendar guide to Texas' best food festivals to visit in 2026:

Photo courtesy of Parker County Peach Festival

Everyone eats peaches at Parker County's famous festival.

Luling Watermelon Thump – June 25-28
Can you hear that thumping sound now? Home of the World Championship Seed-Spitting Contest, this juicy jamboree takes place just east of New Braunfels. Bid on champion-sized melons at the auction, wave hello to the Watermelon Queen, and see adorable tots wheeling in watermelons in wagons for the Lil Growers competition. Texans love our watermelon: You’ll also find the McDade Watermelon Festival (July 11), Hempstead Watermelon Festival (July 17-18), and the Naples Watermelon Festival (July 23-25).

Wave hello to the Watermelon Queen in the big Luling Watermelon Thump.Photo courtesy of Luling Watermelon Thump

Parker County Peach Festival in Weatherford – July 11
Stroll around Weatherford’s historic courthouse square and shop for fresh peaches galore from local growers. Browse 200+ arts and crafts vendors and sample treats like fried peach pies, peach ice cream, and peach wine. Slam down your winning tiles at the 42 domino tournament (the national game of Texas) and shop for just-picked peaches. Many people leave with several bushels! Peachapaloozas also erupt at Stonewall’s Peach JAMboree & Rodeo (June 19-21) near Fredericksburg and Fairfield’s Fuzzy Peach Festival (July 17-18).

Cheeseburger Festival in Friona – July 18
Just 35 miles from the New Mexico border, Friona is surrounded by cattle ranches, wheat fields, and dairy farms — which provide three of the essential ingredients for cheeseburgers. Saturday, July 18 is the big cookoff, where teams must make 200 cheeseburgers each, and the week leading up to it includes daily diversions like kite flying, archery lessons, Loteria games, and movie nights at the city pool.

Texas Monthly Taco Fest — July 25
Now in its second year, the event, which will be held at Discovery Green, includes many of the restaurants named to the magazine's list of the 50 Best Tacos in Texas. Participants include Houston favorites such as the Original Ninfa’s, Cochinita & Co., Maximo, Tacos Frontera, Huncho’s Tacos, and Papalo Taqueria, which ranked No. 7 on the list. In addition, look for Burnt Bean Co., from Seguin, ranked No. 1 on the magazine's top 50 barbecue joints list, and Ana Liz Taqueria, from Mission, the number one taqueria on the 50 Best Tacos list, among a host of others. Tickets are priced at $60 for general admission and $85 for VIP.

World Championship Goat Cookoff in Brady – September 4-5
Labor Day weekend brings more than 200 teams of goat chefs to this tiny town that’s smack in the middle of the state. But it’s not just about shining a light on an underappreciated meat; showmanship is also key. Cooking teams try to outdo each other with elaborate themed camps, giving the event a family-reunion-meets-tailgate-party atmosphere.

Texas Banana Pudding Festival in Slaton – September 5
The Banana Pudding Capital of Texas is way out west near Lubbock, and every autumn a local bakery hosts a ‘nanner puddin’ blowout in the historic town square. The street festival oozes small-town charm (think vintage tractor displays and pinewood derby races) with fantastic b-pudding flavors like Key lime pie and peanut butter.

Caldwell Kolache Festival – September 12
With tens of thousands of kolaches, nonstop polka music, and a parade with colorful folk costumes, this celebration honors Czech culture and heritage. Found close to College Station, Caldwell is called the Czech Capital of Texas, and its signature festival also features the Beseda (the national dance of the Czech Republic) and kolache baking and eating contests.

In a Pickle Festival in Helotes – September 19
Does the idea of dogs dressed like pickles tickle your fancy? The pickled pet parade is a highlight of this Hill Country brou-ha-ha, and so is the pickle juice drinking competition. Chug! Chug! Chug! Hungry now? Try pickle pizza, pickle ice cream, and freeze-dried pickles — and if you still haven’t had enough, there’s a second In a Pickle Festival in Mercedes each spring, and Garland hosts its Pickle Party on the Square with a Pickle University every June.

Bertram Oatmeal Festival – September 26
Head to this Hill Country hamlet to meet Oatie, the festival mascot (a container of 3-Minute Oats) and his masked arch-nemesis, the Grits Guzzler (a corny cornmeal-pushing villain). Watch their shenanigans unfold down the street before you sign up for silly games like the tortilla toss and cow chip kick. Children can get ooey-gooey searching for prizes in the popular oatmeal dig, a kiddie pool filled with oats.

Southern Smoke Festival — October 3
Houston's most star-studded annual food event returns to Discovery Green with almost 100 participating chefs. As always, the roster is headlined by Aaron Franklin, who serves the brisket that made Austin's Franklin Barbecue one of the country's most celebrated restaurants. Other participants include Paul Carmichael, the chef behind the New York Times' no. 1 restaurant Kabawa; Serigne Mbaye, whose New Orleans restaurant Dakar NOLA ranked No. 4 on the new list of North America's 50 Best Restaurants; and the return of pizza master Chris Bianco. Tickets, priced at $225 for general admission and $550 for Lexus VIP, are available now.

Meet Oatie, the mascot of the Bertram Oatmeal Festival. Photo courtesy of Bertram Oatmeal Festival

Floresville Peanut Festival – October 6-10
The enticing aroma of roasting peanuts fills the air at this South Texas fest, which dates all the way back to 1938. It kicks off with Goober Games for children (like sack races and peanut tossing) and a Kiddie Parade with pint-sized floats. Then the serious fun begins: a grand parade, barbecue cookoff, and washer tournament — plus a panoply of peanutty treats, from old-school peanut brittle to newfangled inventions like fried peanut butter sandwiches.

Barbacoa and Big Red Festival in San Antonio – October 10-11
Inspired by a Mexican American weekend lunch ritual, this giant fair celebrates the uber-Texas combo of ice-cold Big Red soda and slow-cooked barbacoa. Thousands of fans flock to the Freeman Coliseum grounds and Expo Hall for this full-blown cultural festival with carnival rides and multiple stages of Tejano and country music.

Jamburgeree in Athens – October 16-17
Turtle races? Check. Mooing competition? Check. Hamburger-building contest? Of course! This Piney Woods party is two food festivals in one: the Black-Eyed Pea Jamboree and the Uncle Fletch Hamburger Festival — because Athens is the Black-Eyed Pea Capital of the World AND the Birthplace of the Hamburger. Vegetarians and carnivores can walk hand-in-hand through the food fest and enjoy the eats along with a black-eyed pea spitting contest, a farmer’s market, and a cornhole tournament.

Seguin Pecan Fest – October 24
Snap a selfie with the world’s largest pecan in this picturesque town along the Guadalupe River, the Pecan Capital of Texas and one of the state’s leading producers of our favorite nuts. Pecan-themed festivities include a Food Truck Throwdown with pecan-inspired dishes and a Get Crackin’ Contest for masochists who like to shell pecans. Last year’s bash also had llamas.

Of course there's a Pecan Fest in Texas.Photo courtesy of Pecan Fest

Crystal City Spinach Festival – October 29-November 1
Celebrate Popeye’s favorite food for four whole days in Crystal City, located about 100 miles southwest of San Antonio in Zavala County — Texas’ top spinach-producing county for more than a century. Naturally, there’s a spinach cookoff, as well as a parade, carnival rides, and the crowning of the Spinach Festival Queen. Don’t forget to pay your regards to the statue of Popeye, who popularized spinach during the Great Depression — transforming Crystal City’s economy and spurring the founding of the Spinach Festival in 1936.

Heritage Syrup Festival – November 14 in Henderson
Watch ribbon cane syrup as it’s made with antique, mule-powered equipment at this Easy Texas folk life festival. You’ll also see demonstrations of lace making, blacksmithing, rope making, quilting, spinning, and wood carving. Hayrides and square dancing complete the old-fashioned fun.

Poteet Strawberry Festival – Second weekend of April 2027 (date TBA)
Last but certainly not least, this massive event near San Antonio attracts over 100,000 fruit fanatics to the Strawberry Capital of Texas every spring. It has it all: fireworks, rodeo thrills, marching bands, carnival rides, and more than a dozen stages of entertainment from folklorico dancers to dueling pianos. But the star of the show is the sweet South Texas strawberry, a ruby-red gem that gets gobbled by the truckload.

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