where to travel right now

A Gulf Coast jazz festival + 11 more Texas travel ideas for October

October is full of vibrant events happening all over Texas. From popular music festivals like Austin City Limits Music Festival and the Texas Jazz Festival in Corpus Christi, to new museum exhibitions in Arlington and San Antonio, there is a wide variety of events to check out this month.

Houston travelers can check out the Día de los Muertos festivities in San Antonio, explore dozens of Hill Country wineries with a Texas Wine Month passport, or stay local with an autumn-themed spa day at a Houston hotel.

Here are our top 12 picks for summer Texas travel events, hotel news, and more in October.

Austin

The far flung Austin suburb of Georgetown is getting a bold makeover with the development of a new 18,000-square-foot mural at the city's new parking garage located at 502 S. Main St., just steps away from the iconic downtown square. Graffiti artist and muralist ARCY designed the large-scale piece to honor the legacy of Georgetown's historic Chisholm Trail. The new mural comes as the city prepares for its Month of the Arts celebration from October 16-18. Festivities include a sculpture tour, the Autumn Art Stroll, and the fourth annual South Main Arts Festival. All events are family friendly and free to the public.

Austin visitors who aren't coming to town for ACL Fest or the Formula 1 weekend can instead take in two laid back, self-guided home tours taking place in October. The first is the Austin Landscape Artistry Showcase & Residential Garden Tour, which will allow visitors to explore some of Austin’s most stunning private landscapes for one day only on October 18. The second tour, the 39th annual AIA Austin Homes Tour, is an October 25-26 weekend tour showcasing 10 custom-designed homes throughout the Austin area. Tickets for the Austin Landscape Artistry Showcase are $23.17 per person, and tickets for the AIA Austin Homes Tour range from $16.82-$132.87.

The stops on these Austin home tours combine avant garde ideas with practical elements, bringing art home. Vista Lane by Cuppett Kilpatrick Architects, via AIA Austin/aiaaustin.org

Muertos Fest/Facebook

A tribute to Flaco Jiménez headlines the 2025 Muertos Fest in San Antonio.

In the Hill Country

October is known as Texas Wine Month, and nonprofit trade organization Texas Hill Country Wineries is celebrating with its month-long Texas Wine Month Passport event. The passport provides complimentary tastings at more than 45 participating Hill Country wineries, as well as exclusive discounts on bottles of wine to take home. Passport holders can visit up to four wineries each day in October, with a limit of visiting each winery once during the event. Texas Wine Month Passports are $85 for individuals and $120 for couples, and can be purchased online.

The Fredericksburg Food and Wine Festival is returning from October 21-26, and there are still tickets available for various food tasting events, including the Grand Tasting Event at Marktplatz on Oct. 25. The annual festival showcases over 75 Texas wineries, breweries, distilleries, and culinary partners, and features live music performances, live demonstrations, and more. Ticket prices vary, and can be purchased online.

At home in Houston

The Blossom Hotel Houston has officially rebranded and joined the Curio Collection by Hilton, beginning a new chapter for the four-year-old hotel. The 16-story property contains 267 rooms, the renowned Total You Medical Spa, all-day restaurant Blossom Reserve, and the Plum Skybar & Lounge. From October 2025 to March 2026, hotel guests will receive 1,000 Hilton Honors bonus points per night when they book their stays. Nightly rates begin at $167 in October.

Travelers needing a refreshing autumn-themed spa day can try one of the new fall treatment specials at the Thompson Houston hotel spa, which includes a pumpkin enzyme renewal facial and a "Drift into Light" massage. The new treatments are part of the Thompson Spa's "Tailored Touch" collection, which are personalized for each individual guest. Prices for the autumn spa specials range from $205-$445.

Along the Gulf Coast

The 64th annual Texas Jazz Festival, known as the longest continuously running free jazz festival in the world, is returning to Heritage Park in Corpus Christi from October 17-19. Three stages will be constructed for live performances from musicians from all over the U.S. Visitors can expect plenty of entertainment in between sets, such as local vendor markets, food booths, and more. The full act lineup and performance schedule can be found on the festival's website.

San Antonio

The Briscoe Western Art Museum will unveil its new historic exhibition, Going to Texas: Five Centuries of Texas Maps on Friday, October 3. Curated by Texas businessman and philanthropist Marty Davis and his wife Yana Davis from their personal collection, the exhibit includes 64 maps showcasing the evolution of Texas' landscape and history. Maps date as far back as 1548 and as recent as 2006. The exhibit will be on view through January 19, 2026. Non-member admission prices range from $8-$16 per person, and admission for children 12 and under is free.

Yana and Marty Davis Map Collection An 1853 map shows a very large Bexar County. MuseumOfTheBigBend.com

San Antonio's Día de Muertos celebrations kick off as early as October 5 with boat cruises to explore the alebrije (spirit guide) sculptures decorating the River Walk, plus the annual Day of the Dead River Parade on October 24. Muertos Fest will take place the same weekend as the parade and will include a musical tribute to Grammy-winning conjunto legend Flaco Jiménez. A community 5k run and family walk is scheduled for October 25 at 7 pm, and visitors are encouraged to write their loved one's name on a remembrance wall and add a photo to the community altar.

Dallas-Fort Worth

The Arlington Museum of Art will debut its highly anticipated Game of Thrones exhibition on Saturday, October 4, featuring more than 60 original costumes, props, and behind-the-scenes images from the popular HBO series. The family-friendly exhibition includes Daenerys Targaryen’s regal dragon-scale gowns and Jon Snow’s battle-worn Night’s Watch gear, among many others. Non-member tickets are $20 for children and $25 for adults, with additional discounts for military, seniors, and groups. The exhibition will run until April 5, 2026.

It may only be October, but The Adolphus in downtown Dallas is skipping ahead to December with reservations opening for its 2025-26 Holiday Tea season starting on Tuesday, October 7, at 10 am. The hotel's venerated Holiday Tea events – boasting a sumptuous three-course meal, a complimentary glass of bubbly, and an assortment of loose leaf teas – are an iconic part of what makes Dallas so jolly during the festive winter season, and tickets sell out within minutes. Holiday Tea services at The Adolphus are $85 per person, and will begin on Wednesday, November 5, and run through January 11, 2026. Reservations can be made via Resy or by calling The French Room directly at 214-651-3615.

Award-winning interior design firm Tihany Design has completed renovations on 126 West Tower guestrooms at The Joule, a luxury hotel in the heart of downtown Dallas. Tihany Design originally designed the hotel when it opened in 2008, so it's safe to say The Joule's Neo-Gothic aesthetic is still in good hands. In addition to "functional updates," a press release revealed that the West Tower guestrooms now contain contemporary color palettes, European walnut paneling, bespoke furnishings, custom artwork, and much more.

dallas fort worth arlington san antonio houston austin corpus christi austin city limits music festival music festival hotels museums hill country hill country winery spa

get lost

'Hidden' Round Top property transformed into a new boutique hotel

Photo by Dagnushka

Hideaway Round Top will open in January.

When designer Emily Seiders, founder and creative director of Studio Seiders, along with husband and business partner Rick, decided to take a leisurely, lockdown-induced, drive to Round Top in 2020, they had no idea that what they were embarking on would truly be an adventure — say hello to Hideaway Round Top.

A serendipitous for sale sign sighting off of famed Highway 237 led the Seiders to rescue the 21-acre property — previously sold and permitted for a 100 townhome development — and create an environmentally-sensitive boutique hotel and retreat for guests to relax, unwind, explore, and “go get lost.” Enlisting the expertise of architect Sam Burch, the Seiders are nearing the conclusion of phase one of the project and expect to receive guests beginning in January 2026.

Hideaway is currently comprised of three buildings: one 3,321-square foot main house and two 692-square foot cottages — aptly named “Prairie Cottage” and “Woodlands Cottage.” Tying these guest accommodations together are winding paths, an organic, spring-inspired pool, a rustic stone fire pit enclave, curated recreation spaces, plus a large pond with yoga decks and a fishing pier.

Both Emily and Rick have deep Texas roots, with their families arriving in the 1850s and 1836, respectively. Leaning heavily into that longstanding heritage, Seiders has designed every aspect of Hideaway to share a unique Texas experience with her guests.

“I was always struck by the kind of confluence of this creative community, with Round Top’s rich history and culture,” Seiders tells CultureMap. “When we decided to put down roots here, I just wanted to really honor the time and place, and the land and the people who have been here before us.”

The design and materials all focus on the original German architecture in the area. Limestone set with a traditional mortar shmear, natural-faced, white oak cladding for both the interior and exterior, plus a glass-enclosed dogtrot in the main house pay homage to generations past, with each cottage reflecting a similar style — minus the dogtrot. Tiles set in playful, checkered patterns and others custom made to showcase native flora and fauna all blend seamlessly with antique textiles and quilts framed and reimagined as modern art installations.

In the main house, three en suite bedrooms and a powder bath are divided from a generously-appointed chef’s kitchen, full bar, and open concept living and dining room by the aforementioned glassed dogtrot that serves as an additional seating area and gallery space. Expansive porches offer views of native-only plantings and landscapes, while an outdoor kitchen, dining area, and lounge spaces provide every opportunity for guests to embrace the outdoors while enjoying the creature comforts of home.

“I want to create spaces where life is meant to be lived,” explains Seiders. “It was a little bit of a dance — as a hospitality project — to do that. It’s hard to put a label on what [style] it is, but, I think it’s just the story of Texas, distilled through my designer lens, with really intentional artwork that helps tell that story with Texas heritage at its core.”

Nearly every element of the interiors has been crafted and outfitted by over 100 independent artisans from across the country — all the way down to traditional upholstery techniques from a maker in Pennsylvania. “One of the things I want to do here is pull back the veil a little bit, because, honestly, they put their hearts and souls into these pieces, too,” says Seiders. “I’m excited to highlight the artisans that we’ve worked with because they are real artists — it takes forever just to get one of their pieces.”

One thing sure to get guests swooning is the product of a collaboration with luxe linen company Morrow. While linens chosen for Hideaway are all from Morrow collections that are available online, the cozy robes are custom exclusives — so make sure to snap a photo for the ‘gram, because they won’t be seen anywhere else.

As it stands, the main house and two cottages comfortably sleep a total of 19 guests. Hideaway’s website will redirect to local bookings through Hostie beginning in mid-November, with guest stays beginning January 1st. Guests are able to book the main house and the cottages separately, but during the high seasons (like during Round Top’s famous Fall Antiques Show) Hideaway will likely only be available for buyouts — that’s still being decided.

Those looking for larger events and accommodations will be pleased to learn that phase two (2027) includes the addition of two, 284-square-foot tiny homes, plus a gorgeous 3,409-square-foot event space. The space, with expansive steel and glass windows, will overlook the pond and offer a catering kitchen, full bar, and private back-of-house access.

“We wanted to get the bones down, and then figure out: ‘What does the community need? What does the land need? What’s appropriate, and what’s not?’ The idea evolved quite a bit,” Seiders explains of the decision not to build a vendor space. “Scaled-down, small, private dinners, small music venue space, small weddings and that sort of thing is what made sense. But it will feel contiguous with what’s here — it will be a fun added space.”

One thing Seiders hopes is that guests will heed the advice of the theme of Hideaway and “go get lost.” Growing up in Houston, Seiders would go with her family to their Schulenburg farm every Sunday after church, where Seiders and her siblings would be encouraged by their mother to play outside, and “go get lost.”

“So we would. We’d go get lost,” says Seiders. “We’d go explore the woods, climb the hay bales, swim in the tank, fish, we’d pretend to get stuck in quicksand — the whole thing. That freedom really spurred this creativity, and I hope that guests here at Hideaway will feel that sense of freedom and retreat, and the ability to kind of tap into their own creativity in that same way.”

A taste of that “go get lost” spirit was in full swing during Round Top’s recent Fall Antiques Show. The Seiders hosted friends, family, and members of the media for an exclusive tour, plus dinner by Uchi Austin and Loro Asian Smokehouse. Guests received Hideaway tote bags, leather journals, s’mores kits, branded scarves, and custom monogrammed silver scarf ties by Amanda Reid.

Hideaway is directly next door to The Compound, which is arguably Round Top’s most popular vendor market. Compound owner — and one time Round Top mayor — Mark Massey is certainly relieved to have had the Seiders scoop up the land, noting that the idea of a 100 townhome development in Round Top “gave everyone a heart attack.”

Seiders is happy with how it all worked out in the end: “Round Top has grown a lot in the last several years, and that’s exciting, but we also saw it as an opportunity to create a place that felt like a pause for a bit on the grid, and it gives us the opportunity to tell the story of the people, the cultures, the land, and to be a place that your neighbors can be proud of — that felt authentic and appropriate to time and place.”

Photo by Dagnushka

Hideaway Round Top will open in January.

where to travel right now

A Gulf Coast jazz festival + 11 more Texas travel ideas for October

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