If you’re looking for fun things to do in East Texas this weekend, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s our rundown of some fun things happening around the area! For a look at live music around East Texas, check out our Live Music Lineup!

If you know of another event, or see an inaccuracy below, please let us know here.

THURSDAY, 5/4

17th Annual Toyota Jamboree

When: 11:00 AM (Full Weekend Event)
Where: Barnwell Mountain Off Road Park, Gilmer
Cost: Tickets found here

May the 4th be with you at the 17th Annual Toyota Jamboree.

May the Fourth... Be With Us

When: 4:00 PM
Where: True Vine Brewing Company, Tyler
Cost: Free

For all you Star Wars lovers out there! Join us on May the Fourth! Do or do not...there is no try.

*$1 off beers if you come in costume or wear your favorite Star Wars gear!

*Star Wars movies playing on all the screens!

*Star Wars music playing on our speakers!

This is the way.

Pints & Pups

When: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: ETX Brewing Co, Tyler
Cost: Free

Grab your pups for some OUTDOOR fun, food, and drinks on the patio at ETX Brewing Co.!

10% of all proceeds between 6-8 PM go to the SPCA of East Texas which helps us care for our dogs and cats that are currently in our program!! We will have a table set up with SPCA merchandise and will gladly take donations of IAMS dog or cat food! Thank you for your support and we hope to see you there!

Star Wars Trivia at ETX Brewing Co

When: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: ETX Brewing Co, Tyler
Cost: Free

Calling all Star Wars fans! Join us for a night of trivia, prizes, and fun. Test your knowledge of the galaxy far, far away and see if you can come out on top. Learn about all of the Star Wars guests you’ll be seeing a Fan Expo Dallas 2023!

A Flower of the Field

When: 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Where: Tyler Civic Theatre Center, Tyler
Cost: $15

In the winter of 1349, the Black Death has all but ravaged the city of Kilkenny and left John Clyn, a gentle friar, to tend the ill and infected alone. With a storm threatening what little peace the abbey offers (courtesy of a vengeful Bishop and the mysterious woman he’s vowed to destroy,) Clyn must fight to preserve a secret that, if uncovered, threatens the hope he has worked so hard to champion.

Winner of our 2022 New Play Festival People’s Choice Award, this new play by Colin Speer Crowley is rife with intrigue and drama that it sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!

Tootsie the Musical

When: 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Where: UT Cowan Center, Tyler
Cost: $34-$99

Call it “musical comedy heaven” (Rolling Stone). Call it “the most uproarious new musical in years!” (The Hollywood Reporter). Call it TOOTSIE! This laugh-out-loud love letter to the theater tells the story of Michael Dorsey, a talented but difficult actor who struggles to find work until one show-stopping act of desperation lands him the role of a lifetime. Featuring a hilarious Tony®-winning book by Robert Horn and an outrageously clever score by 2018 Tony-winner David Yazbek (The Band’s Visit, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), this New York Times Critic’s Pick is “a joyful delight” (The Washington Post) that’s “so packed with punchlines, it should be called a jokebox musical!” (Bloomberg).

FRIDAY, 5/5

Red Thorn Spring Bash

When: 3:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Where: Yellow Rose Canyon, Mount Enterprise
Cost: $10 Admission

Round up the whole family to help us bring in Spring at our Inaugural Spring Bash at Yellow Rose Canyon in beautiful East Texas! This first edition will feature LIVE music, Mini Bike racing, Corn hole, a boxcar downhill race, a pool and the Giant Slip n Slide, and other family friendly camp games!

Festivities start with live music Friday evening at The Red Thorn Club overlooking the Canyon and continue on Saturday with lots of activities INCLUDING a Corn Hole Tournament with $1000 in PRIZES and more live entertainment. Gates open Friday at 3pm and Saturday at 10am for folks not camping or staying overnight. Admission is $10 per person (kids 12 & under get in free) with FREE on-site tent camping for those who want to make a full weekend of this event!

Cinco de Mayo at True Vine

When: 4:00 PM
Where: True Vine Brewing Company, Tyler
Cost: Free

It’s a fiesta! Join us & let’s party together for Cinco de Mayo!

*Live music by Jeremiah Jackson

*Micheladas & Chile Lime Salud

*C Rojos Taco Truck & Sola Bread Co providing food

Bring your family & friends and let’s celebrate together here at True Vine!

Mother’s Day Bottle Engraving

When: 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Where: Fresh by Brookshire’s, Tyler
Cost: Free

Join us for a complimentary bottle engraving just in time for Mother’s Day!

80 Acre Market

When: 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: 80 Acre Market, Gilmer
Cost: Free

FREE Face Painting - Saturday, May 6, 12-6PM & Sunday, May 7, 1-6PM

Canvas Painting - Spring designs, $10 all weekend long

FREE Coloring Pages - Let your little one(s) express themselves through art - all weekend long

FREE Mother’s Day Photo Op - Take pictures at our staged Photo Op available Saturday, May 6, 10AM-12PM & 1-4PM, or Sunday, May 7, 12-3PM

Mosaic Candle Craft - Create your own mosaic candle all weekend long, $5

FREE Kids Craft - Create Tissue Paper Flowers at the Kid’s Activity Tent, all weekend long

Cinco de Mayo at the Longview Arboretum

When: 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Where: Longview Arboretum and Nature Center, Longview
Cost: $5-$10

We will have a mariachi band, beer and wine, taco trucks, folkloric dancers and more!

Advance tickets are $5, tickets at the gate are $10. Kids 12 and under FREE.

Cinco de Mayo at Fresh

When: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Where: Fresh by Brookshire’s, Tyler
Cost: Free

Join us for a Cinco de Mayo celebration at FRESH Grill + Patio! Live music by Señor Gringo 6 PM - 9 PM plus food and drink specials, tap takeovers, y mas! Celebrating all weekend, May 5-7.

Fat Friday at the East Texas Arboretum

When: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Where: East Texas Arboretum, Athens
Cost: $75

East Texas Arboretum presents FAT FRIDAY with Crawfish Boil, Silent Auction and Zydeco Music by Jay-B and the Zydeco Posse in Athens Texas.

Movie Night at the Barn

When: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Where: The Barn of Emory, Emory
Cost: Free

Join The Barn for our 2023 Movie Series. The perfect date night. Movies will vary and a surprise each week. Concessions available for purchase!

A Flower of the Field

When: 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Where: Tyler Civic Theatre Center, Tyler
Cost: $15

Winner of our 2022 New Play Festival People’s Choice Award, this new play by Colin Speer Crowley is rife with intrigue and drama that it sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!

Mary, Mary

When: 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Where: Lamp-Lite Theatre
Cost: $8-$15

This Jean Kerr play is a hilarious send up of marriage, taxes, weight loss and sex, and was one of the longest-running plays in Broadway history.

Recently divorced Mary and Bob meet at his apartment to try to avoid an audit by the IRS. A snowstorm forces Mary to spend the night, and the following morning, mutual friend and lawyer Oscar, Hollywood heartthrob and neighbor Dirk Winston, and Bob’s considerably younger fiancée Tiffany arrive on the scene.

Open Mic Night

When: 8:00 PM
Where: The Understudy, Tyler
Cost: $10

Open mic night at the The Understudy is happening.

SATURDAY, 5/6

Likewise Coffee Grand Opening

When: 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Where: Likewise Coffee, Tyler
Cost: Free

Join us for our Grand Opening Event at Likewise Coffee! We are locally-owned shop focused on creating craft coffee culture in Tyler, bringing the community together through our brand-new space and events. We will be open from 7am-3pm on Saturday, May 6th, offering our full coffee, tea, and breakfast menu for you all to try out, as well as fun specials for the day such as giveaways, a bouncehouse and slide for the kiddos, and 75 FREE Frio’s gourmet popsicles!

We would love for you to come see our space, meet our team of owners and baristas, and of course - sip on high quality espresso drinks. Bring the family - see you there!

Cinco de Mayo 5k, 10k, 15k, Half Marathon

When: 7:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Where: Mineola Nature Preserve, Mineola
Cost: $20-$35

- free photos

- course through beautiful nature preserve on railbed trail (~25% paved, 75% hard packed gravel/dirt)

Beginner Beekeeping Class

When: 8:00 AM
Where: Plants of Texas, Flint
Cost: $25

This is the last time we are offering our beekeeping series this Spring!

Join Plants of Texas and Daniel Lennon for an informative class on beginner beekeeping.

Kilgore Farmers Market

When: 8:00 AM - Noon
Where: 100 E. North Street, Kilgore
Cost: Free

Produce, crafts, food, & more every Saturday morning from April 15th till October 21st 2023.

First Saturday Hike

When: 9:00 AM
Where: Tyler State Park, adjacent to the Camp Store
Cost: $6 park entry fee

This is a group led hike and not organized by a specific person. As a group, we’ll decide which trail(s) to hike.

As a reminder, there is a $6.00 park entry fee, unless you have a state park annual pass. We suggest arriving at the park no later than 8:45 to allow time to go through the gates, register and pay.

As usual, please make sure you bring plenty of water, bug repellent and sunscreen. Dogs, on leash are welcome. Please clean up after your pets.

Cars and Coffee Whitehouse

When: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Where: First Baptist Church, Whitehouse
Cost: Free

The Cars and Coffee Whitehouse event will be on the first Saturday of every month from 9am - 11am at First Baptist Church Whitehouse! See you then!

Kentucky Derby Day at the Farmers Market

When: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Where: Palestine Farmers Market, Palestine
Cost: Free

Come celebrate First Saturdays on Main Kentucky Derby style with us. Our food demo/sampling this month is Mint Julep mocktails and Southern style Collard greens. JT Warthog’s will be on site. Special custom hat maker Pink Banshee and several Kentucky Derby inspired items and activities.

Don’t forget to take the kids over for a snow cone from Snowie Bus and at 11:30 there will be a Horsey Derby for kids 10 and under! Come early for the best pick of produce and all things local.

Grand Saline Mainstreet Festival

When: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Grand Saline Main Street
Cost: Free

Join us on Main Street on May 6th from 9am-4pm for a fun-filled day of food, music, and shopping.

Winnsboro Festival of Books

When: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Market Street - On the Bowery, Downtown Winnsboro
Cost: Free

Join us for the Fifth Annual Winnsboro Festival of Bookson Saturday, May 6th, 2023. This fun-filled day has activities for the whole family! Over 35 authors will be in attendance sharing and selling their books, including children’s and adult authors.

Throughout the day, the Ft. Worth Poet Society will be sharing interactive and impromptu poetry readings. Featured authors will be doing live readings and an author roundtable discussion. The children’s literary activities will include storytelling, art activities, photos with beloved children’s book character, Pete the Cat, and the launch of the Winnsboro Chapter of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library! This program provides free books for children ages birth-5 years old of Winnsboro families who register.

2nd Annual Touch-A-Truck

When: 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Where: Telegraph Park, Marshall
Cost: Free

The Rotary Club of Marshall and Marshall Main Street are honored to announce the 2nd Annual Touch-A-Truck will be back in Downtown Marshall on Saturday, May 6, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. If severe weather, the event will be rescheduled to Saturday, May 13, 2023.

This FREE family event will expect more vehicles, games, crafts, and food trucks with tremendous interest from our sponsors, vehicle owners, non-profit organizations, local businesses, and churches.

If you want to participate, you can send inquiries to marshalltouchatruck@gmail.com.

Mother’s Day Market on Main

When: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Where: 305 E Main St, Nacogdoches
Cost: Free

Join us downtown Nacogdoches the first Saturday of each month to shop local goods, made by local people. Market on Main will be open from 10:00 am-2:00 pm with incredible vendors.

Spring Fling at Bear Creek

When: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Where: Bear Creek Smokehouse, Marshall

Join us for our first ever “Spring Fling” at the Bear Creek Smokehouse General Store! Several of our favorite businesses will be there, including Walker’s Mill Winery, Joe Pine Coffee Co., ETX Flowers, Liz Clay Permanent Jewelry, Honey B Hat Creations and The Cotton Candy Cart, plus a fun photo booth provided by Healthcare Express. It’s free to attend, but bring extra spending money to enjoy all of our fabulous vendors. And come hungry, because our Smokin’ Saturday lunch starts at 11am!

Free Comic Book Day 2023

When: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Ground Zero Comics, Tyler
Cost: Free

The annual tradition returns!

Join us on Saturday, May 6th as we celebrate FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

As always, We’ll have a selection of comics from which you can choose up to 3 absolutely FREE!

We start at 10am and goes until 4pm (as long as supplies last).

May Fiesta

When: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Historic Downtown Mineola
Cost: Free

Join us for Mineola’s Annual May Fiesta Festival on May 6th downtown as we celebrate hispanic heritage and culture in East Texas! There will be food, entertainment, vendors and more including BRIANNA ARTEAGA, MARIACHI REAL, DJ NEW MAZTER, CLASSIC CAR SHOW, FOLKLORIC & AZTEC DANCERS, FOOD TRUCKS, ARTISANS, SHOPPING, PEPPER EATING CONTEST, and a CANDY CANNON THROW!

80 Acre Market

When: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Where: 80 Acre Market, Gilmer
Cost: Free

FREE Face Painting - Saturday, May 6, 12-6PM & Sunday, May 7, 1-6PM

Canvas Painting - Spring designs, $10 all weekend long

FREE Coloring Pages - Let your little one(s) express themselves through art - all weekend long

FREE Mother’s Day Photo Op - Take pictures at our staged Photo Op available Saturday, May 6, 10AM-12PM & 1-4PM, or Sunday, May 7, 12-3PM

Mosaic Candle Craft - Create your own mosaic candle all weekend long, $5

FREE Kids Craft - Create Tissue Paper Flowers at the Kid’s Activity Tent, all weekend long

Kilgore Geekend 2023

When: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Where: Downtown Kilgore
Cost: Free

It’s our 10th Event! We’re celebrating our double-digit existence in Downtown Kilgore with all our most awesome friends, from downtown merchants to great vendors to special guests, sponsors, performers, and presenters, and it wouldn’t be complete without you too!

We’ll be bringing back popular performances and panels, and adding some great new activities, such as the all-new Ramen Wars! Ramen-Cooking Contest!

Red Thorn Spring Bash

When: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Where: Yellow Rose Canyon, Mount Enterprise
Cost: $10 Admission

3rd Annual Taco Cookoff

When: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Where: Commerce Street Drafthouse, Jacksonville
Cost: Free

Come show us what you got in the competition or stop in and enjoy tacos, beer and the most amazing folks on two wheels!!

Terrell Taco Festival

When: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Where: Downtown Terrell
Cost: Free

The City of Terrell and The Terrell Chamber of Commerce will be holding a Taco Festival on May 6th from 11am - 6 pm in downtown Terrell. Enjoy the amazing tastes of Terrell Restaurants and Taquerias. Activities will include amazing Tacos...of course, entertainment, food and arts/craft vendors, a Kids Zone, Best Taco Contest, Piñata Contest and much more!

Beans, Burgers, & Bingo

When: 5:30 PM
Where: J-C Cowboy Church of Cherokee County, Bullard
Cost: $5-$15

$10 Beans & Burger

$5 Bingo

Proceeds go to AFCC Kids Camp.

Kristin Chenoweth Live in Lufkin

When: 7:30 PM
Where: Temple Theater Box Office, Lufkin
Cost: $60-$100

An Evening with Kristin Chenoweth at Temple Theatre in Lufkin, TX.

Steel Magnolias

When: 7:30 PM
Where: Cherokee Civic Theatre, Rusk
Cost: $7-$15

Join the ladies of Chinquapin Parrish as they navigate the ups and downs of life and friendship. Set at Truvy’s salon, these ladies proof they are truly made of steel, Steel Magnolias.

The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace

When: 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Where: First Presbyterian Church, Tyler
Cost: $25

Always challenging conventional categorization, Sir Karl Jenkins transcends musical boundaries and is one of the most performed composers in the world today. His work The Armed Man for choir and ensemble was commissioned by the Royal Armouries in Great Britain to mark the transition from one millennium to another and was dedicated to victims of the Kosovo crisis. With over 3,000 performances worldwide since its premiere in 2000, his Mass for Peace reflects on the passing of ‘the most war-torn and destructive century in human history’ and looks forward in hope to a more peaceful future.

A Flower of the Field

When: 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Where: Tyler Civic Theatre Center, Tyler
Cost: $15

Winner of our 2022 New Play Festival People’s Choice Award, this new play by Colin Speer Crowley is rife with intrigue and drama that it sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!

Mary, Mary

When: 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Where: Lamp-Lite Theatre
Cost: $8-$15

This Jean Kerr play is a hilarious send up of marriage, taxes, weight loss and sex, and was one of the longest-running plays in Broadway history.

All Star Improv

When: 8:00 PM
Where: The Understudy, Tyler
Cost: $20

Improv Comedy from some of the best in Texas.

SUNDAY, 5/7

Kilgore Geekend 2023

When: 10:00 AM -5:00 PM
Where: Downtown Kilgore
Cost: Free

We’ll be bringing back popular performances and panels, and adding some great new activities, such as the all-new Ramen Wars! Ramen-Cooking Contest!

80 Acre Market

When: Noon - 6:00 PM
Where: 80 Acre Market, Gilmer
Cost: Free

FREE Face Painting - Saturday, May 6, 12-6PM & Sunday, May 7, 1-6PM

Canvas Painting - Spring designs, $10 all weekend long

FREE Coloring Pages - Let your little one(s) express themselves through art - all weekend long

FREE Mother’s Day Photo Op - Take pictures at our staged Photo Op available Saturday, May 6, 10AM-12PM & 1-4PM, or Sunday, May 7, 12-3PM

Mosaic Candle Craft - Create your own mosaic candle all weekend long, $5

FREE Kids Craft - Create Tissue Paper Flowers at the Kid’s Activity Tent, all weekend long

Steel Magnolias

When: 2:00 PM
Where: Cherokee Civic Theatre, Rusk
Cost: $7-$15

Join the ladies of Chinquapin Parrish as they navigate the ups and downs of life and friendship. Set at Truvy’s salon, these ladies proof they are truly made of steel, Steel Magnolias.

Mary, Mary

When: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Where: Lamp-Lite Theatre
Cost: $8-$15

This Jean Kerr play is a hilarious send up of marriage, taxes, weight loss and sex, and was one of the longest-running plays in Broadway history.

A Flower of the Field

When: 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Where: Tyler Civic Theatre Center, Tyler
Cost: $15

Winner of our 2022 New Play Festival People’s Choice Award, this new play by Colin Speer Crowley is rife with intrigue and drama that it sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!

The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace

When: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Where: First Presbyterian Church, Tyler
Cost: $25

East Texas Youth Orchestra’s Season Finale

When: 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM | 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Where: Tyler Legacy High School, Tyler

It feels like yesterday that we were ecstatic to start a new season, and it’s hard to believe that our finale concert is just around the corner.

We are humbled and inspired by all your support, so we’re excited to bring you our final concert of the Season, and we can’t wait for you to see what we have in store.

*All dates and information are subject to change. Contact us if there are changes to the schedule or if we left anything out

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Stay up to date on all things The East Texas Weekend!

Things to do in East Texas this weekend: May 4-7

THURSDAY, 5/4

FRIDAY, 5/5

SATURDAY, 5/6

SUNDAY, 5/7

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Jade Allen