The East Texas Weekend Preview — 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!

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

THURSDAY, 12/11

Holiday Tea Room & Market

When: 11am-2:30pm
Where: LMFA - Longview Museum of Fine Arts

❄️Join us for the 2025 Holiday Tea Room & Market!🎄 Each year, LMFA opens its galleries for a unique holiday experience. Celebrate the season at the ✨Holiday Market, a free event open to the public featuring East Texas artisans. There is no better place to find unique and personal items. The Market complements the LMFA Holiday Tea Room which features a delicious luncheon with specially decorated tables. 💫 Dates 📆: Tuesday 9th – Friday 12th December, 2025 🛍️ Holiday Market Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Tea Room Hours: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Christmas Market

When: 4pm-8pm
Where: Bob Wells Nursery at Sorelle Farms, Mineola

We’re turning up the holiday magic! This December, Market Nights is expanding and starting an hour early for a one-evening Christmas on the Farm celebration. 🧑‍🌾Our regular farmers and food vendors will be here with your favorite local produce and seasonal goodies! 🎁Come and do your Christmas gift shopping for all the special people in your life! We will have young creators featuring their budding small businesses and some of the best local artisans with a wide variety of handmade goods for holiday gifts. 🎅Bring the kids out for hay rides, pictures with Santa, face painting, hot chocolate and lots of fun! 🎄Fresh cut, locally grown Christmas Trees will be available for purchase. 🎙️The Kirby’s will be back and broadcasting their live music show TNT. They will be featuring local musicians and playing some classic Christmas music!

LEGO Block Party

When: 5pm
Where: Tyler Public Library

Kids and families, join us for Lego Block Parties this December for free building! Programs are come-and-go in the auditorium on Dec. 11 from 5-6:45 p.m. and Dec. 30 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

SFA Gardens - Against the Odds

When: 7pm
Where: SFA Gardens, Nacogdoches

Join SFA Gardens for the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series featuring Dr. Dave Creech, SFA professor emeritus and director of the SFA Gardens. He received his bachelor’s degree in horticulture from Texas A&M University in 1970, a master’s degree in horticulture from Colorado State University in 1972, and his doctoral degree from Texas A&M in 1978. Creech has been at SFA since September 1978 and after a long career in teaching and conducting horticulture research, he retired in 2007. He then returned to SFA to become part-time director of the SFA Gardens. His research interests are varied and include fruits and vegetables, evaluating ornamentals for East Texas as well as for the saline soils of Galveston and, most recently, investigating the potential of kiwifruit as a specialty crop for Texas.

FRIDAY, 12/12

Holiday Tea Room & Market

When: 11am-2:30pm
Where: LMFA - Longview Museum of Fine Arts

White Elephant Book Exchange

When: 6pm
Where: Crazy Four Books & Coffee, Crockett

Join us on Friday December 12th at 6pm-7pm for our 2nd Annual Christmas White Elephant Book Exchange! It’ll be a night of laughter, surprises, and maybe a little bit of playful thievery. We’ll have door prizes and festive snacks & sips! Wrapped books are provided by Crazy Four Books & Coffee, so you’ll go home with a NEW book by the end of the night!

“It’s A Wonderful Life”

When: 7pm
Where: The Pines Lufkin

Step back in time and experience the magic of moviegoing the way it used to be — right in the heart of downtown Lufkin at the 100-year-old Pines Theater! Enjoy a nostalgic night out filled with smiling faces you won’t find anywhere else, unbeatable prices, and that cozy, small-town camaraderie we all love.

Christmas Shorts - Opening Night

When: 7:30pm
Where: Cherokee Civic Theatre, Rusk

You’ll find everything here..... a sports segment featuring the 845th annual Reindeer Game, a holiday quiz show featuring Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and the Ghost of Christmas Future, a soap opera, As the North Pole Turns, a news segment from the North Pole News, and some Christmas-themed commercials round out this fun seasonal comedy!

SATURDAY, 12/13

Saint Nick’s Run Fest

When: 9am
Where: Lindsey Park, Tyler

Saint Nick’s Run Fest is a charity trail run that takes place in Tyler Texas. The race will be set in the cool early morning at Lindsey Park. Bring a Santa hat!

Birds of Prey Program

When: 9:30am
Where: Mineola Nature Preserve

Birds of Prey. 9:30 a.m. at the Mineola Nature Preserve amphitheater! Local falconer, Heath Kinder will be discussing conservation and the importance of these amazing birds. There will be flying at this one!! Free to attend. Please consider making a donation to the Mineola Nature Preserve! Please NO PETS!!

Fused Glass Lantern Class

When: 10am
Where: Canton Art Co-Op

Join us to create this beautiful fused glass poinsettia lantern. Spaces are limited. $60 per person. Text Erin to register 972-971-5964

Artisan Walk on the Bowery

When: 10am-2pm
Where: The Bowery Winnsboro, Texas

Step into the holiday spirit at the Christmas Artisan Walk! The Bowery will be filled with local makers, artists, and creators offering handmade gifts, festive décor, and one-of-a-kind treasures perfect for your Christmas shopping. 🎄✨

16th Annual Holiday in the Garden & Bazaar

When: 10am-6pm
Where: Rose Garden Center, Tyler

Event Highlights: - Over 60 vendor booths featuring local artisans and unique holiday gifts - Free train rides for the kids through the garden - Live entertainment throughout the day - Food trucks with tasty seasonal treats - Kid’s craft area to spark creativity - A special visit from Santa Scirto in the afternoon - Holiday lights in the garden from 5:30 to 8:00 PM

8th Annual Free Grinch Photos

When: 11am-1pm
Where: The Pony Expresso, Canton

It’s our 8th Annual Grinch Photo Event! For many families, this has become a holiday tradition — and we’re excited to be back again on. (With donation - CANS OR CASH) ✨ Tori Jean Photography for beautiful keepsake photos. ✨ Kim Spencer with Baltree Realty offering FREE drink coupons to the first 20 donations over $10. ✨ The Pony Expresso, our favorite local coffee shop, generously hosting and always giving back to the community. This event supports Manna Food Bank and The ABC Room, two organizations that rely on community kindness to help local families through tough and unexpected moments.

Sensory Santa

When: 12pm
Where: Life Fellowship, Athens

Special families and kiddos that require a calmer, less crowded, or sensory friendly event

Monster Truck Wars

When: 12pm | 6pm
Where: Hopkins County Regional Civic Center, Sulphur Springs

BACK AND BIGGER THAN EVER! America’s Wildest Monster Truck Show is coming to SULPHUR SPRINGS! We’re excited to be bringing you a GREAT SUPERSTAR lineup of Monster Trucks and Thrill Show! For this event on DECEMBER 13th, 2025 there will be TWO GIANT SHOWS.

Hands on Sourdough Workshop

When: 12pm-3pm
Where: Good Vibes Nutrition Tyler

Take your sourdough skills to the next level with this interactive, hands-on workshop where you’ll mix, shape, and learn the secrets to baking artisan-quality bread. Guided by a seasoned baker with years of experience, you’ll leave with everything you need to start baking delicious sourdough at home.

2nd Annual Christmas Moo Market

When: 12pm-5pm
Where: Holly Cow - The Udder One (Downtown Hawkins Location)

Make sure to mark your calendars for our 2nd Annual Christmas Moo Market in downtown Hawkins on Saturday, December 13th! Arts, Crafts, Food, & Music from Noo

Munch & Learn

When: 1pm-2pm
Where: Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, Alto

Bring your love of history and your curiosity to “Munch and Learn” about the wild edible plants at Caddo Mounds SHS. During these plant walks you will join Assistant Site Manager, Rachel Galan as she shares the origin stories of the spring edible and medicinal plants of Caddo Mounds SHS. Come prepared for short foraging hikes and space to learn and share about East Texas edible and medicinal plants.

Tejas Christmas Ornament

When: 1pm-3pm
Where: Mission Tejas State Park, Grapeland

Come make your own holiday decorations to bring home! Make tree ornaments out of wooden cross-sections or paint your own snow-scene on metal pins for stockings! We will be meeting at the group pavilion. Restrooms available nearby.

Regency Christmas Tea Celebrating Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday

When: 1:30pm-3:30pm
Where: Kilgore Public Library

Registration is now open for this special event! We will enjoy tea and refreshments, a regency craft, music, and more! Regency attire is encouraged but not necessary. This program is for ages 13 and up.

Flow Art Class

When: 2pm-4pm
Where: Jefferson Makers Market

Are you interested in exploring your artistic side? Join Laura Merrill’s Flow Art Class on Saturday, December 13th, from 2-4 pm. To ensure availability, please pre-register and pay $45 per person at Jefferson Makers Market located at 23471 SH 49 in Jefferson, TX or call us at 903-930-1021 to pay over the phone. All necessary supplies for creating two 8x10 canvas paintings will be provided, and please be aware that registration fees are non-refundable if you cancel.

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons

When: 3pm
Where: Fine Arts at First Presbyterian Church of Tyler, Texas

An iconic jewel of the Baroque repertoire, The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi captures the elemental forces of the seasons of the year in a vibrant set of four violin concertos. The listener travels through various scenes as Vivaldi’s immersive soundscape unfolds to reveal rustling leaves, delicate streams, barking dogs, claps of thunder, alluring birdsong, dancing peasants, and teeth chattering in the icy winds. These musical expressions, alongside the accompanying sonnets (likely penned by Vivaldi himself), were a revolutionary early form of program music that have continued to shine in the centuries since.

Downtown Canton Christmas Parade & Festival

When: 3:30pm
Where: Downtown Canton

Get ready for the sweetest holiday event of the year! Join us for the annual Downtown Canton Hard Candy Christmas Parade & Festival on Saturday, December 13th! It’s a night packed with winter fun, holiday cheer, and a dazzling parade that will satisfy any sweet tooth!

Christmas Carol Mini Train

When: 4pm-7pm
Where: Iron Horse Square, Mineola

Celebrate the season aboard the Christmas Carol Train at Iron Horse Square! Enjoy a magical evening filled with holiday music, twinkling lights, and festive cheer for the whole family. Sing along to your favorite Christmas carols as you ride the train and soak in the holiday spirit.

Annual Gladewater Chamber Christmas Parade

When: 5pm
Where: 215 N Main St, Gladewater, TX

“THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS ” is the theme for this year’s Gladewater Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade to be held on Saturday, December 13 at 5P.M.”

The Polar Express Day

When: 5pm-9pm
Where: Naranjo Museum of Natural History, Lufkin

On December 13th, the museum is transforming into a cozy, Christmas-sparkling stop along the Polar Express! Come dressed in your snuggliest pajamas and enjoy extended hours filled with wonder. Sip on warm hot cocoa, swirl a peppermint stick, munch on popcorn, and let the magic of the season surround you. Every child will receive a special silver bell—a keepsake to remind them to always believe. 🔔💛 At 6:00pm, the adventure begins as The Polar Express plays under the evening sky on the museum’s playground lawn. Bring a blanket, cuddle up, and let the holiday spirit whisk you away! 🚂✨ All aboard… the magic is waiting!

“The Ballad of Bethlehem”

When: 6pm
Where: Athens First Methodist Church, Athens

Join us as we celebrate the wonder of the Christmas season with a beautiful evening of music, worship, and community. This year’s Christmas Cantata, “The Ballad of Bethlehem,” shares the story of Christ’s birth through moving narration, rich harmonies, and inspiring arrangements that capture the heart of the season.

“Christmas Shorts”

When: 7:30pm
Where: Cherokee Civic Theatre, Rusk

Pro Wrestling Event

When: 7:30pm
Where: Sir Mo’s Sportatorium, Paris

Come check us out December 13th Paris, TX 🔔 time 7:30pm. Brawliday!

SUNDAY, 12/14

Tiles on Tap

When: 12pm-4pm
Where: Rüeggenbach Brewing Co, Marshall

Sip, shuffle, and play at Tiles on Tap — a monthly mahjong event at Rueggenbach Brewing Co in downtown Marshall that blends great brews, good company, and all the mahj fun you can handle! Start the day with Mahj 101 (12–4 PM | $50) — a complete introduction to the game. You’ll learn the rules, get hands-on guidance, and even play your first full round with support from our team. Perfect for beginners or those looking to refresh their skills! Already know how to play? Join us for Guided + Open Play (2–4 PM | $25) — the perfect laid-back afternoon to practice your strategy, meet other players, and enjoy your favorite Rueggenbach brews.

Sundaze Vendor Market

When: 12pm-5pm
Where: Velvet: A Vintage Collection, Tyler

There are plenty of vendors offering vintage clothing, handmade goods & unique gifts just in time for the holidays! Come get your Christmas shopping complete in the most fun way! Grab a brew or brunch from our neighbor and peruse the tents full of goodies! Velvet will be open as well to get your groovy friends and family or yourself something truly amazing!

5x5 Bike Trail Fun Rides

When: 1pm-4pm
Where: Mineola Nature Preserve Greer Hill

December 14 - 5x5 at the Mineola Nature Preserve Mark your calendar for this series of “short track” mountain bike rides, each on a loop of 5 miles or less, with each rider completing up to 5 laps. We have some new trail at MNP so if you haven’t ridden there in a while, we hope you can come check it out! Remember, these events are not races, just fun rides. ENTRY FEE: trail donations accepted and you need to sign the waiver.

“Christmas Shorts”

When: 2pm
Where: Cherokee Civic Theatre, Rusk

Christmas in the Park

When: 3pm
Where: Kiwanis Park, Lufkin

Jeepin for Jesus and Clawson Church have teamed up to have a day of family fun. It’s all FREE! We will have bounce houses, Games, food, clothes, train rides, praise & worship plus some testimony time! We are going to have fun and glorify God.

Metal Night

When: 6pm
Where: The OilWell Club, Longview

Featuring Local & Regional Metal Bands! One Night. Big Sound. Full Energy. 🎸 LIVE AND LOUD – Showcasing the heaviest talent in East Texas 🤘 21+ Only 🏆 Inside stage for musicians and outside stage for bands 🔥 Outdoor bar open front & back 🍔 Food Truck On-Site 💵 Door Charge for the Evening

Princess on Ice

When: 6pm-8pm
Where: Old Harrison County Courthouse (Marshall, Texas)

Step into a sparkling winter wonderland where fairy tales glide across the ice! 👑🎄❄️ Join us December 7 from 6pm-8pm for an enchanting evening as your favorite princesses twirl, spin, and shine in a dazzling ice performance surrounded by holiday lights and music. Bring the whole family for a night full of holiday magic, photo opportunities, and joyful memories. Every guest will be swept up in the sparkle and cheer of this heartwarming celebration.

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

LOOKING FOR MORE?

Our mission at The East Texas Weekend is to show you that you’re never too far from FUN!

Things to Do - Special places to visit and activities to do around East Texas.

Live Music - Each month we show you where all the East Texas concerts are.

Food + Drink - Try some of these wonderful places to eat!

*Download our App on Apple & Google!