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Hill Country bubbly leads our 11 top Texas travel tips for November

The festive fall season has arrived, and with it brings early holiday happenings including makers' markets, light shows, and more. From a bubbly sparkling wine tour in Fredericksburg to a Native American art festival in San Antonio, there is a slew of fun events to check out in November.

Dallas travelers can visit Willie Nelson's Luck Ranch in Spicewood for an art exhibition, book a spa day in Houston, or stay local with a Taylor Swift-themed afternoon tea at a luxe hotel.

Here are our top 11 picks for autumn Texas travel events, hotel news, and more in November.

Throughout Texas

Hiatus Day Spa – with locations in Dallas, Frisco, Plano, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio – has a new "Get Holiday Ready Package" offering guests a guided experience with discounted services. Guests who book $350 minimum in day spa or med spa services between now and December 31 can receive 15 percent off their first visit, 20 percent off their second, and 25 percent off their third visit.

The Hill Country

Nonprofit trade association Texas Hill Country Wineries (THCW) just debuted its Christmas Wine Affair Passport 2025, which offers individuals or couples complimentary wine tastings and a 15 percent discount on 3-plus bottle purchases at more than 50 participating Hill Country wineries. The passport will be valid from November 24 through December 19, 2025. Passes ($65 for individuals and $100 for couples) and a list of participating wineries can be found on THCW's website.

Luck Ranch, Willie Nelson's 500-acre private residence and event venue in Spicewood, will host Austin-based neon studio Ion Art for seven days of art installations, music, and food. The exhibition, called Surreal Luck, will take place from November 7-9 and 13-16. According to a release, Surreal Luck will be a "dimension-bending neon art experience" that will "reimagine" Nelson's Western-themed Red Headed Stranger movie set. Tickets (starting at $49.50 for single-day GA) can be purchased via Etix.

Neon sculptures by Ion Art Surreal Luck will take place November 7-9 and 13-16. Ion Art/Facebook

A new type of wine experience is bubbling up in Fredericksburg: Invention Vineyards is now hosting sparkling wine tours in a new dedicated production facility. The tours will show off the production space and then guide guests through a progressive tasting, meaning one that takes place at different locations. The sampling will cover two sparkling ones and then a personalized tasting drawing from Invention Vineyards' wines. The one-hour tours are offered daily starting at 11 am, and tickets ($45 per person) can be purchased via heathfamilybrands.com.

Austin

A spooky light trail inspired by Tim Burton's stop-motion film The Nightmare Before Christmas is lighting up Austin's Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center until November 30. The trail depicts the film's iconic Halloween Town and Christmas Town, complete with 3D-printed statues of characters including Jack Skellington, Zero, Sally, and more. The light trail is open Wednesdays through Sundays from "dusk" to 10:15 pm. Tickets (timed entry is $31 for children and $41 for adults, or flexible entry is $51) are available at texasperformingarts.org.

Speaking of light shows: The University of Texas at Austin's 2025 Longhorn Lights show will officially kick off on November 18. The annual tradition transforms the South Mall into a twinkly display of orange and white light stretching through nine miles of campus. The spectacle is free and open to the public, and can be enjoyed from 5-10 pm daily through January 1, 2026.

Oh What Fun!, a new holiday makers' market, is coming to downtown Austin at Republic Square Park starting on November 20 and running Thursday through Sunday until December 24. Local artisans will sell gifts for the holiday season, such as handmade jewelry, ceramics, apparel, candles, and more. The market will also have various food trucks and a holiday-themed bar and lounge. Oh What Fun! will be open from 11 am to 9 pm, and the "What a Wonderful Lounge" will be open until 10 pm.

San Antonio

The Briscoe Western Art Museum is celebrating San Antonio's Native American history and community on Saturday, November 8 for the annual Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival. The event will feature a drum circle, all day crafts, artist demonstrations, live performances, and much more. The festival and admission to the Briscoe Museum will be free and open to the public, and festival hours will run from 10 am to 4 pm.

Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival at the Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio The festival celebrates San Antonio's local Native American community.Briscoe Western Art Museum/Facebook

The Westin Riverwalk San Antonio hotel is offering travelers an early peek at its holiday festivities with its new "Deck the Halls" package. Guests who use promo code "ZJ1" can book their rooms on an entirely Christmas-themed floor with festive Christmas trees in every room, and receive a holiday welcome amenity upon check-in. Interested guests can book between now and January 2, 2026 for stays beginning from November 14 through January 5, 2026.

Houston

The JW Marriott Houston Downtown hotel has added four new rejuvenating treatments to its seasonal spa menu running through the end of 2025. The packages include: The "Holiday Relief Package" ($99 for 45 minutes), a jetted thermal soak and a neck, back, and shoulder massage; the "Warm & Cozy Massage + Foot Treatment ($175 for 70 minutes), a Swedish massage paired with a guest's choice between a foot treatment or a mini facial upgrade; the "Merry & Bright HydraFacial Package" ($185 for 50 minutes) which includes a HydraFacial and HydroJelly mask; and a "Comfort & Joy Body Treatment" ($209 for 80 minutes) which includes a full-body exfoliation and Texas winery grape-infused wrap. Spa services can be booked online.

Dallas-Fort Worth

Every Saturday and Sunday in November, Dallas' esteemed Hotel Crescent Court will host a Taylor Swift-inspired afternoon tea featuring a multi-course menu of savory bites, sweet treats, a curated selection of teas, and optional champagne or mocktail pairings. Live music will set the tone for a whimsical experience in the hotel's Beau Nash cocktail bar. "The Life of a Showgirl SwifTEA" can be booked at 11 am, 12 pm, or 1 pm, and tickets ($53.98 for children and $117.51 for adults) can be purchased via Eventbrite.

Surreal Luck will take place November 7-9 and 13-16.

Invention Vineyards Fredericksburg aerial

Photo courtesy of Heath Family Brands

Invention Vineyards is showing off Heath Family Brands' new production facility.

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Hotel News

Storied Dallas hotel aims to reclaim grand status with new restaurant

Photo courtesy of The Stoneleigh

Lion's Den is described as a modern Italian supper club with American classics.

A storied hotel in Dallas is ready to relaunch: The Stoneleigh hotel, located at 2927 Maple Ave., is debuting following a major transformation with a goal to reclaim its status as "The Grand Dame of Uptown."

As part of its revival, the hotel — formerly known as Le Meridien Dallas, The Stoneleigh — will join Marriott Bonvoy’s Autograph Collection, a portfolio of more than 330 properties that also includes the Adolphus and Hall Arts Hotel.

A multimillion-dollar transformation of the Stoneleigh includes reimagined interiors by boutique design studio Fettle and a new restaurant led by a James Beard Award-winning chef. The hotel remained open during the renovation.

The Stoneleigh first opened in 1923, and was billed as the tallest hotel west of the Mississippi at the time of its opening. It's the second-oldest hotel in Dallas, following The Adolphus. It has undergone more than one rebranding during that time, including a $36 million renovation in 2008. It has been a Le Meridien since 2013.

Its transition to Marriott’s Autograph Collection is designed to solidify its status as one of Dallas’ premier hotels, while aligning it with a portfolio of properties known for individuality, character, and memorable guest experiences.

According to a representative, the property will officially rebrand on April 15.

Newly transformed room at Stoneleigh Hotel.Stoneleigh

Bold new design
The revitalized Stoneleigh will feature:

Expansive guest rooms and suites redesigned with bold textures and vibrant patterns
Immersive community programming featuring live music and entertainment, for hotel guests and locals alike
Reimagined pool and terrace
Meeting spaces and private venues
Fitness center with a focus on advanced performance equipment and strength training

Dining
The hotel will feature two new dining concepts led by chef Michael White, whose accolades include five simultaneous Michelin stars and multiple 3- and 4-star reviews from The New York Times. He was recently featured on a segment on the Today show.

Bar Leonessa
Now open, Bar Leonessa is a daylight café that evolves into a nocturnal cocktail lounge. It serves artisanal coffee, European pastries, and inventive spirits amidst a stylish Dallas atmosphere.

Lions Den
Slated to open in early May, the hotel's main restaurant is described as a modern Italian supper club, with a menu of American classics, pastas, and a sprinkling of contemporary trends.

There's caviar with crème fraiche & potato chip, mushroom toast, and Caesar salad. A second course of pastas includes gnocchi, garganelli with prosciutto & English peas, agnolotti with oxtail & leeks, mushroom risotto, bucatini with clams, and tagliatelle with ragu Bolognese.

Entrees include:

cauliflower steak with pinenut sauce romesco
branzino with artichoke
veal chop with asparagus
ribeye with rosemary potatoes
Dover sole
Guinea hen cacciatore with Jimmy Nardello peppers, squash, and tomato

There are two sharing dishes: surf & turf with filet mignon and langostino; and Porterhouse Two Ways with tartar de manzo, strip loin, baked potato, and tableside egg.

An impressive list of seven desserts includes on-trend offerings such as olive oil cake, soft-serve ice cream, and a tiramisu big enough to be shared.

The restaurant is a concept from BBianco, a hospitality group founded by chef White and partner Bruce Bronster, which also includes Santi, an Italian restaurant they opened in New York in 2025.

Lions Den will initially be open for breakfast and dinner, with lunch and brunch to be added at a later date.

“The Stoneleigh has always been more than a hotel — it has been a gathering place, a cultural landmark, and a symbol of Dallas’ spirit,” says Shai Zelering, Managing Partner, Global Head of Hospitality at Brookfield’s Real Estate Group. “This reimagining honors that legacy while introducing fresh, immersive experiences. With Chef Michael White leading the culinary vision, The Stoneleigh will once again be the centerpiece of Uptown.”

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