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Día de los Muertos tops the 12 best 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.

Dallas travelers can explore dozens of Hill Country wineries with a Texas Wine Month passport, or stay local with a luxurious staycation at a newly renovated downtown Dallas hotel. Plus, locals can plan ahead for the holiday season by booking their Holiday Tea experience at The Adolphus early.

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 the Austin City Limits Music Festival 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

Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival 2024

Photo courtesy of the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival

There's plenty of good eats and great wine to be found at the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival.

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.

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.

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.

Texas Jazz Festival in Corpus Christi Get ready to swing and dance at the Texas Jazz Festival.Photo courtesy of Visit Corpus Christi

At home in 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

Hotel News

L.A. hospitality group to debut luxury brand Proper Hotels in Dallas

Photo courtesy of The Ingalls

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A big name in the luxury hotel space is coming to Uptown Dallas: California-based Property Hospitality will debut Dallas Proper Hotel and Residences, a 34-story tower combining hotel and residential, set to open at 2500 Cedar Springs Rd. in 2029.

The project has been in the works since 2024 when Dallas-based Lincoln Property Company acquired the site — a rare four-acre tract in the center of town.

The arrival of Proper promises that it will be "the most significant new luxury hotel and residences development in the city in decades," according to a release, featuring architecture by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and interiors by Kelly Wearstler, with Proper’s signature sensibility: soulful elegance, material richness, and sense of place.

Proper Hospitality champions uncommon luxury, offering distinctive experiences in the arts, dining, and wellness. The company currently manages Proper-branded hotels in Santa Monica, Downtown Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Austin, which opened in 2019; The Shelborne By Proper in Miami; and The Collective, a portfolio of independent design-driven hotels.

"Dallas Proper brings together design, wellness, food, and a deep connection to community,” says Proper Hospitality president and co-founder Brian De Lowe. "This is more than a hotel or residential offering. It’s a fully integrated destination for how people want to live and gather today."

Proper Dallas Dallas Proper Hotel and ResidencesCourtesy rendering

Wellness center. The heart of the project is a 15,000-square-foot Wellness Center and an intimate members-only Proper Club, combining holistic therapies, fitness, and recovery, with indoor and outdoor lounges, terraces, and cultural programming.

Members-only club. The Proper Club will occupy a 6,000-square-foot social space with its own restaurant, pool, bar, lounge, and work areas, along with access to the complete Wellness Center.

Hotel. The Dallas Proper Hotel will feature approximately 200 guestrooms and suites, along with three restaurants, five bar and lounge concepts, a rooftop pool deck with skyline views, and 22,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space for private gatherings, brand activations, and celebrations.

Residences. On the upper floors, Dallas Proper Residences will offer approximately 80 branded homes ranging from one to four bedrooms, including a limited collection of one- and two-story penthouses with panoramic city views. Interiors by Kelly Wearstler will blend natural textures, vintage-modern influences, and signature Proper detail.

Residential owners will have access to a private rooftop pool, dining terrace, and owners’ lounge, along with access to both the Proper Club and Wellness Center.

Location. “This site gave us the rare opportunity to shape a meaningful part of Uptown,” says Lincoln Property Company co-CEO Clay Duvall. “Proper’s track record in Texas and beyond, and their approach to design, lifestyle, and wellness made them the ideal partner for creating a landmark.”

Wait list. Dallas Proper Hotel and Residences are expected to open in 2029. To join the priority interest list, visit properhotel.com/dallas-residences.

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