Hit the Road

Rodeos, racing, and a roster of fun festivals await in Mesquite

Declared the Official Rodeo Capital of Texas in 1993, Mesquite is where real, authentic Texas culture thrives.

Whether you spend a day or a weekend in this city — which sits only 15 minutes east of downtown Dallas — you're bound to experience several moments of cowboy cool. But Mesquite has other surprises, including plenty of culture, nature, and other family fun.

Here's a glance at some of the most exciting things to do in Mesquite:

Of course we have to start with the Mesquite Championship Rodeo, which happens every Saturday June through August each year at Mesquite Arena. Now in its 66th season, the event attracts top-ranked cowboys and riders and provides an air-conditioned (important!) and entertaining escape for locals and visitors alike.

Equally assured to get your heart racing is a visit to Devil's Bowl Speedway, hailed as the Southwest's most famous dirt track. Take your pick from the weekly championship series or special events spaced throughout the year — either way, there's not a bad seat in the venue thanks to the track's unique D-shape.

Celebration Station offers an experience that's fun for the whole family, with go-karts, arcade games, laser tag, mini golf, and more. The local amusement park is a must for birthday parties, and is the perfect place to cool off during summer thanks to the splashy bumper boats.

Xcape Adventures is another excellent family activity, where you work together to solve clues and escape rooms with fun themes.

Rather head outside with the fam? DeBusk Park features two playgrounds, including the renovated KidsQuest play structure. It includes ADA accessibility, swings, tall slides, room to run, climbing features, and a unique environment that fosters creative play.

In addition to the updated playground, the park has a baseball field, open playing field, two large picnic pavilions with tables, and a pet-friendly trail that is over a mile long for walking, jogging, and biking. Debusk Park is also home to one of Mesquite's three disc golf courses.

If you're looking for somewhere to work on your traditional golf game, Mesquite Golf Club is the place. It is a municipal course that was built in the 1960s by Leon Howard and originally opened as a 9-hole course, but expanded to 18 holes two years later. A massive renovation project in 2013 helped it become a joy for every skill level.

You can also enjoy nature without, well, really having to do anything. Stroll the Paschall Park Butterfly Trail to admire native trees, plants, and wildflowers, plus the big Monarch butterfly migrations in April and October.

At the Mesquite Arts Center, live performance fans can get their culture fix thanks to the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra and Mesquite Community Theatre. During the summer, the free Courtyard Concert Series showcases local bands.

Travel back in time to 1874, a year after Mesquite was first established as a depot town, when Stephen Decatur Lawrence began building his Texas prairie-style home and barn. Today the property survives as the Opal Lawrence Historical Park (for the daughter who left it to Mesquite in her will) and is a glimpse into what life was like nearly 150 years ago.

No matter what time of year you choose to visit, there's bound to be a festival or fun event happening.

Start the year with the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, Daddy-Daughter Dance, Hip Hop Cowboys Spring Rodeo, and the annual Texas Fly Fishing and Brew Festival, held the last weekend in February.

Ease into spring with the Rodeo Parade, Bunny Bash, KidFish, and Downtown Farmers Market, which happens each Saturday from April through November.

Welcome summer with Movies in the Park, a free Cinco de Mayo celebration, Doggie Splash Day, the Rodeo Road Rally Bike Ride, and Dive-In Movies at City Lake Aquatic Center.

Come fall, lace up for the Guts and Gory Zombie Run, plus Heritage Fall Rodeo, Day of the Dead Festival, Veterans Day event, and Pumpkinfest, the city's annual fall festival.

Close out the year with a plethora of Christmas-themed celebrations, which include Christmas in the Park, Christmas at the Ranch, and Carols and Cocoa.

More than 1,300 hotel rooms means that you'll be relaxing in comfort during your stay in Mesquite.

Find more to do, see, and eat in Mesquite here.

Photo courtesy of the City of Mesquite

You'll find both cowboys and culture here.

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Culinary Star

Canyon Ranch appoints Michelin chef for swanky new Hill Country resort

Val Cantú/Facebook

Well, shucks. Chef Val Cantú is all about masa.

A Central Texas-born chef with Michelin cred will return to his birthplace to head up the forthcoming Canyon Ranch Austin resort: Val Cantú, the chef behind two Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurant Californios, will lead the kitchen at the resort's restaurant, Estella.

Canyon Ranch is a premier wellness destination resort and spa headquartered in Fort Worth, where there's a spa location at the Crescent Hotel. Canyon Ranch Austin is set to open in September 2026 in Spicewood, a Hill Country town just outside Austin.

The original Canyon Ranch, which opened in Tucson, Arizona in 1979, is highly regarded as one of the top health resorts in the world, earning three keys from Michelin — the highest ranking a hotel can get — and the chain lauds the wellness benefits of both modern science and "ancient wisdom."

The Austin restaurant will follow that same ethos, a release says.

“Estella will be light, bright, fresh, and clean,” says Cantú in the release. “It’s a distilled version of what I do that will be focused on seasonality, sourcing, and the kind of delicious food that makes you feel good after you eat it.”

Canyon Ranch operates some of the country's most acclaimed spas. Facebook Canyon Ranch

Cantú is developing the menu with experience from fine dining and his personal Texas heritage; he was raised in Brownwood, about 150 miles northwest of Austin, where his father owned a Mexican restaurant. Tortillas are an important part of what's to come at Estella.

“When I’m making tortillas, I feel connected at a root level,” says Cantú. “It reminds me of making tortillas with my grandmother and my dad.”

Canyon Ranch CEO Mark Rivers emphasized Cantú's well-balanced approach: “Chef Val brings a rare combination of technical mastery, cultural authenticity, and emotional intelligence to his cooking," he says. "His approach aligns perfectly with how we think about wellness as intentional, thoughtful, and rooted in real life.”

Californios dishes If Estella is anything like Californios, presentation will be a huge factor.Photo courtesy of Californios

Although the release does not share how much Estella will have in common with Californios, it's easy to imagine that the artistic plating and education about the indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica will carry over.

“This is a homecoming for me," Cantú says. "Cooking in the Hill Country allows me to return to the flavors, ingredients, and traditions that first shaped who I am."

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