February Texas Festivals

With Valentine's Day...and, for some parts of the state, spring just around the corner...February starts gets busy in terms of festivals across the Lone Star State.

February 2008 Festivals

Continuing through Feb. 3, 2008: Southeast Texas Mardi Gras Weekend, Port Arthur. Parades, live entertainment, carnival rides, and a special kids' zone are highlights at this family-friendly event.

Continuing through Feb. 3, 2008: Southwestern Exposition Livestock Show & Rodeo, Fort Worth. Since 1896, this rodeo and stock show has been one of Texas's largest.

Feb. 2, 2008: Bud Light Mardi Gras River Parade, San Antonio. The River Walk takes on the atmosphere of the Big Easy with costumed krewes on decorated river barges. The weekend also features the Mardi Gras Arts & Crafts Show along the River Walk.

Continuing through Feb. 5, 2008: Mardi Gras Galveston, Galveston. Falling early this year, Mardi Gras brings two weekends of parades, parties, and more.

Continuing through Feb. 17, 2008: San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. Some of country music's biggest names appear at this event which includes a rodeo, livestock show, horse show, art show, and more.

Continuing through Feb. 24, 2008: George Washington's Birthday Celebration, Laredo/Nuevo Laredo. Almost a month of parades, parties, concerts, and pageants mark the country's largest celebration of George Washington's Birthday.

Feb. 8-10 and 15-17, 2008: Wine Lovers Trail, Hill Country. Celebrate Valentine's Day with a self-guided tour of area wineries, many planning special events for the occasion.

Feb. 9, 2008: Asian New Year, San Antonio. This celebration at the Institute of Texan Cultures features Asian foods, dance, crafts, and more.

Feb. 22-23, 2008: Smokin' on the Rio, Mercedes. This barbecue cookoff is deemed a Texas State Championship cookoff, drawing some of the state's top smokers to the Valley.

Feb. 22-24, 2008: 12th Annual Celebration of Whooping Cranes & Other Birds, Port Aransas. One of the country's top birding festivals celebrates the annual wintering of the whooping cranes at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.

Feb. 22-23, 2008: Land of Leather Days, Yoakum. The leather-producing heritage of Yoakum is recalled at this event with arts and crafts shows, a chili cookoff, factory tours, and leather making demonstrations.

Feb. 24-March 2, 2008: Charro Days, Brownsville. Now in its 71st year, this event filled with parades and family-friendly events. Considered one of the Valley's largest events.

Feb. 28-March 2, 2008: Worldwide Leap Year Festival, Anthony.

Feb. 29-March 2, 2008: Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Alpine. The country's second oldest gathering of cowboy poets takes place at Sul Ross State University.

Feb. 29-March 2, 2008: North Texas Irish Festival, Dallas. From its humble pub origins in the early 1980s, this Celtic compilation of music, dance and traditional cuisine has matured into an annual event which attracts internationally-known performers, up-and-coming recording artists eager to hone their craft, and a gathering over 35,000 strong.

Feb. 29-March 15, 2008: Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo, Austin. An Austin-area tradition since 1938, this rodeo includes plenty of big name country performances, a large carnival, a barbecue cookoff, livestock show, and more.

photo: George Washington's Birthday Celebration, Laredo; courtesy Laredo CVB

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