6 REASONS TO ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF FALL IN PALESTINE

Crisp morning air and the subtle transition from green to yellow, orange, and red announce autumn’s arrival in East Texas. While there are many ways you can enjoy the season in Texas’ gorgeous Pineywoods region, Palestine is the perfect place to appreciate fall’s beauty. Beyond exploring Davey Dogwood Park or fishing at a nearby lake, you can take on one of Texas’ most unique long-distance bike rides, experience one-of-a-kind festivals, and more. Plan your perfect fall getaway by checking out these amazing autumn adventures in Palestine.

Meditate on Muscle Strength at Oh My Goat Yoga

We could all use some stress relief. Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past couple of years, things can be tense these days! The perfect remedy just might be a yoga session at Oh My Goat Yoga. Offering stress through fitness and relaxation for the mind, body and spirit in an amazingly calm atmosphere with certified instructors will have you feeling your best. Book a private party during your stay, or just drop in for a visit and grab a specialty cake or cookie or a cheeseboard. Cabins available to stay in are only 5 miles up the road allowing you to plan a stay close by. Don’t forget to grab a t-shirt and some goat soap before you leave!

Boot Stompin’ Texas Country Music

If you’re a country music fan, you’ve got to be here for the Wiggy Thump Festival in late September (details). Held at the Anderson County Youth Livestock Pavilion, the concert features some of the top names in Texas country music, once headlined by Palestine’s own Whiskey Myers. The festival has hosted stars like honky-tonk legend Mark Chesnutt and Houston outfit the Chad Cooke Band. The festival is BYOB, so you can bring your own drinks along with cash to purchase tickets and food.

Music fans will also love the live music in Old Town every weekend, as well as the Dogwood Jamboree, a Branson-style Country Music Show that takes place almost every month at the Palestine High School Auditorium (click here for more information). If you like good country music and clean, family-friendly comedy, this jamboree is right up your alley. Get tickets at the door for a 7:00 show and get ready for a night belly-aching laughs, sing-along songs, and all smiles.

A Bike Ride Like No Other

Looking for your next endurance race to train for? Add The Camino 205, happening in  late September (check website for dates),  to your bike racing bucket list. This multi-distance, two-day race follows 35-, 70-, and 105-mile routes on gravel roads throughout the breathtaking Davy Crockett National Forest. If you want to test your mettle, opt for the 155- or 205-mile options over both days. Finish your ride back in Palestine and hang out for the Camino 205’s finisher’s festival that includes live music, great food, awesome giveaways, and more. No matter how far you pedal, you’re guaranteed an unparalleled adventure that’ll have you coming back for more.

The Play That Goes Wrong

Any Monty Python or Sherlock Holmes fans? You will be exuberant over The Play That Goes Wrong, the Cornley University Drama Society’s newest production. Winner of Best New Comedy at the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards, this global phenomenon will be in Palestine beginning in October and running through mid-October (purchase tickets and find more information). You will laugh until you cry at these accident-prone thespians who battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call. This is the perfect time of year to enjoy a play and always the right season to enjoy a good laugh with friends or family.

Give Yourself a Scare at Locked in Fear Haunted House

For those who are not afraid of a little fright, find your way to a very scary adventure thrill. Haunted houses are frightening, but you haven’t seen anything yet until you experience the darkness and the spirits that dwell in this old, abandoned house! Enter at your own risk and get Locked in Fear every Friday and Saturday in October and, of course, on Halloween night (check the website for details).

The Hottest Little Festival in Texas

Texas is known for its hot summers, but that’s not the kind of heat you’ll get at Palestine’s Hot Pepper Festival in late October (find dates and details here). Instead of that afternoon sizzle, we’re talking about the kind of spice that’ll have your tastebuds feeling like they’re walking across hot coals. A true celebration of peppery heat, the festival kicks off with a parade starting at the Anderson County Courthouse and continues with a Chili Appreciation Society International-sanctioned cook-off with hot sauce and jalapeno eating contests, the Saucy Queens Lolly Lick-a-thon, and live music all day long. There are even arts and crafts and a special play area for kids. Whether you’re competing in an eating contest or you’re just taking in all the fun, you’ll see first-hand why this is the Hottest Little Festival in Texas.

Autumn’s cooler air and its many magnificent colors that change in late November are reason enough to visit Palestine this fall, but the destination’s one-of-a-kind events make it even more compelling. Discover all this East Texas town has to offer and plan your visit here.