5 Must Attend Spring Festivals + Events In East Texas Featuring Azaleas, Dogwoods, BBQ + More

Take in the beauty of the blooms on the dogwood trees in Davey Dogwood Park and throughout neighborhoods and other areas surrounding historic Palestine. Opening weekend features the Dogwood Trails Festival featuring live music and entertainment, kids activities, food vendors and more. Take a short drive through the back roads of East Texas and Anderson County to experience the blooming dogwoods.

This event highlights Tyler's Azalea District and features a wide variety of beautiful blooms from azaleas and hundreds of spring flowers. There are walking tours and of course the driving tour which meanders through Tyler's historic brick streets. There are several other events surrounding this yearly event which draws in tourists from around the state and country.

Celebrating Longview's western heritage, Dalton Days, is an event for the entire family featuring five reenactments of the infamous bank robbery that emphasizes the bravery and heroism of the city's citizens from 1894. There is much more to experience too, blacksmiths, leather workers, craftsmen and artisans will be displaying their handy work too.

This annual event brings thousands of participants to run, walk and 'sleep in' for a cure! The Tyler Komen Race For The Cure will begin bright and early on the square in downtown Tyler. Walkers and runners can participate in a 1 mile or 5k taking them on a course through downtown Tyler. Registration is required for the event and can be completed online or on site the day of the race.

Twenty-two of the best barbecue joints throughout the great state of Texas will all converge on downtown Tyler filling the square with smoking meats for barbecue enthusiasts to sample throughout the day! Thousands of people from all over the nation will be attending this event that also features red dirt country music taking the event well into the night. Tickets are in high demand, so you'll want to buy them before they sell out - which happened last year and the inaugural year!