Texas covers 268,596 square miles. It takes 13 hours to drive from north to south and 11 hours to drive from Texarkana in the east to El Paso in the west. To put that in perspective, that means El Paso is closer to the Pacific Ocean in San Diego, California, than it is to Texarkana. The state covers eight climate zones, ranging from arid in West Texas to subtropical in East Texas. While the north is cold and dry, the south might be hot and humid.
This variety of weather conditions throughout the state makes for some interesting seasonal surprises. Water sports aren’t always confined to summer, and most of the outdoor enjoyment comes in what might be the rainy season in other parts of the country.
To find the right place and the right time in Texas for a meeting, consider what activities are available at various times of year. Hotels, convention centers, and venues of all sizes abound in each region, and convention and visitors bureaus and destination marketing teams are ready to help you plan a seasonal event to remember.
Blue Skies of Spring
Wildflowers are in bloom and the temperatures are mild in springtime. In the Texas Hill Country, Washington County bursts with color as bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, and blanketflowers cover roadsides and fields. Book a meeting in Brenham, home of Texas’ Blue Bell Creameries, and enjoy country charm with modern amenities.
“Brenham rolls out the red carpet for meetings with the whole downtown area considered an extension of the meetings package,” says Jennifer Eckermann, tourism and marketing director for the City of Brenham. “Walkability is wonderful. After meetings or on a break, walk a block in any direction to find a variety of coffee bars, great shopping, delicious dining, after-hours music and drinks—and don’t forget that fresh country air.”
Spring is the perfect time of year to spend as much of the day—and night—outdoors as possible. “The Loft–Rustic Creek Ranch is ideal for year-round events, offering convertible indoor/outdoor spaces that let you enjoy fresh air while staying sheltered from rain. The adjacent North Texas Jellystone Park offers additional entertainment options, making it easy to extend the fun beyond the event,” says Marcie Purviance, marketing, events, and operations manager at North Texas Jellystone Park. Meeting attendees will find cozy cabins, recreational vehicle sites, and scenic nature trails.
For nighttime adventure, the Alpine Dark Skies Celebration in April or the Texas Star Party near Fort Davis in April and May offer views of the stars unlike any other. In Alpine, groups can book the 27 guest rooms at the historic Holland Hotel and enjoy gathering and networking in the cool, Spanish-style spaces.
Spring is also a good time to check out outdoor theme parks in other parts of the state, many with convention space and hotels close by. Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington is a short 15-minute drive from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio can accommodate up to 15,000 attendees and is surrounded by several hotels, including the Embassy Suites by Hilton San Antonio Landmark, which offers 9,600 square feet of meeting space and 203 guest rooms.
Summer Cool-Offs
Summers in Texas heat up fast, so the trick to executing a great event is to find a shady place to gather. Evening or early morning activities keep attendees cool and entertained in between sessions.
In Georgetown, Inner Space Caverns provides tours of a massive 10,000-year-old cave that stays a constant 72 degrees Fahrenheit, offering attendees a respite from the summer heat. The Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel & Conference Center features 26,600 square feet of meeting space, an outdoor pool, and on-site dining.
Up north in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, the Texas Outdoor Musical brings to life the story of the Lone Star State. The canyon is arid, so it stays cooler in the evenings and makes the summer amphitheater setting comfortable. Doves Rest Luxury Cabins is located at the entrance to the state park. Cabins for single or multiple sleepers accompany the Tres Vientos (Spanish for “three winds”) event venue. Resting on three sides of a sheer 100-foot drop-off, the partially covered outdoor area offers panoramic views of Palo Duro Canyon and 1,400 square feet of space.
In Longview, the Great Texas Balloon Race takes place in July. As the sun comes up, hundreds of hot air balloons gather at the starting field, and when the race is over, attendees can enjoy tethered balloon rides and festival fare. Find multiple meeting rooms and space for 3,000 at the nearby Maude Cobb Convention Center.
Fall Adventures
As the weather cools and leaves start to turn, the golf course beckons. Horseshoe Bay Resort, about an hour outside of Austin, boasts three 18-hole courses along with an assortment of entertaining activities.
“Guests can expect impeccable service from dedicated and experienced associates,” says Lacee Jordan, CHSP, director of sales at the resort. “[They can also find] an array of amenities, including bespoke group team-building activities, an 18-hole putting course lit for late-night fun, tennis and pickleball courts, three Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed golf courses, a rejuvenating spa, exhilarating water sports with our MasterCraft partners, as well as the Ford Bronco Off-Road experience for thrills year-round.”
Horseshoe Bay Resort’s full ballroom can accommodate up to 900 attendees, and light-filled pre-function areas, floor-to-ceiling windows in breakout rooms, and adjacent patios ensure a bright, airy experience. Outdoor event spaces throughout the property offer lakefront views, and an outdoor, climate-controlled, tented pavilion is large enough for 500 seated attendees. “In addition to our distinct outdoor event space and lakefront venues, being an independent property gives us limitless flexibility in contracting and servicing meetings and events of all kinds,” Jordan says.
October is Texas Wine Month and provides cooler weather to don a sweater and enjoy a glass of wine in the courtyard of a Texas winery. The Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest takes place each fall, and attendees can find numerous vineyards surrounding the favored host city. Planners will find rustic venues, and attendees can enjoy small-town hospitality along the walkable Main Street.
Experience professional sports in the Arlington area at the Loews Arlington Hotel, situated between AT&T Stadium, home to the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys; and Globe Life Field, home to MLB’s Texas Rangers. “This ideal location allows attendees to enjoy sports, concerts, and other entertainment options that are within walking distance,” says Jill Jameson Price, director of meetings and events at the hotel.
“The 21-story resort features 888 guest rooms and luxury suites, as well as 266,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting and convention space, including the largest ballroom in North Texas at 51,000 square feet,” Price says. “Loews Arlington also is conveniently connected to the new Arlington Convention Center, which offers versatile meeting spaces equipped with modern amenities and allows us to host a variety of events.”
Winter Water Fun
Grapevine is home to an ideal winter meeting destination. “The Gaylord Texan is one of the premier destination resorts in the Southwest with an ability to host meetings from 10 to 10,000 people,” says Joe Thompson, managing director of sales and services at Visit Grapevine. Every winter, the hotel hosts ICE!, during which 2 million pounds of ice are transformed into colorfully lit sculptures, tunnels, and slides. The Gaylord Texan boasts 490,000 square feet of meeting, convention, exhibit, and outdoor space. Attendees can also enjoy Grapevine’s Christmas Village and Market, a North Texas tradition.
A few blocks away, Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine offers year-round swimming with an indoor water park, plus family activities for the bleisure traveler. “Our Grapevine, Texas, location is our highest-performing groups and meetings location, in large part because Texas is such a great destination,” says Jim Evans, vice president of sales and marketing at Great Wolf
Resorts. “We have numerous options to add some Texas flair to our events and encourage our guests to enjoy the surrounding area and downtown Grapevine in particular.”
For more indoor water adventure, book space at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions–Round Rock, the largest indoor water park in the country, covering 1.5 million square feet. The resort includes 975 hotel rooms and 250,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space and is 40 minutes north of Austin.
Unsurprisingly, winter is also an ideal time to visit the Texas coast. As much of the country battles snow and ice, Corpus Christi welcomes snowbirds. “Our meeting spaces are just minutes away from the beach and with more than 300 days of sunshine, Corpus Christi makes an enticing meeting destination year-round,” says America Segura, director of communications at Visit Corpus Christi.
“The American Bank Center is Corpus Christi’s premier venue for most events, particularly those with a large attendance. Overlooking the Corpus Christi Bay, the facility features a 10,500-seat arena, 2,526-seat Selena Auditorium, and 138,000-square-foot convention center that can be divided into 10 ballrooms or 27 meeting rooms to meet the needs of a variety of groups.
Year-round, Texas has activities, venues, and adventures for meeting planners and attendees that will keep them coming back for more.
cityofbrenham.org
dovesrestcabins.com
greatwolf.com
gtbr.net
hilton.com
thehollandhoteltexas.com
hsbresort.com
innerspacecavern.com
kalahari.com
loewshotels.com
marriott.com
seaworld.com
sixflags.com
visitcorpuschristi.com
visitfredericksburgtx.com
visit.georgetown.org
visitlongviewtexas.com
