The Heart of Texas Knows How to Entertain!

Entertainment options abound in the Heart of Texas! Whether your interest is watching sports, attending the many different fairs and festivals, or heading out on the town to enjoy a dinner and some nightlife, the Heart of Texas is a great place to enjoy life!

Fairs, Festivals and More!

Waco Area - A few of the events around Waco are listed below. For a greater list, go to the Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Since 1999, the Heart of Texas Wine and Food Festival has brought more than 200 wines and 30 restaurants to the scenic Waco Suspension Bridge each fall as the major fundraiser of the Humane Society of Central Texas. Live entertainment, a Red Carpet Dog Walk featuring adoptable shelter dogs and a silent auction highlight the events.

Art on Elm Street graces downtown Waco each spring in an art exhibition featuring local artists, musicians, food and more.

Brazos Nights has been a food and music mainstay in Waco for 30 years. Free concerts occur each summer in the backdrop of Waco’s historic Suspension Bridge at Indian Spring Park on the Brazos River.

Waco’s Deep in the Heart Film Festival has attained national recognition in just five years. Each summer, brings filmmakers and the local community to enjoy movies, educational sessions and parties. Alums have gone on to win Emmys, with their works featured on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon.

The Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo has occurred in Waco each October since 1953, bringing all imaginable rodeo events, livestock shows and typical fair activities with it. Over 193,000 attended in 2018.

The Magnolia Market at the SIlos has become an ideal location for annual events due to its wonderful atmosphere highlighted by its big green lawn under the iconic silos. Spring at the Silos, Silo District MArathon and the fall Silobration are just a few.

street festival

Greater Heart of Texas

Fall Fest in Clifton generally occurs each October, along its historic downtown streets. The family fun includes a classic car Cruise In, artisan and craft stands, dance performances and music concerts.

The Falls County Youth Fair has provided a venue for youth to showcase their animals and raise funds since 1967.

Fairfield is home to the Freestone County Fair & Rodeo each June and the Big T Memorial BBQ Cook-Off & Music Festival in September, which is held each year to benefit special needs children in the surrounding counties.

classic cars

Spectator Sports

For nail-biting spectator sports action, it's hard to beat the Baylor Basketball season, but a range of other sports activities exist as well. Click here to find out more about Baylor sports. All across Texas, high school football is a premium experience and the Heart of Texas is no different! The Mart Tigers are an annual championship contender. Visit our community pages for information about other high school football and sports programs in the area.

For those who enjoy watching racing, the Freestone County Raceway, is home to the AMA Texas Motocross State Championships. Located in Wortham, the Raceway is a Premier Texas Motocross facility with year-round racing during daytime and evening events.

Each year, the Mexia Rodeo is held in June at the Mexia Rodeo Grounds. Bareback Bronc Riding, Bull Riding and Roping highlight the multi-day event.

barrel rider

Dining, etc.

If a night out is more your style, the region is filled with such experiences. From restaurants and wineries to comedy clubs and group events, there is something for everyone in the Heart of Texas.

toasting with drinks

Restaurants

Waco Area

Both Magnolia Table and Silo’s Baking Co. are located in the Magnolia Market at the Silos and are two of the most visited dining establishments in Waco. Magnolia Table is a breakfast and lunch restaurant, while Silo’s is a bakery featuring Joanna Gaines’ handcrafted recipes.

Cafe Homestead offers fresh food grown and produced at the Homestead Heritage, a farming community on site. Tours of the farm, gardens and craft shops are available in a beautiful setting overlooking the Brazos River.

George’s Restaurant has been a part of Waco’s culinary scene since 1930. With two locations in the city, George’s provides American cuisine and a wealth of Waco tradition.

Jake’s Texas Tea House is a family restaurant featuring homemade, southern style meals with weekend shows and musicians.

heart cookie

Greater Heart of Texas

The Cactus Grill in Meridian offers American, French, Italian and Southwestern cuisine with bring-your-own-beer.

The Czech Stop in West is open 24/7, marketing that its doors never close. It offers a menu based on Czech heritage, featuring a Kolaches and other items from the bakery along with sandwiches.

Sam’s Original Restaurant & BBQ in Fairfield began as a small BBQ stand in 1953. Sam’s offers a buffett and pit-cooked, hickory-smoked barbeque dinners and is well-known for its homemade pies .

The Lone Star Cafe in Hillsboro is known for its homestyle Texan fare and vintage signs hung throughout the restaurant.

steak

Breweries, Distilleries and Wineries

Waco Wine Tours offers trips to the large number of wineries in the area, as well brewery tours. To spend more time at one establishment, visit the links below of some of the area’s finest establishments.

Brotherwell Brewing

Southern Roots Brewing Company

Waco Ale Company

Balcones Distilling, Waco, has produced its own whiskey and rum with a focus on fresh ingredients for over 10 years. In that time, it has consistently won awards for its products from such established entities as The American Whiskey Masters, World Whiskies Awards, New York World WIne & Spirits Competition and Ultimate Spirits Challenge. With a tasting room and outdoor tasting tent to sample their products, a bottle shop for bottle purchases and tours of their facilities, the entire distillery experience is just a phone call away!

Just outside of Waco is the Valley Mills Vineyards. Their wines are produced from 100% Texas-grown grapes and they can be sampled in their tasting room seven days a week. They offer Tempranillo, Grenache, Mourvedre and Cabernet Sauvignon red wines, aged 12-24 months in French and American oak barrels. Their white wine includes Viognier, Vermentino and Muscat Canelli, aged in stainless steel and released within 6-12 months of harvest.

The Country Spring Vineyard and Wine Garden in Lorena is a member of the Texas Stagecoach Wine Trail, collection of Central Texas wineries.

Kissing Tree Vineyards

Waco Winery & Vineyards, is the first Waco vineyard, with a tasting room in the Historical District of downtown Waco.

The Red Caboose Winery has been producing sustainable wines since 2003, resulting in several state, national and international architectural and environmental awards. The winery and vineyard and a tasting room are in Meridian, with an additional tasting room in Clifton.

wine and grapes