Every October, Tyler turns its attention to roses, and it has been doing so for more than 90 years. The Texas Rose Festival brings a parade, a coronation, art shows and an afternoon tea in the middle of one of the biggest public rose gardens in the country. This year’s festival runs Thursday, Oct. 15, through Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026.
Why Tyler and roses go together
Tyler, the seat of Smith County, sits about an hour and a half east of Dallas and roughly three hours north of Houston. The city built its reputation on rose growing, and the festival grew out of that heritage. It’s now in its 93rd year.
The festival centers on a queen and her court, with the young women chosen each year wearing elaborate gowns for the coronation and parade. Even if pageantry isn’t your thing, the festival weekend is one of the prettiest times to be in Tyler, and most of the outdoor events are free.
The 2026 schedule at a glance
Here are the main public events from the festival’s official 2026 brochure:
- Thursday, Oct. 15: Ribbon cutting and morning prayer service at 10 a.m. at the Rose Garden Center, plus the free Rose Display and Palette of Roses Art Show and Sale, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 16: Rose Display and art show continue. Ladies’ and Men’s Luncheons are ticketed. The Queen’s Coronation is held twice at the R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center at UT Tyler: a 2 p.m. matinee and a 7 p.m. evening performance.
- Saturday, Oct. 17: The Rose Parade steps off at 9 a.m. The Rose Festival Arts and Crafts Fair runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bergfeld Park, the Queen’s Tea is 1 to 3 p.m. in the rose garden, and the Goodman-LeGrand Museum displays historic Rose Festival gowns.
- Sunday, Oct. 18: The Arts and Crafts Fair reopens 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the Rose Display is open noon to 4 p.m.
The parade and the Queen’s Tea
If you only catch two things, make it these.
The Rose Parade starts at 9 a.m. Saturday and travels west from Glenwood Boulevard and Front Street. Watching along the route is free. If you’d rather sit, the brochure lists home-side stadium seating at Rose Stadium for $10, with pre-parade activities there starting at 9 a.m.
The Queen’s Tea is a Tyler tradition: the queen and her court greet visitors in the Queen’s Court of the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden. It’s free and runs from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. At the same time, master gardeners lead free tours of the rose garden, a nice way to learn what you’re looking at.
Tickets for the ticketed events
The coronation performances and luncheons need tickets. According to the festival brochure, coronation seats range from about $15 to $50 for the matinee and about $30 to $85 for the evening show, and luncheon tickets start at $75. Tickets went on sale Sept. 1 through the Cowan Center box office at (903) 566-7424 and through the Texas Rose Festival website. With the festival only days away, it’s smart to buy soon if you want good seats.
Don’t skip the Tyler Rose Garden
Festival or not, the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden is worth a stop. It holds more than 38,000 rose bushes representing roughly 600 varieties, and the city keeps it open daily from sunrise to sunset with free admission. You’ll find it at 420 Rose Park Drive, next to the Rose Garden Center.
Spring and fall are generally the best seasons to see the roses in bloom, which is part of why the festival lands in October. The City of Tyler’s rose garden page lists the Rose Garden Center’s hours as weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.
The Tyler Rose Museum, which tells the story of the festival’s long history, shares the same address. During festival weekend, the brochure lists it open Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m.
Tips for festival weekend
- Go early Saturday. Parade crowds fill the route, and parking near downtown and the stadium gets tight.
- Pair the tea with the garden. The Queen’s Tea and the master gardener tours happen in the same place at the same time.
- Bring comfortable shoes. The garden, art show and craft fair add up to a lot of walking.
- Make it two days. Do the parade, tea and garden Saturday, then browse the craft fair at Bergfeld Park on Sunday.
Good to Know
- Dates: 93rd Texas Rose Festival, Oct. 15–18, 2026.
- Where: Tyler, Smith County, about 1.5 hours east of Dallas. Rose Garden Center is at 420 Rose Park Drive.
- Free events: Parade route viewing, Queen’s Tea, Rose Display, art show and rose garden tours.
- Tickets: Coronations, luncheons and parade stadium seats. Cowan Center box office, (903) 566-7424.
- Rose Garden: Free, open daily sunrise to sunset.
Hours, dates and prices can change. Check the official website before you head out.
There’s something sweet about a whole town turning out for roses every fall. Whether you come for the parade, the tea or just a long walk through 38,000 rose bushes, Tyler in October is a pretty good place to be.
