Netherlands, Welcome to Houston!

Produced by the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art and typically celebrated in April, this parade is the world's oldest and largest of its kind, featuring over 250 mobile masterpieces. Art Car Parade celebrates the "drive to create" and has become one of the most recognized and beloved events in Houston. It boasts entries from across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, making it the largest Art Car Parade in the world. With more than 250 cars, bikes, and just about anything else on wheels, this event is a spectacle!

It all began in 1988 with the first Houston Art Car Parade, which featured just 40 cars and brought a modest crowd of 2,000 spectators. The event was so popular that it doubled in size the next year and drew tens of thousands of people. Not only was the parade embraced by Houston’s art scene, but it also became an important educational tool for schools, teaching life skills and engaging young people in the community. Since its founding, the Art Car Parade has grown to become one of the most anticipated art events in Houston. What was once a one-day affair is now a multi-day event with fun for the entire family, featuring the Art Car Parade Sneak Peek in Discovery Green, the legendary Art Car Ball, and other events in the days before the main parade.

Save the date! The 40th Annual Houston Art Car Parade will take place in Houston on Saturday, April 10, 2027. The parade officially begins at 2 p.m. at the intersection of Dallas and Bagby Streets (on Allen Parkway). It heads into Downtown before circling City Hall and outbound onto Allen Parkway. It then heads out of Downtown until dispersing at Waugh Drive. As always, the parade is free to attend. Be sure to get there early for a great spot.

One of the most authentic ways to experience Texas is to attend the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™. Each year, this event three-week event draws more than 2 million fans to experience rodeo action, major musical acts, and an enormous carnival midway. Since 1932, this event, the biggest of its kind in the world, has made an impressive footprint on the livestock and entertainment industries and in the sport of rodeo. It has also played a notable role in improving the lives of thousands of young people in Texas. Agriculture, entertainment, education, and Western heritage remain the pillars of their mission.

The Downtown Rodeo Parade, one of the Rodeo’s most cherished annual traditions in Houston, that started in 1938, is a huge celebration of Western heritage. It usually takes place one day before the official opening of the rodeo. Decorative floats intermingle with thousands of men and women on horseback to fill the streets with hoof beats and marching bands. Enthusiastic Houstonians and join out-of-town spectators to line the streets and sidewalks of Downtown to be involved in one of Houston’s most popular celebrations! The parade route begins at Bagby and Walker Streets, travels from Travis to Bell Street, and from Bell Street to Louisiana Street, before turning on Lamar Street and ends at Lamar and Bagby. 

Howdy (pictured above), the official mascot of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™, will be there. Howdy is a giant, orange, sentient "Bowlegged H" who wears Western attire and a cowboy hat.

Save the date: in 2027, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ will take place from March 2 to 21. 

Trail Rides

The Northeastern Trailriders Association head into town for the annual Rodeo Trail Rides | Courtesy of Northeastern Trailriders Association

Every year leading up to the rodeo, riders on horseback and in carriages make their way to Houston, their journeys spanning dozens of miles and multiple days. Trail riders come from diverse backgrounds and span all ages. Some trail riders have multiple generations.

Horses and wagons from 12 trail rides make their way through the city streets to merge and camp one final night at Memorial Park before participating in the Downtown Rodeo Parade. This continues a 74-year-old tradition that keeps Western heritage alive in the nation’s fourth largest city.

In 1952, four men traveled on horseback from Brenham, Texas, to raise awareness of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™. Today, more than 2,000 trail riders partake in the Rodeo’s signature tradition each year, covering about 1,300 miles combined.

If you are coming to Houston in the last week of November, don´t miss the 77th Annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade will take place on Thursday, November 26, 2026 at 9 a.m. Located in the heart of Downtown Houston.  As one of the oldest Thanksgiving Day Parades in the nation, this beloved tradition draws hundreds of thousands of Houstonians and visitors together to celebrate each year. Elaborate floats, dazzling performances, and non-stop energy and fun for the entire family! Kick off the holiday season with this unforgettable Houston tradition.

Houston’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day event is the annual MLK Unity Parade, held on the third Monday of January in Downtown Houston. The parade combines the city's legacy celebrations into one unified march featuring over 300 culturally diverse units, including high-energy marching bands and colorful floats.

In March, enjoy the Houston St. Patrick’s Day Parade, one of the largest in the U.S. It historically kicks off at noon from City Hall and winding through central downtown to end near Market Square Park. The free, two-hour event features over 100 entries, including marching bands, classic floats, and Irish dancers. The parade typically takes place on the Saturday closest to St. Patrick's Day, generally beginning at 12:00 PM. in 2027, this parade will celebrate its 66 anniversary.

In the middle of September, Fiestas Patrias parade celebrates the cultures of several Latin American countries and serves as a kickoff for Hispanic Heritage Month. On Veterans Day (November 11), don't miss the American Heroes Parade. Local veteran organizations, Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), bands, and supporters will march in the parade to show respect and to honor our veterans. This parade is open to the public and all are welcomed along the parade route.