Get outside to enjoy cooler temperatures and fall fun throughout October at these family-friendly events in Grapevine.
Celebrate the splendor of the setting sun this fall from 12 stories high! Visit the Grapevine Observation Tower from October 1-31 to experience the Fall Sunset Series. The Observation Tower (815 S. Main St.) offers spectacular 360-degree sunset views over historic Grapevine and across the Fort Worth and Dallas skylines on Thursday and Friday evenings from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., $3 per person. On Thursdays, enjoy free music on Peace Plaza after your tour. Private bookings are also available with seven days’ notice. Contact the Visitor Information Center at 817.410.3189 or email GVMVC@GrapevineTexasUSA.com for more information.
Welcome fall’s cool breezes and changing leaves aboard the Grapevine Vintage Railroad (GVRR). Step back in time on the GVRR Cotton Belt Route to the Historic Stockyards Station in Fort Worth, keep an eye out for greedy outlaws who may attempt a train heist! Check in for adventure in Downtown Grapevine at the Historic Cotton Belt Depot (705 S. Main St.). The Cotton Belt Route runs every Saturday and Sunday through November 21, excluding October 30. Check in between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.; trains depart at 12:50 p.m. and return to Grapevine at approximately 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $18- $26 per person.
Enjoy a one-hour train ride aboard the GVRR Tahwahkarro Creek Excursion. Train robbers may also strike as passengers ride along the historic Cotton Belt Route before returning to Historic Grapevine’s Cotton Belt Depot (705 S. Main St.). Check in begins at 10:30 a.m. Trains depart at 11 a.m. and return to Grapevine at Noon. The Tahwahkarro Creek Excursion runs every Saturday through November 20, excluding October 30. Tickets are $10 – $12 per person. Visit GVRR.com for more information.
Enjoy a round-trip ride on the GVRR Trinity River Train Excursion which originates at the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards and travels along the Cotton Belt Route for a 22-minute train ride. The Trinity River Excursion runs every Saturday and Sunday through November 21, excluding October 30. Trains depart at approximately 3 p.m. and return to the Stockyards at approximately 3:45 p.m. This excursion does not travel to Grapevine. Tickets are $10 – $12 per person. Schedules are subject to change. Please check GVRR.com for the most up-to-date information.
Experience farm-fresh flavors of fall from a 19th century-inspired menu at the Nash Farm Harvest Moon Supper on Thursday, October 7 at 6:30 p.m. This event kicks off Texas Wine month and will feature wines from Bull Lion Ranch and Winery. The Lone Star String Band will serenade guests as they dine at tables across the Farm’s meadow. The Harvest Moon menu will include flavors of fall with many selections having been grown or produced on Nash Farm. Living history culinary vignettes throughout the farmstead allow attendees to experience 19th century dishes. Culinary historians will be on hand to discuss historic food preparations. Nash Farm’s Harvest Moon Supper is presented by MGS Sunset Holdings, LLC, and supported by Nash Farm Mission Partners – National Bank of Texas and Wright Construction Company. Tickets are $75 per person. For more information, visit NashFarm.org.
Put on your lederhosen and get ready to dance at Oktoberfest on Peace Plaza at Grapevine Main Station (815 S. Main St.) on Friday, October 8 from 6 – 9 p.m. The wonderful Oom-Pah Daddies will fill the air with a variety of polka music and traditional Oktoberfest tunes. Enjoy games and German style brews from Hop & Sting Brewing Co. sold by our partners at Harvest Hall and served by members of the Craft Brew Guild of Grapevine, one of Grapevine’s newest civic and service organizations. This event is FREE; purchase brews sold by Harvest Hall. PROST Y’all!
Adopt a duck and join the Grapevine Rotary Club on Wednesday, October 13 for the 4th Annual
Rubber Duck Race in the Lazy River at the REC of Grapevine (1175 Municipal Way) from 5 – 7 p.m. Thousands of free-spirited yellow rubber ducks will be dropped in the REC Lazy River to race to the finish line. 100 percent of all proceeds support the Grapevine Rotary Club community programs such as scholarships for high school seniors, Computers for Kids, Special Olympics, Feed Our Kids, American Flags on Main Street and more. Visit grapevinerotaryduckrace.com/ for duck adoptions and more information.
Celebrate fall and the flavors of Grapevine at the 25th Annual Great Taste of Grapevine on Thursday, October 14 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at Hilton DFW Lakes (1800 Hwy 26 E.). This fundraising foodie event will have more than 20 local restaurants, live music, raffle and more. Proceeds benefit the Women’s Division of the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce School Supplies Program and the Christmas Seniors. Adult Early Bird admission is $30, $40 at the door; children 12 and under are $10. Visit grapevinetexasusa.com for more details.
Grab your dance partner and boot scoot to your way to Nash Farm’s Barn Dance and Pie Auction on Friday, October 15 starting at 6:30 p.m. at Nash Farm (626 Ball St.). Dine on a fried chicken box supper, then dance the night away as the live band leads called dances from atop a farm truck by the big red barn. Take a dance intermission and play a game of horseshoes or other family-friendly games. Place your bid on delectable pies during the pie auction. Bring a date or your family for this fun fall event. Tickets are $20 per person. Visit NashFarm.org or call 817.410.3558 for tickets and more details.
Experience life on the farm at the 21st Annual Fall Round-Up at Grapevine’s Historic Nash Farm (626 Ball St.) on Saturday, October 16 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.. This family-friendly event includes activities such as the Agricultural Expo where guests learn about grain processing, campfire cooking demos and other historic demonstrations. Enjoy a beans and cornbread lunch then see farm animals, play games, learn about rope making and take a pony and wagon ride. The Farmers Institute, located just outside Nash Farmhouse, will demonstrate farm skills such as maintaining livestock, carpentry, sewing and food preservation. This event is FREE. Concessions will be available for purchase. Visit NashFarm.org or call 817.410.3558 for tickets and more details.
Flutter into fall at the 24th Annual Butterfly Flutterby on Saturday, October 16, presented by Cook Children’s Health Care System! People and pets dressed in butterfly finery will parade through Grapevine’s Historic District during the Gossamer Costume Parade, sponsored by BrightView Landscape Services. The parade will be followed by LIVE butterfly releases, sponsored by Brightview Landscape, held at the Grapevine Botanical Gardens at Heritage Park (411 Ball St.) at 10:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 12:30 p.m., with a final release at Nash Farm (626 Ball Street) at 1:30 p.m. Enjoy an Arts & Crafts Station, sponsored by Camp Bow Wow, a Migration Station and Monarch T-Shirt Making, compliments of The T-Shirt Guys. Hear butterfly stories and learn more fun facts about butterflies at 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. This event is FREE. Parade registration is required and begins at 8:45 a.m. in the parking lot behind the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau (636 S. Main St.). Visit grapevinetexasusa.com/events/butterfly-flutterby/ for more information.
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