Set deep in Texas Forest Country in the oldest town in Texas, the Texas Blueberry Festival presented by Tipton Ford, is a delightful day of the America you dreamed still existed. This year marks the 36th anniversary of the most delicious festival in the Lone Star State ­­— a day-long celebration of the annual blueberry harvest.

In 1989, Nacogdoches residents Leon and Patsy Hallman coordinated community leaders and volunteers to plan an affordable, family-friendly event that highlights our downtown businesses and attractions, while celebrating and promoting local industry.

As the only state-sanctioned blueberry festival in Texas, this delicious annual event attracts close to 20,000 people to downtown Nacogdoches. It offers a smorgasbord of activities to keep folks entertained all day long.

The 2026 festival opens at 8 a.m. on June 14 with the Running of the Blueberries, starting at 7:30 a.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and a fresh blueberry pancake breakfast served near the historic square.

Activities for blueberry lovers of all ages include a bounce park, make-and-take arts and crafts, a pet parade, Blueberry Hill Soda & Sweet Shoppe, pie eating contests, washer board tournament, and food and arts vendors. Downtown merchants and local businesses offer blueberry sweet specials inspired by the festival. The entire day is a fun, family-oriented event and many of the activities are free of charge.

Experienced and novice cooks submit their best recipes and prettiest plates to compete in blueberry pie and blueberry cupcake contests. Live musical entertainment — acoustic folk guitar, country, jazz and soft rock — will fill the air from stages located downtown and in Festival Plaza.

Thousands of pounds of fresh blueberries are sold and festival-goers also can catch free shuttles to tour and pick their own blueberries right off the bushes at nearby farms. 

Proceeds from the festival benefit the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce’s various community and business development programs.