Good morning, Tyler!

It’s Rose Festival weekend, which means petals, pageantry, and much more. We’ve also got our Polish sister city in town, big conversations about future water needs, and some quietly powerful wins happening in local classrooms and labs. 

Plus, all sorts of fall festivals are kicking off this week. We tried to find them all… but I’m sure we missed a few! If you’ve got an event, a tip, or a neighborhood story we should be tracking, just hit reply. 

And I also want to give a little shout to The Old Firehouse in Edom. They have a great lineup of singer/songwriter folk artists coming up this fall and spring of next year. Keep reading for more details on their next show, with Jeff Black, on October 25th.

Now let's dive into what's happening around Tyler.

Texas Rose Festival kicks off
Petals, pageantry, and a whole lot of hometown pride. The 92nd Texas Rose Festival officially opened with Thursday’s ribbon cutting and morning prayer at the Rose Garden Center. Free-to-enjoy highlights run all weekend: art show and rose displays at the Rose Garden, Saturday’s 9am Rose Parade, and the Queen’s Tea Saturday afternoon, plus the big coronation. This year’s theme, “A Tapestry of Tales,” leans into storybook-inspired gowns and floats. Read more

We have a sister city… in Poland?
Tyler’s sister city from Poland is in town this week, six delegates led by Mayor Jerzy Łużniak, to talk education, business, and culture. The schedule includes campus visits (TJC, UT Tyler and the School of Medicine site), a tour of Fire Station 1, CHRISTUS Mother Frances (fun fact: the hospital’s namesake was born in Poland), plus all the Rose Festival fun. Unique people-to-people diplomacy with local flavor. Read more

Is there enough groundwater to support East Texas growth?
Regional groundwater officials and state partners met in Nacogdoches to talk long-term water planning as East Texas grows — think supply, infrastructure, and conservation. The conversation dovetails with a summer House hearing that underscored how finite this resource is and how much coordination it’ll take. An interesting discussion of how long our ground water supply might last. Read more

Fall events & pumpkin season thrive across East Texas
From pumpkin houses and church patches to corn mazes and trunk-or-treats, fall is absolutely on in Tyler, Whitehouse, and Lindale. Cooler mornings have crowds out earlier, and farms report strong weekend traffic (and great photos). If you needed a sign to grab something pumpkin spice and go — this is it. Read more

$1.2M to help veterans
UT Tyler associate professor Dr. Adam McGuire landed a $1.2M VA Merit Award to test a web-based, self-guided PTSD intervention called MOVED. It taps “moral elevation,” that inspired feeling after witnessing others’ good deeds, to help veterans process trauma. A clinical trial is next, with an eye toward scalable, tech-forward care for vets statewide. Read more

Therapy dogs → better readers
At Brownsboro Intermediate, fourth graders get 20 extra minutes of reading every other week, with a certified TheraPet dog parked beside them. The R.E.A.D. setup (Reading Education Assistance Dogs) boosts fluency and confidence, and yes, the smiles are kind of the point, too. It’s one of those small, consistent things that adds up for kids. Read more

🫅 Texas Rose Festival Parade | Downtown to Rose Stadium | Tyler | Oct 18 | Learn more
Floats, bands, and pageantry at the 92nd annual parade (Saturday morning).

🍵 Queen’s Tea | Tyler Municipal Rose Garden | Tyler | Oct 18 | Learn more
Meet the Queen and Court in the Rose Garden (afternoon).

🎪 Rose Festival Arts & Crafts Fair | Bergfeld Park | Tyler | Oct 18–19 | Learn more
100+ artisan booths, food trucks, and live music; free admission.

🎡 East Texas Yamboree | Downtown & Fairgrounds | Gilmer | Oct 16–18 | Learn more
Parades, midway, livestock shows — a classic East Texas fall festival.

👗 Tyler’s Old Rose Dress Display | Goodman-LeGrand Museum | Tyler | Oct 11–Nov 1 | Learn more
Vintage Texas Rose Festival gowns on display (museum open Tue–Sat).

🎃 Fall Family Fun Festival | Glass Recreation Center | Tyler | Oct 23 | Learn more
City-hosted games, inflatables, costume contests, and more; free to attend.

🎃 Pumpkin Patch at Lanes Chapel | Lanes Chapel UMC | Tyler | Through Oct | Learn more
Pumpkin picking and photo ops; proceeds benefit missions.

🧪 Spooktacular Fun Fest | Discovery Science Place | Tyler | Oct 24 | Learn more
Hands-on science, costumes, and treats during this one-night event.

🪐 Spooky Space (Planetarium Shows) | TJC Earth & Space Science Center | Tyler | Oct 18–24 | Learn more
Seasonal star shows + Halloween-themed programming (check showtimes).

🧱 Free Make & Take: Werewolf Mini Build | Bricks & Minifigs | Tyler | Oct 18 | Learn more
Drop in 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; free mini-build while supplies last.

🎡 Bullard Fall Fling | 202 B W Main St | Bullard | Oct 18 | Learn more
Family fun day with shopping and food trucks, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

🐾 Paws & Claws Pet Costume Contest @ Oktopurrfest | True Vine Brewing | Tyler | Oct 18 | Learn more
Free to attend; contest runs 4–6 p.m. with on-site registration.

🏫 CrossPointe Church Fall Festival | 4642 FM 2813 | Flint/Tyler | Oct 19 | Learn more
Free family festival 5–7 p.m. with dinner, booths, and prizes.

🧱 Brick Street Block Party | Plaza Tower Parking Lot | Tyler | Oct 19 | Learn more
Free community carnival 5–7 p.m.: rides, bounce houses, games & candy!

🌿 NatureFest | Mineola Nature Preserve | Mineola | Oct 17–18 | Learn more
Free outdoor festival with wildlife shows, hikes, and demos for all ages.

🔥 Tyler State Park – Campfire 101 | Tyler State Park | Oct 17 | Learn more
Campfire basics & s’mores (free w/ park entry).

⭐️ Tyler State Park – Star Party | Tyler State Park | Oct 17 | Learn more
Enjoy a night under the stars, and get an up close look with a local astronomy specialist.

🏐 UT Tyler Volleyball vs Lubbock Christian | UT Tyler Herrington Patriot Center | Tyler | Oct 17 | Learn more
Lone Star Conference home match (evening first serve).

🏐 UT Tyler Volleyball vs Midwestern State | UT Tyler Herrington Patriot Center | Tyler | Oct 18 | Learn more
Saturday home match (afternoon first serve).

⚽ UT Tyler Women’s Soccer vs Sul Ross State | Citizens 1st Stadium | Tyler | Oct 18 | Learn more
Home fixture (1:00 p.m. kickoff).

⚽ UT Tyler Women’s Soccer vs St. Mary’s | Citizens 1st Stadium | Tyler | Oct 22 | Learn more
Mid-week conference match (7:00 p.m. kickoff).

🧙 Hocus Pocus (Dress-Up Showing) | Liberty Hall | Tyler | Oct 18 | Learn more
Come in costume for a family matinee at 2 p.m.

🎤 Steve Fountain: Elvis Tribute | Liberty Hall | Tyler | Oct 19 | Learn more
Vegas-style Elvis tribute — Sunday matinee at 4 p.m.

🕸️ The Addams Family (National Tour) | UT Tyler Cowan Center | Tyler | Oct 21 | Learn more
Spooky-fun Broadway hit, one night only.

🎸 NEEDTOBREATHE | UT Tyler Cowan Center | Tyler | Oct 24 | Learn more
Grammy-nominated rock band live at the Cowan Center.

🍻 ETX Brewing Co: Weekly Fun | ETX Brewing Co. | Tyler | Oct 18–24 | Learn more
Weekend brunch + Karaoke Tue (10/21), Trivia Wed (10/22), and more.

🎨 Palette of Roses Art Show & Sale | Tyler Rose Garden Center | Tyler | Oct 16–18 | Learn more
Juried art show held during Rose Festival; free admission.

🎸 Jeff Black | The Old Firehouse | Edom | Oct 25 | Learn more
Intimate listening-room concert at The Old Firehouse in Edom from a celebrated singer-songwriter Jeff Black, known for his blend of Americana, bluegrass, and folk music.

That's a wrap for this week.

If you enjoyed this edition, share it with a friend and help us spread the word.

And if we missed something, or you’ve got a story we should tell, just reply to this email or fill out this simple form right here.

Have a great weekend!

Eric
From Tyler