(Seguin) — It’s time to go nuts! The 20th Annual Pecan Fest returns to downtown Seguin this Saturday marking two decades of celebrating Seguin’s pecan heritage.
Blaire Friar, Main Street & CVB director, says Pecan Fest has long been Seguin’s signature fall event, drawing visitors from across Texas to enjoy live music, historic tours, and pecan-themed fun. She says this year’s festival features exciting new additions including a Kids Zone, Exhibitors Row, 143 vendor booths, and a mouthwatering Food Truck Throwdown featuring 18 food trucks serving up pecan-inspired creations.
“Pecan Fest has grown so much over the past twenty years,” said Friar. “We’re celebrating this milestone with new attractions that highlight Seguin’s creativity, hospitality, and of course, our love for all things pecan.”
The fun begins early Saturday with the Seguin Film & Arts Festival at the Palace Theater, showcasing short films from across Texas and beyond — all free to the public. History buffs can stop by the Haunted Magnolia Hotel Open House from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or take part in Heritage Village Tours and the Seguin Heritage Museum Open House, both running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Art enthusiasts will enjoy the Seguin Art League’s Paint Out “Art in Autumn,” the 38 Pecans Exhibit, and the 5-H Ranch Exhibitors Row will be stationed around Central Park.
Families will also not want to miss the Leslie Lane Llama Farm Demonstration at the gazebo from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., followed by the always popular Get Crackin’ Contest at noon. Live music that afternoon will also be provided by Karess from 12 to 1:30 p.m.
Animal lovers can also head over to Barktoberfest at Seguin Brewing Co. from 12 to 6 p.m., while those 21 and older can “Go Nuts!” with a Pecan Old Fashioned Celebration at Johnny Pickles Distillery from 2 to 9 p.m. More live music will follow in the afternoon at Central Park. Performing will be Broken Arrow from 2:30 to 4 p.m.
Friar says Pecan Fest fun, however, does not stop in downtown Seguin. In fact, she says there will be something across the city including free transportation.
“Pecan Fest is not just downtown. It’s all around the community so the three largest events of the weekend are all on Saturday. It will be the downtown Pecan Fest. There are also the events that happen at the Big Red Barn. They have their own Pecan Fest celebration where they will have vendors out there as well. They will have the Texas Pecan Museum open for tours. They will have their antique tractor pull and a lot of exciting things out there as well. Then at the Sebastopol House there will be the Wilson Pottery Show where they will be displaying a lot of the really cool Wilson Pottery. They will have pottery demonstrations and things like that at that site and between all three of those events, we will have a shuttle that will take you and pick you up and take you to each stop so you can park downtown or park at the Big Red Barn and hop on the shuttle and check out all three of those events,” said Friar.
Events and activities over at the Big Red Barn also include farm animals, archery & blacksmithing & broom making demonstrations, crafts, a pecan scavenger hunt, hayrides, pecan baked goods, youth scarecrow contests plus square dancers and youth fiddlers’ performances.
The evening of Pecan Fest wraps up with the Hats Off to Juan Seguin Pub Crawl, kicking off with check-in at 6 p.m. Saturday at 1916 Bar & Bistro. Friar said participants will receive a lanyard featuring a map of the participating bars, where they can stop and purchase a drink at each location. Those who complete all the stops will be entered into a prize drawing set to take place next week.
A complete listing with all 2025 Pecan Fest details can be found at visitseguin.com.