Festivals & Annual Events

Annual Events

Depot Day

Depot Day, now billed as Depot Day Fall Fest, is an annual celebration of railroading at Tomball Depot Plaza, 201 South Elm Street, in Old Town Tomball. The 2026 event is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free. Model railroad displays come in three scales: tiny Z-scale trains inside the depot museum's freight room, Lionel O-scale filling the classic caboose, and a large G-gauge garden railroad layout outside the historic building, set up by the Houston Area G Gaugers. Costumed volunteers share stories about the golden age of railroading, when the depot served Tomball as a stop on the line that helped found the town. It's a train fan's dream and a family-friendly way to explore Tomball's railroad heritage. Afterward, walk to Old Town's shops, cafes and restaurants, all within a few blocks of the depot. Check the city's calendar for details.

201 S Elm St, Tomball, TX 77375

Annual Events · Festivals

Groovfest

GroovFest is Tomball's free, family-friendly retro music festival, held each fall at Tomball Depot Plaza, 201 South Elm Street, in Old Town. It began in 2018 as a rebrand of the city's Beetles, Brews & BBQ event, with Beatles and 1960s music as its original focus, and has since expanded to celebrate '70s, funk, rock and other retro sounds. GroovFest 2026 took place on Saturday, September 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The City of Tomball promotes live music performances, vibrant vintage vehicles including Volkswagens, interactive photo booths, local vendors with crafts and festival food, and kids' activities such as face painting, a bubble station, stilt walkers and a dedicated play zone. Admission and parking are free. The festival is a fun way to experience Old Town Tomball's event scene, and the shops and restaurants of downtown are steps away. Check the city's events calendar for next year's date.

201 S Elm St, Tomball, TX 77375

Annual Events · Festivals

Tomball German Fest

Tomball German Fest is held twice a year in Old Town Tomball, around the Depot Plaza at 201 South Elm Street. The German Heritage Festival takes place in the spring (March 27-29 in 2026), and the German Christmas Market follows in December, with the 2026 market scheduled for December 11-13: Friday evening, all day Saturday and Sunday until 6 p.m. Enjoy the family-friendly Gemütlichkeit of this music and street festival, with three stages of live music, an open-air market and Old Town's antique shops. Contests are part of the fun, including the Bier Stein Hoist, a Chicken Dance contest, a "Say It in German" contest, yodeling and a Schuhplattler dance competition. Admission and parking are free, and a free shuttle runs from HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball on Saturday and Sunday. Most vendors take cards, but beer sales are cash only. Small, leashed pets are welcome. It's one of Tomball's signature events, so arrive early. The festival's Christmas edition, the 18th Annual Tomball German Christmas Market, runs December 11–13, 2026, near the Historic Railroad Depot Plaza at 201 S. Elm St.: Friday 6–10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–10 p.m. (parade and opening ceremonies at 10:30 a.m.) and Sunday 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Admission and parking are free, with a free shuttle on Saturday and Sunday from the east parking lot of HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball.

201 S Elm St, Tomball, TX 77375

Annual Events · Festivals

Rails & Tails

Rails & Tails is Tomball's annual mudbug (crawfish) festival, held each spring at the Tomball Depot Plaza, 201 South Elm Street, in the heart of Old Town. The 14th annual festival took place on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and as always admission and parking were free. The Tomball Times calls it Old Town's biggest boil of the year, drawing thousands of crawfish and music lovers from across the Houston area. Expect heaping piles of spicy boiled crawfish alongside Cajun-inspired food and drinks from local vendors, live music all afternoon and a Cajun Kids Zone with activities for younger festivalgoers. Past lineups have included Bayou Roux, The Posse, Mango Punch and the Gary Michael Dahl Band. Old Town's shops, restaurants and coffee spots are steps away, so it's easy to make a day of it. Check the City of Tomball's events page in early spring for the next festival date and lineup.

201 S Elm St, Tomball, TX 77375

Annual Events

Tomball Night

Tomball Night is the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce's big summer evening festival in Old Town Tomball, held one Friday every August. The 54th annual Tomball Night took place on Friday, August 7, 2026, from 5 to 10 p.m., with free admission and parking. Vendor tents fill the 100 to 300 blocks of Market Street, local shops stay open late with specials, giveaways and door prizes, and live music plays around downtown, including a street dance on Commerce Street and shows at Old Town's bars and venues. A Health & Wellness Expo runs at the Tomball Community Center, and kids' activities run throughout the event. The highlights come after dark: the Parade of Lights, now in its 24th year, rolls east down Main Street toward the Depot at about 9:15 p.m., followed by fireworks over the Historic Depot around 9:45 p.m. Streets close starting at 2 p.m., so arrive early and bring a chair for a curb spot.

Annual Events

Deck the Depot

Deck the Depot is Tomball's annual Christmas tree lighting celebration at Tomball Depot Plaza, 201 South Elm Street, in the heart of Old Town. Organized by the City of Tomball and previously known as Light It Up!, it turns the historic railroad depot grounds into a holiday wonderland for an afternoon and evening in early December. The 2026 edition is scheduled for Saturday, December 5, from 4 to 8 p.m., with the tree lighting at around 7 p.m. Past events have featured Santa, Mrs. Claus and Buddy the Elf, live music, choirs and storytellers, local vendors, crafts for kids, trackless train rides, snow slides, hot chocolate and treats, and the mayor's lighting of the city tree. Admission and parking are free, which makes it an easy outing for families visiting Tomball during the holidays. Some side streets close for the event, so plan to park a short walk away. Check the City of Tomball's events calendar for the full schedule.

201 S Elm St, Tomball, TX 77375

Annual Events · Festivals

Tomball Bluegrass Festival

The Tomball Bluegrass Festival is a free, one-day celebration of bluegrass and American roots music held each fall at the historic Tomball Railroad Depot Plaza, 201 South Elm Street, in Old Town Tomball. Produced by the City of Tomball, it brings national, regional and local bands to the Depot stage for a full afternoon of old-style, toe-tappin' bluegrass, with banjo, fiddle, mandolin and close-harmony singing. A signature feature is the Shade Tree Jam, an open jam session where visiting pickers gather to play together. Food and craft vendors and a kids' zone round out the day. Admission and parking are free. The 2026 festival was scheduled for October 16, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's a relaxed, family-friendly counterpoint to Tomball's bigger German festivals, and Old Town's shops, restaurants and coffee spots are steps away. Check the City of Tomball's events calendar in late summer for next year's date and lineup.

201 S Elm St, Tomball, TX 77375

Festivals

July 4th Celebration & Street Festival

Tomball's July 4th Celebration & Street Festival is billed as the biggest Independence Day event in northwest Harris County. The City of Tomball hosts it on the evening of the Fourth on Business Highway 249 just north of FM 2920, behind Kroger, with free admission and parking. The 2026 edition began at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, and included live music from Willow Creek Junction, a tribute to veterans and military service members, an outdoor movie screening of National Treasure, food and family activities, capped by a giant aerial fireworks display at about 9:15 p.m. It's one of the larger fireworks shows in the Houston area and a classic, flag-waving small-town Fourth of July that draws families from across the region. Bring lawn chairs or blankets, arrive early for a good viewing spot and watch the city's social media for weather updates. Check the City of Tomball's events page for next year's details.

Social

Back to School Mom's Night Out Sip and Stroll

The Back to School Mom's Night Out Sip and Stroll is an evening event in downtown Tomball, held in late summer as kids head back to class. Moms are invited to stroll Old Town's streets, shop local boutiques, enjoy sips at participating stores and find surprises along the way. The 2024 edition ran on a Thursday evening in August from 5 to 9 p.m., and dozens of downtown shops have taken part in past years, including Bath Hut, Bella Antiques and Birds of a Feather. The City of Tomball also lists similar downtown shop-and-stroll evenings, such as Mom's Night Out and the Downtown Tomball May Stroll, on its events calendar. The event centers on the historic Main Street area near 210 West Main Street, so there's plenty of parking near the Railroad Depot and you can easily continue the night at one of Old Town's restaurants or wine bars. Check the city calendar for this year's date.

Annual Events

Tomball Holiday Parade

The Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce kicks off the holiday season with "Two Miles of Smiles" down Main Street, a tradition with roots in the mid-1960s. The 61st Annual Tomball Holiday Parade, presented by Tomball Auto Group, rolls on Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon, with the theme "250 Years – Main Street Americana." The parade begins at Elm Street and Main Street and travels west along Main Street to Buvinghausen. It's free to attend, and Main Street road closures run from 7 a.m. until noon on parade morning, so arrive early to find parking and a spot along the route. Parade entry and sponsor forms are on the Chamber's event page.

Main Street, Downtown Tomball, TX 77375

Annual Events

Miss Tomball

Miss Tomball is a Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce scholarship tradition that celebrates outstanding young women in the Tomball area, open to high school juniors and seniors. The pageant and the Tomball Holiday Parade both grew out of the Chamber's revival in the 1960s and remain community traditions more than six decades later. Miss Tomball 2027 is scheduled for Saturday, November 21, 2026. Requirements and registration details are on the Chamber's Miss Tomball page; questions go to the Chamber at admin@tomballchamber.org or 281-351-7222.

Tomball, TX 77375

Annual Events

Plant Bingo Tomball

Plant Bingo Tomball brings plant-themed bingo to 403 EATS, Tomball's food truck park and music venue at 403 E. Main Street. Hosted by the Green Thumb Collective as a community fundraiser, the games award donated plants and gifts rather than cash prizes. Sessions are held periodically through the year (recent dates included January 3 and July 19, 2026), so check with 403 EATS for the next game. Grab lunch from one of the food trucks and make an afternoon of it.

403 E Main St, Tomball, TX 77375 (403 EATS)

Annual Events

Green Thumb's Trunk-O-Treat

Green Thumb's annual Trunk-O-Treat turns the 403 EATS lot at 403 E. Main Street into a safe, family-friendly trick-or-treat zone, with local businesses, families and community groups decorating their trunks and handing out candy. The 3rd annual event is Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 4 to 10 p.m.: candy runs from 4 to 7 p.m., followed by a free concert starting at 7 p.m. Admission is free, and the optional trunk theme is "Around the World." Trunk registration, volunteer sign-ups and candy donations are handled through the event's Eventbrite page.

403 E Main St, Tomball, TX 77375 (403 EATS)

Annual Events

Tomball Ghost Tour

Old Town Spring Ghost Walk leads a lantern-lit Tomball Ghost Tour through Old Town Tomball with costumed guides. Along the way you'll hear local history and the stories of why some spirits never left: a disappearing cemetery, murders, black magic and more. The walk lasts about an hour and meets at the old train depot on South Elm Street. Tour dates and tickets are posted on the Old Town Spring Ghost Walk calendar.

Tomball Railroad Depot, 201 S. Elm St, Tomball, TX 77375