Festivals and Events

February

Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Every February, generally toward the end of the month, ranchers and cowboys congregate for three days at Sul Ross State University to regale audiences with original poetry and washtub-bass tributes to singers like Bob Wills. Hwy. 90, Alpine, TX, 79831. 432/837-2326 Sul Ross Activities Center; 800/561-3712 Sul Ross Activities Center. www.cowboy-poetry.org.

September

Big Bend Balloon Bash. Brightly colored hot-air balloons dot the Alpine skies each Labor Day weekend. When the sun goes down, the balloons light up, and the flames are choreographed to music. Alpine, TX, 79830. 432/837-7486.

Marfa Lights Festival. A Labor Day weekend celebration of nighttime, multicolored mystery lights that appear in the Chinati Mountains. Visitors gather to watch a parade, listen to live music and frequent the food booths. Marfa Courthouse, Marfa, TX. 800/650-9696.

November

Alpine Gallery Night Artwalk. For two days each November, the peculiar mix of ranching and artist culture that inhabits Alpine overflows the galleries and seeps into the town's main drag, Holland Avenue. Musicians play at the train depot, barbecue vendors crowd the streets, and local artists display their works in many downtown businesses. Alpine, TX, 79830. 800/561-3712. www.alpinegallerynight.com.

Terlingua International Chili Championship. On the first Saturday of November, top chefs spice up cooling weather with four days of chili cooking, bragging, and gathering at Rancho CASI, on the north side of Highway 170, 11 mi west of Study Butte. Some of the prize-winning cooks dole out samples. Terlingua, TX, 79852. 210/887-8827. www.chili.org/terlingua.html.