3 Best Performing Arts Venues in Outside the Park, Big Bend National Park

This internationally renowned contemporary art museum, which occupies 15 buildings on a 340-acre campus, is in the vanguard of the minimalist movement that defines the Marfa aesthetic. Chinati emphasizes large installations and changes its exhibits regularly, and it has a well-attended annual open house. The foundation conducts guided tours Wednesday through Sunday of its huge contemporary-art holdings, and some installations can be visited on self-guided tours. Tours often book up quickly; it's highly recommended that you book online in advance.

Billed as "the world's first rodeo," The West of the Pecos Rodeo is held during the last week of June in Pecos (75 miles north of Fort Davis). Rodeo events take place throughout town, including a dance held each night after the roping, but the main event is conducted at Buck Jackson Rodeo Arena.