Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival, Conroe

If you want to find catfish, alligator, and frog legs all in one place, your best bet is the swamp. But if you want to find all three animals plus carnival rides and live music, then you'd be better off heading to Conroe in October. For 25 years, the Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival has celebrated cooking traditions from the Lone Star State and its adjacent bayous, with gumbo and sausage to complement crispy fillets of its namesake fish.

Songs are almost as plentiful as snacks. On three stages and a performance space for kid-friendly shows, the fest showcases beloved bands playing sets that range from country to Beatles covers. Carnival rides, craft booths, and contests fill the rest of the fest with family-friendly activities, such as mechanical-bull rides and a non-mechanical petting zoo.