Galveston Island is a beautiful place to visit, and it has a rich history of festivals that celebrate the diverse cultures of its residents. The island's first settlers were French, Spanish and African-American slaves who worked together on sugar plantations. In 1836, the Battle of San Jacinto resulted in Texas independence from Mexico. Afterward, many immigrants came to Galveston Island seeking opportunity; some stayed while others moved on to other parts of Texas or even further westward into America itself! Today there are still people living here who trace their roots back hundreds of years ago when these festivals began taking place every year during certain times throughout the year:
The Festival of Lights is a three-day event that takes place in December. It's located on Seawall Boulevard, just past the Strand Historic District. The festival includes live music, holiday shopping and dining options, a parade with Santa Claus as its grand marshal and more than 1 million lights illuminating the streets of downtown Galveston Island. The dates for this year's Festival of Lights are December 2-4 (Friday through Sunday). Tickets cost $10 per person or $25 per carload; children under 5 years old get in free with an adult ticket purchase.
Dickens on the Strand is a holiday festival that takes place in Galveston every year. The
event takes place on Seawall Boulevard, which is located right next to the beach. This means that you can enjoy all of your favorite holiday activities while also being able to take advantage of some time at the beach! The dates for Dickens on the Strand are November 28th through December 2nd this year, so if you're interested in going, make sure to plan ahead! There will be plenty of activities happening throughout these five days: carolers will be singing Christmas songs throughout downtown Galveston; there will be live performances by local musicians; and even Santa Claus himself will make an appearance at one point during this festival! Tickets cost $10 per person if purchased online or $15 per person if purchased at the gate (children under 12 get free admission).
The Galveston Island Jazz & Blues Festival is one of the most popular festivals on the island. It takes place at The Tremont House Hotel and Spa, located in downtown Galveston. The festival is held over two days in late April each year, with Friday evening being reserved for VIP ticket holders only and Saturday being open to all attendees. The event features live music from some of the best performers in jazz, blues and soul music today. Past performers include Aretha Franklin, Boney James and Chris Botti (to name just a few). There are also plenty of activities for kids during this event as well as food vendors selling everything from barbecue to fried Oreos!
The Galveston Island Shrimp Festival is a weekend-long event that takes place in mid-
June. It is held on the grounds of Moody Gardens, which is located at 2800 Hope Street in Galveston. The festival includes live music, food vendors and children's activities like face painting and crafts. The festival runs from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm each day during its run (Friday through Sunday). Tickets are $5 per person or $20 per family; children under 2 years old get in free!
The Galveston Island Greek Festival is held in the heart of downtown Galveston at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, which was founded in 1891. The festival takes place over two weekends: Friday through Sunday, May 10-12; and Friday through Sunday, May 17-19. Admission to the festival is free! Greeks have been living on Galveston Island since at least 1821 when a group of settlers arrived from New Orleans after surviving a shipwreck off Pelican Island (now called Pelican Spit) near Port Bolivar. Today there are over 6,000 residents who claim Greek heritage on this island community located just 20 miles southeast of Houston in Southeast Texas. The annual celebration includes authentic food such as gyros (Greek meat sandwiches), souvlaki (Greek kebabs), spanakopita (spinach pie), tiropita (cheese pie) and baklava; traditional music performed by local musicians; arts & crafts vendors selling handmade items such as jewelry or pottery; games for children including face painting & balloon animals; folk dancing performances by local dance groups throughout each day's activities schedule at St Nicholas Church Hall Stage area located adjacent to parking lot #2 adjacent west side entrance gate where admission tickets will be sold during festival hours only
The Galveston Island Food & Wine Festival is a three-day event that takes place at the
end of April each year. It's held on the grounds of Moody Gardens, which is located on the south side of the island and has access to some great views. The festival includes tastings from more than 30 restaurants and wineries, live music performances by local bands, cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs like Robert Irvine and Guy Fieri (who also hosts "Diners Drive-Ins & Dives"), wine seminars led by experts in their field--and much more! Tickets cost $45 per person for general admission or $75 per person if you want VIP access (which gets you early entry into the festival).
The Galveston Island Beach Revue is a free concert series that takes place every Wednesday night from June through August. The concerts take place on the Seawall, which is just across from Pier 21. The dates for this year's Beach Revue are: June 6 - June 27 (no show on June 20) July 11 - August 8
Galveston Island Mardi Gras When: February 8-10, 2019 Where: Galveston, Texas This three-day festival features live music, food and drink vendors, arts and crafts booths and more than 100 parade floats. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday with a procession through downtown Galveston before heading out to the beach for an afternoon of fun in the sun! The festival also includes a costume contest where you can win prizes for best dressed or most original costume (or both!). Tickets are $10 per person; children 12 years old and younger get in free of charge when accompanied by an adult who purchases admission tickets.
The festivals of Galveston Island are a great way to experience the culture and history of this unique island. You can learn more about the island's past, present and future at these events. Festivals are also important for bringing people together from all over the world who come together to celebrate their heritage by sharing food, music and art with one another.
