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Small Town Texas
If you’re looking for something fun to do the third weekend in May, go West. Columbus, Texas, located in neighboring Colorado County, population of four thousand and something, puts on quite the shindig. Columbus is an easy 25-mile drive, depending on where you start in Austin County.
If you love a good local fair, this one’s for you. Here’s everything you need to know about how to get ready for Magnolia Days Festival 2025. Food, fun, music, and more are waiting for you down the road in Columbus. It’s big-time fun in small-town Texas.
THE BEST THING ABOUT THE MAGNOLIA DAYS FESTIVAL? IT’S FREE!
The Magnolia Days Festival is held on the grounds of the Columbus courthouse square, which contributes to the wholesome small-town gathering feeling. Friends and neighbors gather in the city under the shade of magnolia and live oak trees to socialize and catch up on news and local gossip. Visitors from the surrounding area are heartily welcomed because, after all, strangers are just friends we haven’t met yet. The anticipated attendance at the 2025 Magnolia Days is 5,000 to 6,000 people over a day and a half of festivities, surpassing the number of people living in Columbus. Come one, come all!
The 2025 Magnolia Days Festival will happen on Friday, May 16, and Saturday, May 17. Friday’s festivities start at 5:00 p.m. and run until 11:30 p.m. The party continues on Saturday from 12 noon to 11:30 p.m.
And doesn’t everyone love a good freebie? Magnolia Days Festival has no admission fee, so come and enjoy the festive atmosphere and live music.
There’s an extra charge to get tickets to exchange for food and beverages, and certain activities require an additional fee to participate, but the friendly vibes are free.
Parking is free on the streets of downtown Columbus - just don’t block anyone’s driveway!
HISTORY OF MAGNOLIA DAYS FESTIVAL
Magnolia Days Festival goes way back to 1961 when ten Columbus citizens started the Magnolia Homes Tour, born out of interest in preserving the traditions and culture of the area’s historic homes. Four homes were open to the public in conjunction with the Live Oak Art Club’s annual show, which was held on - you guessed it - the third weekend in May. Over the years, the Magnolia Homes Tour became a full-fledged festival, completed with music and entertainment, games and rides for the kids, and food. The festival stopped in the early nineties but was revived again in 2016 as the Magnolia Festival. The celebration took on its current name, Magnolia Days Festival, in 2018 and has been going strong and growing ever since.
Different events, such as a car show and art contests, have been added over the years. The 2023 festival, marking the city’s 200th birthday, which Shelley Janik of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce calls “A heck of a party,” included the unearthing of a time capsule buried in 1973 and the placement of a new one to be opened in 2073.
Each year’s festival is just a little different to keep things interesting but also offers familiar Columbus Texas-style nostalgia and a chance to reminisce and celebrate.
An exciting new addition for 2025 is the airboat ride down the Colorado River and the historic property tour, an integral part of the Magnolia Days Festival history, is back! Which sadly, was not available in recent years.
MAGNOLIA BELLES
While taking in the sights of Columbus, you’ll likely see young women dressed in billowy throwback gowns reminiscent of another time. The Magnolia Belles are an essential part of local tradition, adding a touch of graceful antebellum nostalgia to the festival and the historic sites on the trolley tour. If you’re tempted to call the Magnolia Belles beauty queens, don’t.
They’re ambassadors of the city and the Columbus Historical Preservation Trust who must meet several requirements, including serving as a docent for the Trust. The Magnolia Belles will be officially presented as part of the Magnolia Days Festival on Friday, May 16, at 7:00 p.m. in the Stafford Opera House and again on Saturday, May 17, at 1:00 p.m. on the courthouse square.
WHAT TO DO AT THE MAGNOLIA
DAYS FESTIVAL
The 2025 Magnolia Days Festival includes a 5K fun run, a car show - typical entry is 80 cars, and tours of Columbus’ most historic homes via trolley.
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