Annual Event

The Texas Rose Festival in Tyler has run every October since 1933

Tyler's Texas Rose Festival is an annual October celebration tied to the rose industry that built the region's economy.

The first festival was held in Tyler in 1933 under the name East Texas Rose Festival, timed to the peak of the fall rose bloom. It was renamed the Texas Rose Festival during the Texas Centennial in 1936. The festival grew alongside the rose industry and became a major regional event. It continues each October.

If you are moving to or visiting Tyler in the fall, the festival draws large crowds and affects local traffic and hotel availability. It is one of the older annual festivals in East Texas.

Source to confirm: Handbook of Texas — Texas Rose Festival

More Smith County notes

Property Tax Basics

Two offices handle your property tax in Smith County

The Smith County Appraisal District sets your property value; a separate tax office collects what you owe.

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Homestead Exemption

File a homestead exemption to lower your Smith County tax bill

If your home is your primary residence, you can file a homestead exemption with Smith CAD to reduce the taxable value.

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Over-65 Exemption

Turning 65 freezes your school taxes in Smith County

Once you qualify for the over-65 homestead exemption, your school taxes cannot go higher than the amount you paid in your first qualifying year.

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Appraisal Protest

You can protest your property value in Smith County

If you think Smith CAD valued your property too high, you have the right to protest — and the deadline is printed on your appraisal notice.

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