The leaves may not be changing, but the calendar shows that it is fall time in Cowtown.
With this change in season comes several festivals and events being held in the Fort Worth area that students and residents alike can enjoy.
Trinity River Wind Festival – Oct. 25 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Enjoy the outdoors this fall at this wind-centered festival at the Trinity Overlook Park in Dallas. Attendees can watch stunt kite performances or bring their own kite to fly along the river. There’s something for animal lovers too with performances from disc dogs and presentations of rehabilitated raptors and homing pigeons. There will also be food and kite vendors, along with giveaways from Sprint and Coca-Cola. The festival is free, but parking costs between $4-6 per car. Get more info at http://www.trinityrivercorridor.org/events/trinity-river-wind-festival.html.
Steinfest 2015 – Oct. 25 from 2 to 10 p.m.

This German festival features beer, food and live music in downtown Plano. Eight local restaurants, such as Kelly’s Eastside, Lockhart Barbeque and Ye Ole Butcher Shop, come together to offer an array of food. Festival goers can chase down those treats with one of the four types of beer for sale: Paulaner Oktoberfest, Hofbräu Oktoberfest, Karbach Oktoberfest and Stiegl Radler. The festival also offers several different German-inspired competitions ranging from racing with full steins of beer to bowling with kegs. All this is accompanied by live music, shopping booths and non-beer based games. The festival is run on a ticket system to buy food and drinks, and each ticket costs a dollar. However, attendees can pre-order tickets online for a discount. Find out more at http://www.visitdowntownplano.com/steinfest-2015/.
Otsukimi Moon Viewing Festival – Oct. 27 from 7 to 10 p.m.

This Japanese festival, jointly presented by Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth and the Trammell and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art, is a celebration of the autumn full moon and the Japanese culture. The festival features live music and dance performances. There will also be calligraphy and ikebana demonstrations, a bunny petting zoo and an outdoor picnic featuring Japanese Fusion Bento Box for $25. Admission is free, but attendees should register at https://crowcollection.secure.force.com/ticket/#sections_a0Fo000000F67lvEAB.
Festival at the Switchyard – Nov. 7 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Head over to the Historic Downtown Carrollton to enjoy a festival honoring the importance of the railroad to the city of Carrollton. The festival features 70 vendors, including Aloha Shave Ice, Go4It Sports Grill and Zeytin Mediterranean Grill. There will also be activities such as face painting and a balloon artist. The band 3 Doors Down is headlining the festival with opener Fastball along with other performers throughout the day. The festival is free for all to attend, but food and other items must be bought with cash or a credit card. Get more info at http://www.carrolltonfestival.com/home.html.
Lone Star Film Festival – Nov. 5-8 at 12 p.m.

If the outdoors aren’t your thing, don’t worry; there is a festival for you, too. The AMC Palace Theater and Four Day Weekend Theater are hosting the 9th annual Lone Star Film Festival. The festival features film screenings, competitions, panel discussions, guest speakers and parties. There are 37 feature films announced for the festival, with 19 nominated for awards. The movies up for awards include Almosting It,  Hooked and T-Rex. There are also 21 short films eligible for awards, such as The Death Drive, Man in the Can and This Time It’s Shopping. Tickets cost $10 per individual movie screening or $150 for an All-Access Badge to all screenings. Find out more at http://www.lonestarfilmfestival.com/
Other Desert Cities – Oct. 22 – Nov. 21 at 3, 7:30, or 8 p.m.

Attend the Fort Worth premiere of the play Other Desert Cities at Circle Theatre. It follows the story of Brooke Wyeth (Dana Schultes) who returns home to Palm Springs and tells her family she plans to write a memoir about a tragic family event. Her family doesn’t want the event brought up again, so this causes a struggle with Brooke. Tickets range from $20-$35; however, Oct. 30 is a school night and features student tickets for $5. Get more information at http://circletheatre.com/shows/other_desert_cities.