Beaumont's Museum Madness Weekend Brings a Pumpkin Walk, Dogtoberfest and the Symphony
Ten Beaumont-area museums are hosting events this weekend. Saturday brings Dogtoberfest downtown, a pumpkin walk at a 1845 home and a symphony concert.
Beaumont's museums are opening their doors for a busy fall weekend. According to the Beaumont Heritage Society, this is the area's annual Museum Madness Weekend, with events at 10 museums: the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont Children's Museum, John Jay French Museum, Edison Museum, Dishman Art Museum, Fire Museum of Texas, McFaddin-Ward House Museum, Museum of the Gulf Coast, Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum and Texas Energy Museum.
Pumpkin Walk at the French home
The Heritage Society's Pumpkin Walk and Fall Festival runs Saturday, Oct. 17, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the John Jay French Museum. It includes a haunted tour of the 1845 French home, a hayride around the grounds, a vendor fair and a craft for children while supplies last. Visitors vote by ballot on their favorite carved and decorated pumpkins, and winners receive prizes.
Admission is $5 at the gate for non-members 4 and older. Children 3 and under and Heritage Society members get in free. Through Museums for All, groups of up to four can enter free with a SNAP/EBT card and a valid ID. The pumpkin contest is free to enter. Entries go to Heritage Hall, 2985 French Road, by noon Saturday. Remaining drop-off hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, the society says.
More on Saturday
Dogtoberfest: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Main Street Outdoor Plaza downtown, with dog contests and family activities, according to the city's events calendar.
Beaumont Symphony: "America 250: A Star-Spangled Celebration," 7:30 p.m. at the Julie Rogers Theatre, 765 Pearl St. Tickets are at sost.org or (409) 892-2257, according to the city calendar.
Sunday and beyond
KFDM's fall events guide lists the Beaumont Police Department's trunk-or-treat from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at 255 College St. The Jefferson Theatre starts its 13 Nights of Halloween movie series Monday, Oct. 19, with doors at 6 p.m. and films at 7 p.m.
The guide also lists Ghosts, Goblins and Gardens, a free family fall festival at the Beaumont Botanical Gardens, 6088 Babe Zaharias Drive, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Worth the trip
A weekend like this is a fine excuse to show children their own town's history. Beaumont has an 1845 homestead, an oil boomtown museum and a fire museum. Pick one, bring a pumpkin, and go.
Hero photo: i_am_jim / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (license).
