"We're going to have them in Founders Plaza, and it'll be a walking tour," Jodi Willard, Conroe's executive director of downtown development and tourism, said about this year's holiday lights in a report by Community Impact. Conroe City Council approved the plan on Sept. 24. At the same meeting it awarded a $20,000 marketing grant to the Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival, which is no longer held downtown.
In under two years, Conroe has moved its two biggest seasonal events in opposite directions. In both decisions, the city weighed how the event's crowd affects the shops and restaurants around the square. A three-day festival that draws carnival rides and five-figure attendance was moved out to open ground. A light display built for strolling was moved in, where people can walk from it to a storefront. For anyone planning a fall and holiday calendar in Conroe, that means two new addresses and a different way to spend each night.
A Festival That Outgrew the Square
Friends of Conroe held the Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival in downtown Conroe for 35 years. City Council ended that run at its Nov. 14, 2024 meeting. At a workshop the day before, Assistant City Administrator Nancy Mikeska presented the city's case. Fire and security concerns were the main reasons. She also said downtown businesses had reported losing money during the festival and that the event had more negative than positive impacts.
Her presentation put the city's total cost of hosting the festival at $58,028:
- $25,000 for Conroe Visitor Bureau services
- $21,770 for police services
- $6,437 for fire services
- $4,820 for public works services
The police department logged 347 overtime hours during the festival weekend, and the fire department logged 75. Those numbers show how much of a strain one weekend placed on a few blocks of historic streets.
Organizers described the move differently. Co-chair Mark Taylor told the Houston Chronicle that the relocation was a chance to grow and reinvigorate the festival. The fairgrounds plan used space the square never had. The main stage sat left of the entrance, the carnival to the right, and vendors along the central cement path. For the first time, the Cajun Stage was planned under a covered pavilion.
What the Fairgrounds Weekend Looks Like in 2026
The 37th annual festival runs Oct. 9–11 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, its second year at that site. In its grant application, the festival projected 10,000 to 15,000 attendees and 450 hotel room nights. It also listed new entertainment and children's activities among this year's changes.
The biggest change is the ticket price. Last year's preview listed general admission at $33 online or $35 at the gate. This year, the official ticket page lists a one-day ticket at $20, and $35 now buys all three days.
| Detail | 2026 Festival |
|---|---|
| Dates | Friday, Oct. 9 through Sunday, Oct. 11 |
| Location | Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 9333 Airport Road, Conroe |
| Hours | Friday 6 p.m. to midnight; Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight; Sunday noon to 6 p.m. |
| One-day ticket | $20 |
| Weekend pass | $35, valid all three days |
| Children 12 and under | Free, no ticket required |
| Parking | Free, north lot off Carl Pickering Memorial Drive |
| On the grounds | Live music, food and exhibitor vendors, a professional carnival and the annual Catfish Pageant |
The ticket site says these prices include fees. You need a ticket to enter the carnival area, and the festival does not issue refunds. The festival's information page still shows some 2025 details, so check carnival ride prices with the organizers before you go.
The city's $20,000 grant comes from hotel occupancy tax revenue, and the city pays it only after the event. Organizers must document eligible marketing expenses and hotel stays before they are reimbursed. Willard told council the festival received city funding starting in 2011 but had not received any in the past few years. She also disclosed that she previously served on the Friends of Conroe board and still volunteers with the organization. So the city that moved the festival off the square is now helping market it at its new site.
The Lights Come Downtown on Foot
Last December, the city's holiday display was the Candy Cane Holiday Trail. It was a free drive-through at Candy Cane Park, 1204 Candy Cane Lane, open Friday through Sunday evenings from 6 to 10 p.m. The city added a complimentary shuttle with priority access past the car line, along with a traffic plan meant to keep nearby restaurants reachable.
This year the lights move to Founders Plaza at 205 Metcalf St. in downtown Conroe. The city is designing the display with the Downtown Conroe Association, using traditional Christmas decorations and an Americana theme. It debuts Dec. 1 after the tree lighting ceremony and runs Thursday through Saturday evenings through Dec. 26. Moving it downtown is meant to encourage visitors to explore the nearby shops and restaurants.
The cost dropped sharply. Council renewed the city's contract with The Christmas Kings at $126,210, down from $300,000 last year, a savings of $173,790. The renewal began Oct. 1 and is the second of five available renewals. During the discussion, council members also raised the idea of eventually extending the Christmas destination effort to other parts of Conroe.
So this year the lights call for a different plan. Last year you could see the display from your car. This year you'll park once, walk the plaza, and the square's restaurants are a short walk away on the same evening.
A Season Spread Across Town
With the festival at the fairgrounds and the lights downtown, Conroe's fall and holiday events now cover much of the city and run into Montgomery. Here is the season in date order:
- P-6 Farms Fall Fest, Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 3 through Nov. 8, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with farm admission ending at 5:30. In-season admission is $25.95, and children 35 months and younger are free. The farm is at 9963 Poole's Road in Montgomery.
- Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival, Oct. 9–11 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 9333 Airport Road.
- Saturday, Nov. 7 has three events. The Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission holds its Veterans Day celebration and dedication at 9 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, 1776 Freedom Blvd. Grand Central Park's November Artisan Market runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Lake House, 1039 Lake House Drive. 7 Acre Wood hosts its 26th annual Thrill at the Mill from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 4401 N. Frazier St. General admission is $10 per person, and some rides cost extra.
- Lakeside Live, Friday, Nov. 13, 6 to 8 p.m. at The Lake House, with Zach and the 45's.
- Cars in the Park, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2 to 5 p.m. at The Lake House, free and open to the public.
- Christmas Around the Square and the tree lighting, Tuesday, Dec. 1. The Downtown Conroe Association lists Christmas Around the Square as a free event from 6:30 to 9 p.m., and the new Founders Plaza lights open that night. One city page still lists the tree lighting as Dec. 2, so confirm the date in late November.
- Toby Powell Conroe Christmas Celebration, Saturday, Dec. 12, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Heritage Place.
The October festival is on Airport Road, the November weekends are mostly at Grand Central Park and 7 Acre Wood, and December centers on downtown Conroe. The Founders Plaza lights, the tree lighting and the Dec. 12 celebration are all close to the square, which is the kind of foot traffic the city said it wanted when it moved the lights.
If you're wondering how these new downtown evenings or the fairgrounds weekend fit into everyday life in Conroe, Honey Tucker and Terese Yates of Dreamworks Property Team are glad to talk through the details of the city they serve. Contact Us any time this season.
