Celebrate fall in Historic Downtown McKinney during one of Texas' most beloved festivals. McKinney Oktoberfest, presented by Tomes Auto Group, brings Bavarian tradition to life with live music, cultural performances, interactive games, authentic flavors, and family-friendly fun all weekend long. photo by Allen Rich

Stefano Maderno, Samson and Two Philistines, 1624, bronze. Kimbell Art Museum. Just over two feet tall, the sculpture is a knotted tangle of three nude male figures, depicting the Old Testament account of Samson—a figure possessed of super-human strength—raising the jawbone of a donkey to strike an enemy Philistine while another lies motionless at his feet.

TCU Press will welcome Red Steagall, the Official Cowboy Poet of Texas, for a special recitation at “The Western Word,” the Press’s featured lounge at Bosque Ranch Live on Saturday, September 12, 2026, in Weatherford, Texas. Steagall will take the floor in the TCU Press lounge at 4:00 p.m. for a featured cowboy tradition of reciting work from memory, including poetry and prose drawn from a lifetime spent honoring the American West.

New Friends New Life (NFNL) announces the recipients of its 2026 ProtectHER Awards: Baker Botts and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., Elizabeth Carlock Phillips, and Janet Jensen. The awards, sponsored by Thomson Reuters, will be presented at the annual NFNL Stand for Her Luncheon, on September 24 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas. The luncheon will feature actress, producer, and founder/CEO Tracee Ellis Ross in a conversation moderated by NBC 5 anchor Laura Harris.

A team of scientists, students, and educators aboard E/V Nautilus will explore the biodiversity and geology of the Wake Atoll region while surveying World War II shipwrecks. Credit - Ocean Exploration Trust

MillHouse Foundation and Cotton Mill Partners, Ltd. invite art lovers to spend the weekend at Summer ArtFest, a juried indoor art festival held August 29–30, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. both days at the historic McKinney Cotton Mill.