The 89th annual Texas Rose Festival kicks off this week with a full schedule of events ahead of the much-anticipated parade on Saturday morning. Official events begin Thursday morning and continue through Sunday, many of which are free while others require tickets.

The 89th annual Texas Rose Festival kicks off this week, bringing some “enchantment” to the city of Tyler with a full slate of events.

“We look forward to seeing everybody come out and celebrate our city with us,” said Liz Ballard, executive director of the Texas Rose Festival Association and Tyler Rose Museum.

This year’s theme is Empires of Enchantment. Ballard said everything will revolve around gifts from around the world like jewels, porcelains, jewelry, delicacies and more. Each member of the court will present the queen with these gifts.

“It’s going to be very royal,” she said.

This year’s court includes Queen Molly Louise Berry, Princess Olivia Bristol Young and Duchess of the Rose Growers Hadley Hills Brewer.

Ballard said on Tuesday that a lot of installations were beginning to be set up including the set design at the UT Cowan Center where the Coronation will be and the Rose Festival display at the Rose Garden Center.

“I’m so excited,” she said. “We’re just dotting our I’s and crossing our T’s and making sure it comes together as well as it can.”

The parade and Queen’s Tea are events Ballard said she is excited for the community to see and be part of. The tea, which allows the public a chance to meet the queen and her court in their full coronation costumes while also showcasing the 14-acre Rose Garden in full bloom, will be an especially “stunning event,” Ballard said.

Ballard said she is also looking forward to celebrating the Hispanic community at the Rose Festival. This year the Hispanic community has been formally invited to participate in the parade.

There will be over 40 East Texas Hispanic girls participating and showcasing the quinceañera tradition. Each of the girls will be in their quinceañera dresses and attendees can also expect a mariachi band, Aztec dancers, Folkloric dancers, a Tejano band and more.

“The enthusiasm from the community has just been amazing,” Ballard said. “I look forward to having lots of different people come and participate this year. I’m just so thankful.”

Festival events will officially begin after the ribbon cutting and morning prayer service at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Rose Garden Center, 420 Rose Park Dr. This event is free and open to the public.

“I know it’s going to be a fabulous event for Queen Molly and her family,” Ballard said.

Below, you’ll find the full schedule of official Texas Rose Festival events and other citywide events available for tourists and local residents to enjoy.

Now through Oct. 29

Special exhibition at the Historic Goodman-LeGrand House & Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. now through Oct. 29 at 624 N. Broadway Ave. in Tyler. Vintage Rose Festival gowns will be on display inside the home and guests can take a stroll on the home’s beautiful grounds. Admission: Free, with a suggested $2 donation. Groups of 10 or more are asked to call ahead. Information: 903-531-1286 or www.goodmanmuseum.com.

Friday, Oct. 14

• Texas Rose Festival Rose Display, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Rose Garden Center, 420 Rose Park Drive. Admission is free.
• Palette of Roses Art Show and Sale, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Rose Garden Center, 420 Rose Park Drive. Admission is free. Information: www.paletteofrosesartleague.com
• Walk & Talk in the Rose Garden, 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Rose Garden, 420 Rose Park Dr. The Smith County Master Gardeners will offer guided tours through the rose garden and botanical garden.
• Texas Rose Festival Men’s Luncheon, 11:15 a.m. at The Cascades, 4511 Briarwood Rd., featuring a guest speaker. Tickets are $50 and up and can be purchased at www.texasrosefestival.com.
• Texas Rose Festival Ladies’ Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. at Rogers Nursing Health Science Center, corner of 5th Street and Fleishel, featuring guest speaker Jennifer B. Pickens, who is a White House social expert, historian and author. Tickets can be purchased at www.texasrosefestival.com for $100 and up, and seating is limited. 
• Texas Rose Festival Matinee Coronation, 2 p.m. at the R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center, 3900 University Blvd. An impressive theatrical experience for visitors of all ages that boats a unique theme with gorgeous gowns, staging and an intriguing story. Tickets from $15 to $45 at www.texasrosefestival.com or in-person at the UT Tyler Cowan Center Box Office, 3900 University Blvd.
• Roseland Plantation Afternoon Tea and Historic Tour, 2 p.m. at 2591 State Hwy. 64 (6 miles west of Tyler Pounds Regional Airport), featuring a four-course afternoon tea and historic plantation tour. Tickets: $40 per person, all-inclusive or $10 for tour only; reservations required for both. Information: 903-849-0205 or www.roselandplantation.com
• Texas Rose Festival Evening Coronation, 7 p.m. at the R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center, 3900 University Blvd. Tickets from $20 to $85 at www.texasrosefestival.com or in-person at the UT Tyler Cowan Center Box Office, 3900 University Blvd.
• Special exhibition at the Historic Goodman-LeGrand House & Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. now through Oct. 29 at 624 N. Broadway Ave. in Tyler. Vintage Rose Festival gowns will be on display inside the home and guests can take a stroll on the home’s beautiful grounds. Admission: Free, with a suggested $2 donation. Groups of 10 or more are asked to call ahead. Information: 903-531-1286 or www.goodmanmuseum.com.

Saturday, Oct. 15

• Texas Rose Festival pre-parade activities, 9 a.m. at the Christus Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium, 609 Fair Park Dr.
• Texas Rose Festival Parade, 9 a.m. going west from Glenwood Boulevard and Front Street, featuring more than 120 parade entries with custom floats for the Queen and her Court, color guards, bands, car clubs, dance teams, Shriners and dignitaries, and more. Viewing on the eastside parade route is free. Reserved seating tickets are available in advance for $10 either in-person at UT Tyler Cowan Center Box Office, 3900 University Blvd., online at www.texasrosefestival.com, or at the event at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium, 400 Fair Park Dr. The parade will be live-streamed on the Tyler Paper Facebook page, thanks to our sponsors at Peters Chevrolet. You can also watch the parade on television on KETK-FOX51. 
• Texas Rose Festival Rose Display, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Rose Garden Center, 420 Rose Park Drive. Admission is free.
• Palette of Roses Art Show and Sale, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rose Garden Center, 420 Rose Park Drive. Admission is free.
• Rose Festival Arts and Crafts Fair, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bergfeld Park, 1501 S. Broadway Ave. More than 75 vendors will provide handmade items such as creative art, jewelry, photography, mixed media, food & more. Free admission (kids zone & concessions for a fee), at Bergfeld Park, 1510 S. College. Information: 903-531-1214, www.TylerParksAndRec.com.
• Couple’s Classic Movie in the Park, 7 p.m. at Bergfeld Park, 1501 S. Broadway Ave. Admission is free.
• Texas Rose Festival Queen’s Tea, 1 to 3 p.m. at the Rose Garden, 420 Rose Park Dr. The tea is an opportunity to meet the Rose Queen and her Court in their full coronation costumes, while also showcasing the 14-acre Tyler Rose Garden in full bloom. The public is invited to attend and admission is free. Information: www.texasrosefestival.com
• Special exhibition at the Historic Goodman-LeGrand House & Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. now through Oct. 29 at 624 N. Broadway Ave. in Tyler. Vintage Rose Festival gowns will be on display inside the home and guests can take a stroll on the home’s beautiful grounds. Admission: Free, with a suggested $2 donation. Groups of 10 or more are asked to call ahead. Information: 903-531-1286 or www.goodmanmuseum.com.

Sunday, Oct. 16

• Rose Festival Arts and Crafts Fair, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bergfeld Park, 1501 S. Broadway Ave. More than 75 vendors will provide handmade items such as creative art, jewelry, photography, mixed media, food & more. Free admission (kids zone & concessions for a fee), at Bergfeld Park, 1510 S. College. Information: 903-531-1214, www.TylerParksAndRec.com.
• Texas Rose Festival Rose Display, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Rose Garden Center, 420 Rose Park Drive. Admission is free.
• Special exhibition at the Historic Goodman-LeGrand House & Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. now through Oct. 29 at 624 N. Broadway Ave. in Tyler. Vintage Rose Festival gowns will be on display inside the home and guests can take a stroll on the home’s beautiful grounds. Admission: Free, with a suggested $2 donation. Groups of 10 or more are asked to call ahead. Information: 903-531-1286 or www.goodmanmuseum.com.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.texasrosefestival.com.