When to Go

Though the temperatures can reach 100° in the summer, nights are beautifully cool, combed by winds from the north. (It's easy to tell which direction they blow, too; just look for the piles of tumbleweed driven into the fences by the breeze. They're hard to miss; some get as big as a baby elephant.) Snows carpet the area a few times each winter. Those who live here might tell you there's nothing so disconcerting—or beautiful—as snow on the many cacti in the plains of the northern Chihuahua Desert. Visitors are bound to find something going on each month—from rodeos to art festivals to Cinco de Mayo and Diez y Seis De Septiembre (Mexican Independence Day) celebrations. However, since temperatures in this scrubby, desert land can soar into the three digits during the summer, it's often best to catch what this land has to offer during the more temperate months between January and June or in early fall.

The Panhandle bursts with life regardless of the season. No matter how chill the wind is, or how broiling the summer climax, Texans will seize reasons to celebrate and congregate. That said, your best bet is to skip the wind-scoured depths of winter, particularly November through January. When folks say there's no barrier to Canada in the winter, they're not joking; residents of Amarillo will regale you with stories about how a Nor'easter froze their door shut one night. The cold nights probably won't kill you, but they will make it uncomfortable to traipse around. The Panhandle's northern part, which is a mere 80 mi from southern Colorado, sees an annual average snowfall of 15.6 inches.

In terms of the weather, it's best to visit during the more temperate months of March, April, and especially May, when Cinco de Mayo festivals hit full swing, and early summer, before the late-July and August tongue-hanging heat waves. But all summer long could be your pick if you're looking for a party. Summer is the only time many attractions open up, and when live music and several fun events take place. The month of September is cooler, and it's the time Lubbock musically celebrates native son Buddy Holly. Festivals also explode elsewhere in September, as towns and cities festively commemorate their Hispanic heritage on the Mexican Independence Day from Spain. Called Diez y Seis de Septiembre, it translates to September 16 and is a historic event equal in weight to the Fourth of July.

Festivals

Alpine Gallery Night Artwalk. For two days each November, the peculiar mix of ranching and artist culture that inhabits Alpine overflows the galleries and seeps into the town's main drag, Holland Avenue. Musicians play at the train depot, barbecue vendors crowd the streets, and local artists display their works in many downtown businesses. Holland Ave., Alpine, Texas, 79830. 432/837–3067; www.artwalkalpine.com.

Marfa Lights Festival. This Labor Day weekend gathering celebrates the mysterious multicolored lights that appear at night in the Chinati Mountains east of U.S. 67 and south of U.S. 90, generally 10 to 20 times a year. Do they result from pockets of atmospheric gas? The spirits of dead Apaches? Overactive imaginations? Whatever they are, they draw curious visitors to Marfa for a parade, live music, and food. Presidio County Courthouse lawn, N. Highland Ave., Marfa, Texas, 79843. 432/295–1804; www.marfachamber.org.

Terlingua International Chili Championship. On the first Saturday of November, top chefs spice up cooling weather with chili cooking, bragging, and partying at this spicy chili cook-off held behind the Terlingua Store in Terlingua ghost town. Some of the prize-winning cooks dole out samples. And this is Texas, pardner: no beans allowed. 229--70 FM 170, Terlingua, Texas, 79852. www.abowlofred.com.

Viva Big Bend. This West Texas showcase of Lone Star music features rock, blues, country, Latin, and beyond, on stages in Alpine, Fort Davis, Marathon, Lajitas, and Marfa, both in large paid-admission venues and free concerts on hotel patios. Alpine, Texas, 79831. www.vivabigbend.com.