Summer in San Marcos, Texas, is a fun time for the entire family, with lots to see and do in this quaint city along the beautiful San Marcos River. Here you have access to many natural, cultural, and adventurous activities to keep everyone in your family involved and excited to spend the summer exploring everything our hometown has to offer. San Marcos is located between Austin and San Antonio along the Balcones Fault, where the hill country meets the coastal plains. You’re sure to find many unique natural features that make this a special place to live.
Summer in the Park
Nearly everyone loves to sit outside on a nice evening and enjoy some live music with their friends and loved ones. Summer in the Park is a great opportunity to do just that. This is a popular series of concerts that has been a local favorite since 1987 and runs from June to mid-August in San Marcos’s Plaza Park at 206 C. M. Allen Parkway.
You can come out every Thursday, with the music show starting at 7:30 p.m. Bring a blanket or lawn chair, some snacks, and even your dog on a leash for a fun evening with the whole family.
Musical artists at this year’s Summer in the Park include Bill Kirchen and Too Much Fun playing country swing and California honky-tonk on June 8. You’ll also find Donovan Keith with his smooth soul vocals that will delight your ears on June 22, and multi-award-winning musician Sue Foley will be bringing you blues and roots on July 20. This is just a sample of the artists and bands you won’t want to miss. You can find the full schedule on the Summer in the Park website along with FAQs and ways to get involved.
Tubing in the San Marcos River
Check out Lions Club Tube Rental for a fun day for the whole family playing in the San Marcos River. The tube rental is open on weekends through May and every day of the week from June until late August. Come by the location in City Park to rent tubes for the whole family, then float down the river for about an hour to Rio Vista Park, where you can take the return shuttle back to the start. A tube rental costs $18, and this gets you unlimited shuttles and all-day fun.
Wonder World Cave and Adventure Park
Who doesn’t want to take a guided tour of a cave formed by an earthquake? At Wonder World Cave and Adventure Park, you can do just that and even more. You’ll learn about geological marvels from the trained guides as they lead you into the Balcones Fault Line Cave. You’ll marvel at the prehistoric fossils revealed in the strata formations and other unique and awe-inspiring sights. Other attractions include a train ride through the Wonder World’s Animal Park where you can feed animals at the petting zoo and see many native Texan and exotic animal species.
Take a Glass-Bottom Boat Tour
Explore the clear waters of Spring Lake and San Marcos Springs with a glass-bottom boat tour run by The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. You can enjoy a unique view of the amazing flora and fauna of the lake area in these historic boats that have been giving tours since 1945. Spring Lake Park hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Sunday, with the first boat tour of the day starting at 10 a.m. Adult tickets are $9.75, children ages 3 to 12 are $6, and children under 3 are free.
Flying Armadillo Disc Golf Club
Disc golf fans and those curious about this increasingly popular game can stop by the Flying Armadillo Disc Golf Club for a fun time on the family-friendly mini course or the 6,000-foot big course. It’s open seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. all year long except when it hosts special events. The cost is $5 per person for unlimited play on weekdays and $10 on weekends, with children 12 and under free if accompanied by an adult. The Flying Armadillo Disc Golf Club is located at 3115 Hilliard Road, just a few miles north of San Marcos.
The Wittliff Collections
Why not take advantage of living in a college town by taking your family to check out the art at Texas State University’s Wittliff Collections? This gallery is free to visit and open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. Its current exhibition features the art and archival photographs of the Texas Monthly magazine and will run until December 2023. You’ll find the gallery on the seventh floor of the Albert B. Alkek Library at 601 University Drive.
In addition to this exhibition, the gallery has a range of regular collections celebrating the art and culture of Texas. The Southwest Writers Collection features archival works of such authors as Cormac McCarthy, who wrote “No Country for Old Men” as well as other celebrated works, and also renowned playwright and actor Sam Shepard. The Southwestern and Mexican Photography Collection has over 19,000 images in its archives, which go on display at different times. It features the works of both historical and modern photographers from the Southwest and Mexico, so come by and check out what’s on display.
There are so many fun family-friendly activities to enjoy in San Marcos in the summer that you’re sure to find something to make everyone happy. For the music lovers, the explorers, and the culture seekers, there’s always something exciting happening around this town. What’s your favorite summer activity to take part in with your family or friends? At Case J. Darwin Law Office, we’d love to hear if you have any recommendations for fun summer events, so drop us a line and let us know which activities you recommend.
San Marcos River Waterfall – San Marcos, Texas by Jonathan Cutrer is licensed with CC BY 2.0
