Things to Do in Gilmer, Texas

Gilmer's signature event is the East Texas Yamboree, a four-day festival held the third weekend of October to celebrate the sweet potato harvest. Running since 1935, it's one of the oldest continuing festivals in East Texas and draws big crowds to the small town each fall.

The Yamboree packs in two parades, the Queen's Coronation Pageant, a carnival around the town square, livestock shows, arts and crafts, an antique and classic car show, a Fiddlers' Contest, a yam pie contest, and a barn dance — plus plenty of yam-inspired treats. It's a quintessential small-town Texas festival and well worth planning a trip around.

Year-round, the heart of Gilmer is its historic downtown square, anchored by the Upshur County Courthouse. The square offers the shops, cafes, and small-town charm of a classic Texas county seat — a pleasant place to stroll, browse, and soak up local history, and the natural gathering point during the Yamboree and other community events.

The surrounding historic district preserves the look and feel of an old East Texas farming-and-cotton town, giving downtown Gilmer a genuine sense of place.

For outdoor recreation, Lake Gilmer, the city's reservoir, offers fishing and a quiet place to enjoy the water close to town, and the larger Lake O' the Pines is a short drive northeast for bigger-water boating and fishing.

Gilmer also makes a fun stop for music lovers: this little town is the birthplace of Eagles drummer and singer Don Henley, pop legend Johnny Mathis, and blues great Freddie King. It's a remarkable trio of talent to have come from one small place — a point of real local pride and a fun bit of trivia for any visitor.