Things to Do in Gun Barrel City, Texas
As the commercial hub of Cedar Creek Lake, Gun Barrel City has more going on than most towns its size in East Texas. There's the lake itself, a Fourth of July airshow over the water, a family fun park next door in Seven Points, and a long strip of restaurants and bars.
Here's what to do in and around Gun Barrel City.
Cedar Creek Lake
The star of the show is Cedar Creek Reservoir, one of the largest lakes in Texas at over 32,000 acres. It's a playground for fishing, boating, water skiing, swimming, sailing, and birdwatching, with public parks, boat ramps, and marinas all around its shores. Gun Barrel City sits right on the eastern shore, making lake access easy.
The lake is renowned for its fishing — catfish, crappie, white bass, and largemouth among the catches — and for lake life in general: weekends on the water, lounging on the shore, and the boating culture that defines the whole area. For anyone who loves the water, Cedar Creek is a year-round draw.
Family Fun and the Airshow
Gun Barrel City's public skate park, at Mabelle and Municipal, opened in July 2016 and was designed with input from local skaters. Across the lake in Seven Points, Whatz-Up Family Fun Park (700 E Cedar Creek Pkwy), open since 2004, has go-karts, laser tag, bumper cars, miniature golf, batting cages, a rock wall, an arcade and paintball.
The year's big event is Thunder Over Cedar Creek Lake, an airshow held around the Fourth of July as the main fundraiser of the Cedar Creek Veterans Foundation. The flying happens entirely over the water off Mabank, and it's free to watch from a boat or the shore.
Dining and Nightlife
Most of the lake's restaurants and bars line Gun Barrel City's Main Street and Gun Barrel Lane. The mix includes Tex-Mex at El Portal De Jaripo and Hector's, fried chicken and catfish at Cochran's Cafeteria, and sushi at Yamato. Walkers Landing, in business since 2001, anchors the west end of Main.
In Seven Points, the old Cedar Creek Brewery building is now the Cedar Creek Plowboys Club, a revived honky-tonk with live concerts and dancing. See the Gun Barrel City restaurants page for the full list.
Concerts & Shows Near Gun Barrel City
Listings from Ticketmaster, updated October 6, 2026. Tickets are sold by Ticketmaster; we don't check these dates ourselves, so confirm on the ticket page.
- Fri, Oct 9 · 3:00 PM Stars of Texas: Friday Pass (10/9/26) · Texas Motorplex, Ennis · 26 mi
- Sat, Oct 10 · 12:00 PM Stars of Texas: Saturday Pass (10/10/26) · Texas Motorplex, Ennis · 26 mi
- Sun, Oct 11 · 12:00 PM Stars of Texas: Sunday Pass (10/11/26) · Texas Motorplex, Ennis · 26 mi
- Fri, Nov 13 · 8:00 PM Southall (18+ Event) · Silver Saloon, Terrell · 26 mi
FAQ: Things to Do in Gun Barrel City
Fishing, boating and swimming on Cedar Creek Lake, the city skate park, Whatz-Up Family Fun Park in nearby Seven Points, the Thunder Over Cedar Creek Lake airshow around the Fourth of July, and the restaurants and bars along Main Street.
Yes. Gun Barrel City sits on the eastern shore of Cedar Creek Reservoir, one of the largest lakes in Texas at over 32,000 acres. The lake offers fishing, boating, water skiing, swimming, and sailing, with parks, marinas, and boat ramps making access easy from town.
It's an airshow held around the Fourth of July as the Cedar Creek Veterans Foundation's main fundraiser for veterans' causes. The flying takes place entirely over Cedar Creek Lake off Mabank, so spectators watch for free from boats and the shoreline.
Yes. Whatz-Up Family Fun Park at 700 E Cedar Creek Pkwy in Seven Points has go-karts, laser tag, bumper cars, miniature golf, batting cages, a rock wall, an arcade and paintball. Gun Barrel City also has a public skate park, opened in 2016.
East Texas guides
Region-wide guides that put Gun Barrel City in context — where to go, what things cost, and how people actually live here.
Things to Do in East Texas
What to do in East Texas, checked against official sources: Tyler's Rose Garden and Caldwell Zoo, Canton's First Monday Trade Days, the Texas State Railroad, state parks, museums and festivals.
Read Guide →East Texas Festivals and Annual Events
Season-by-season guide to East Texas festivals and events — Canton's First Monday Trade Days, the Texas Rose Festival, the Yamboree, Wonderland of Lights and more, checked against each host's own site.
Read Guide →Best Day Trips from Tyler and East Texas
Drive-time guide to day trips from Tyler: state parks, small towns, museums, and lakes within about 30 minutes, an hour, and up to three hours.
Read Guide →Best Lakes in East Texas
A fact-checked guide to 17 East Texas lakes, from Lake Fork's trophy bass and Caddo Lake to Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn and Lake Tawakoni. Sizes, species, access and rules come from TPWD.
Read Guide →Business Owner?
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