Things to Do Near Mineola, Texas
The Beckham Hotel puts you in the middle of it all. Within a 30–45 minute drive of downtown Mineola, you’ll find spring-fed lakes, East Texas wineries and breweries, u-pick farms, small-town museums, and a festival calendar that runs nearly every weekend of the year. Use this guide to plan your stay — then book your room at the Beckham as your home base.
Lakes
From small private ponds to Lake Fork’s 27,000+ acres, East Texas is lake country. Several are open to the public.
| Lake | Location | Size / Details | Access |
|---|
| Lake Holbrook | 3 mi NW of Mineola | 653 acres | Public |
| Lake Hawkins | Near Hawkins | 776 acres | Public |
| Lake Quitman | 5 mi N of Quitman | 796–814 acres | Public |
| Lake Fork | Wood/Hopkins/Rains Counties | 27,690 acres — legendary bass fishing | Public |
| Lake Tyler (East + West) | 12 mi SE of Tyler | ~4,500 acres combined | Public |
| Lake Gladewater | Gladewater (~35–40 min) | 481–800 acres, spring-fed | Public |
| Lake Tawakoni | Rains/Hunt/Van Zandt Counties (~35–40 min) | ~37,879 acres | Public |
| Lake Winnsboro | 5 mi SW of Winnsboro (~25 min) | 806 acres | Public |
| Lake Brenda | 2 mi N of Mineola, off Hwy 37 | 40 acres | Private (POA) |
| Sundowner Lake | Mineola, TX 75773 | ~80 acres | Private (POA) |
| Lake Lydia | Near Quitman | 92 acres | Private (membership) |
| Holly Lake Ranch | Wood County (gated) | 210 + 43-acre + 3 smaller lakes | Private (HOA) |
Golf Courses
| Course | Location | Details | Access |
|---|
| Mineola Country Club | Mineola | 9 holes | Semi-private |
| The Links at Land’s End | Yantis | 18 holes | Public |
| Dogwood at Garden Valley Golf Resort | Lindale | Resort course | Resort |
| Hide-A-Way Lake Club | Hideaway | 3 courses, 18 holes each | Private |
| Holly Lake Ranch Golf Club | Holly Lake Ranch | Community course | Private |
Recreation & Parks
| Name | Location | Details |
|---|
| Mineola Nature Preserve | Mineola, Sabine River | 2,911 acres — hiking, biking, disc golf, equestrian trails, fishing |
| Mineola Civic Center RV Park | Mineola | Pickleball, tennis, splash pad |
| Historic Select Theater | Downtown Mineola | Oldest continuously operating theater in Texas (1920) |
| Tyler State Park | ~30 min away | Hiking, biking, swim/fishing lake |
| Wood County Arboretum & Botanical Gardens | Quitman | 23 acres |
Wineries
Valle della Pace Vineyards & Winery has a tasting room right inside the Beckham Hotel in downtown Mineola — no drive required. The vineyard itself is in nearby Garden Valley.
| Winery | Location | Notes |
|---|
| Valle della Pace Vineyards & Winery | Garden Valley + tasting room inside the Beckham Hotel | Open |
| Red 55 Winery | Lindale | Miranda Lambert’s winery, inside The Pink Pistol |
| Cannon Creek Vineyard | Canton | Open |
| Green Goat Winery | Canton/Tyler area | Open |
| Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards | Pittsburg | Open |
Breweries & Distilleries
| Name | Location | Notes |
|---|
| True Vine Brewing Company | Tyler | ~30 min drive |
| ETX Brewing Company | Tyler | ~30 min drive |
| The Porch at ETX Brewing | Tyler | ~30 min drive |
| Q & Brew | Canton | ~35–40 min drive |
| BackStory Brewery | Sulphur Springs | ~40–45 min drive |
| Cypress Creek Southern Ales | 200 E. Carnegie St, Winnsboro | Family/veteran-owned nano-brewery, limited hours |
| The Distillery at Kiepersol | Tyler (Bullard area) | ~40–45 min drive; winery/distillery/steakhouse/B&B estate |
Farms
| Name | Location | Details | Hours |
|---|
| The Waldo Way Dairy Farm | 395 CR 2482, Mineola | Raw milk dairy farm & store | Wed–Fri |
| Blueberry Ridge Farm | 2785 E US Hwy 80, Mineola | U-pick organic blueberries, oldest organic blueberry farm in TX | Seasonal (June–July) |
| Sorelle Farms / Bob Wells Nursery | 975 CR 2220, Mineola | Fruit/nut tree nursery, edible landscaping, classes/events | Year-round |
| Alford Family Farm | 199 Private Rd 6181, Emory | U-pick blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, muscadines, pecans | Seasonal (~April–July) |
| Mini ‘S’ Exotic Zoo (C.A.R.E.S.) | Mineola | Exotic animal facility | Appointment/tour only |
| Winnsboro Farmers Market | Winnsboro | Local produce, baked goods, crafts | Saturday mornings |
Museums
| Name | Location | Details |
|---|
| Mineola Historical Museum | Mineola | Free; 35+ exhibits; 1937 former post office |
| Mineola Depot and Railroad Museum | Mineola | Model railroad; working Amtrak depot |
| Ima Hogg Museum | Quitman | Family memorabilia |
| Stinson House Museum | Quitman | 1869 home; Wed tours |
| Honeymoon Cottage Museum | Quitman | Hogg family honeymoon cottage |
| Salt Palace Museum | Grand Saline | Building made of rock salt; salt-mining history; open Mon–Sat |
| Gladewater Museum | Gladewater | 1939 Art Deco building; pioneer/oil-boom history, Elvis exhibit; open Fri–Sat |
| Big Sandy Museum | Big Sandy | Local/railroad history |
| Alba Library and Museum | Alba | Civil War veterans exhibit, antique farm implements; open Tue/Thu/Fri/Sat 10–2 |
| Rains County Historical Society Museum | Emory | County history exhibits, archives |
| A.C. McMillan African American Museum | Emory | Specialty regional history museum; limited hours |
| Winnsboro Historical Museum | Winnsboro | Restored 1908 railroad depot; Bonnie & Clyde connection |
| Tyler Museum of Art | Tyler (~30 min) | Art museum |
| Discovery Science Place | Tyler (~30 min) | Kids’ science museum |
| Cotton Belt Depot Museum | Tyler (~30 min) | Railroad history |
| Goodman-LeGrand House | Tyler (~30 min) | Historic house museum |
Annual Festivals & Events
There’s almost always something happening within a short drive of the Beckham. A few local favorites:
In Mineola: Fiesta de Mayo (1st Saturday in May), Iron Horse Heritage Festival (4th Saturday in Sept), the Mineola Fire Department Rodeo, Savor on the Bricks (October food & wine walk), and the Lighted Christmas Parade & Christmas Market in December.
| When | Event | Location |
|---|
| Monthly, weekend before 1st Monday — world’s largest flea market | First Monday Trade Days | Canton |
| Late January | Chili Cook-Off | Quitman |
| Spring | Dogwood Fiesta | Quitman |
| April | East Texas Gusher Days | Gladewater |
| 2nd Saturday in April | Main Street Festival | Grand Saline |
| 3rd weekend of April & October — ~392-mile rolling garage sale | Historic Hi-Way 80 Sale | Mineola, Hawkins, Big Sandy, Gladewater & more |
| Spring — $1 tastings, 20 wineries | Piney Woods Wine Festival (Spring) | Lindale |
| 1st Saturday in May | Fiesta de Mayo | Mineola |
| June | Gladewater Roundup Rodeo | Gladewater |
| Mid-September, 90+ years running | Rains County Fair | Emory |
| September | Gladewater Arts and Crafts Festival | Gladewater |
| 4th Saturday in September | Iron Horse Heritage Festival | Mineola |
| Last weekend of September | Salt Festival | Grand Saline |
| Fall (Sept/Oct) | Hawkins Oil Festival | Hawkins |
| Entire month of October, 68th year in 2026 | Autumn Trails Festival | Winnsboro |
| October | Savor on the Bricks | Downtown Mineola |
| October — Lindale’s biggest festival | Lindale Chamber Countryfest | Lindale |
| Fall | Piney Woods Wine Festival (Fall) | Lindale |
| 4th Saturday in Oct, week-long — “Sweet Potato Capital of the World” | Golden Sweet Potato Festival | Golden (~4 mi NW of Mineola) |
| Last Saturday in October | Big Sandy Fall Heritage Festival | Big Sandy |
| Halloween weekend (Oct 31–Nov 1), founded 1898 | Old Settlers Reunion | Quitman |
| 1st weekend of November, 16+ years running | Winnsboro Art & Wine Festival | Winnsboro |
| Saturdays in December | Christmas in Lindale | Lindale |
| December | Lighted Christmas Parade & Christmas Market | Downtown Mineola |
| Date varies — 3-day family rodeo | Lindale Championship Rodeo | Lindale |
| Date varies | Cowboy Music & Poetry Gathering | Winnsboro |
Make the Beckham Your Home Base
Wake up in downtown Mineola and be at a lake, a winery, or a festival within 45 minutes. Book your room today.
