With holiday season just around the corner, there’s no better time to schedule a last minute trip that can help ease the tensions of the winter months.

Looking for food, culture, music or maybe just a beach? Luckily, the South can offer all of this, and more, and during one of the most beautiful times of year. October – December are the months Southerners live for, it’s what makes those hot and humid months worth while.

Bayou City Art Festival

• October 8, 2016 – October 9, 2016; Houston
• The Downtown festival will host 300 artists in 19 different mediums.
• The festival is a sophisticated outdoor gallery under the iconic Houston skyline, transforming the streets into artistic avenues bursting with color.
• Patrons can also enjoy music, entertainment, food trucks and the Children’s Creative Zone.

45th Annual National Shrimp Festival

• October 13-16; Gulf Shores, Ala.
• Savor fresh from the gulf seafood during this four-day event that attracts over 300,000 people.
• This year the festival will play host to more than 80 hours of musical entertainment featuring a lineup of national, regional and local acts including musical acts to please all palates, including Blues, Motown, Southern Rock, Jazz, Zydeco and Country.

Annual Taste of Atlanta

• Oct 21-23, 2016; Atlanta
• Now in its 15th year, the famed three-day festival attracts tens of thousands of food lovers and culinary connoisseurs – from the southeast and beyond – to turn tasters into diners and to experience what makes Atlanta the food capitol of the South.
• The event also features live entertainment, specialty food and beverage tents and four live cooking stages to provide patrons with fresh ideas and exclusive tutorials.

Voodoo Festival: Worship the Music

• October 28-30, 2016; New Orleans
• Voodoo is a musical gumbo stirring together music, art, community, cuisine and all the mystery and adventure that Halloween weekend in New Orleans conjures up.
• With more than 65 bands over three days, this is more than just a Festival – it’s an experience.
• Across the Festival Grounds of City Park, Voodoo hosts interactive and immersive large-scale art installations. It’s a living and breathing landscape envisioned by some of the world’s most innovative talents, beckoning for you to take a moment and worship the arts.

Foo Foo Festival

• 3rd – 14th, 2016; Pensacola, Fla.
• This year’s festival is inviting visitors to vacation artfully. With a plethora of offerings over 12 days, there’s something for everyone, all with the backdrop of the beautiful beaches of the Emerald Coast.
• Come for one event, and stay for a number of other unique musical shows, cultural events and artistic festivals including: the Blue Angels Homecoming Show, the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival, the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival and the Pensacola Marathon.