25 Things to Do in 2025: Port Arthur Edition
25 Things to Do in 2025
The Cajun Capital of Texas offers seasons of good times for foodies, anglers, boaters and birders. If Port Arthur wasn’t already on your bucket list, here’s why it should be. We’ll be looking for you. Just to get you started, here are 25 Things to Do in 2025 in the Port Arthur area:
1. First Day Hike
Jump start your 2025 with a First Day Hike at Sea Rim State Park. Feel the rush of the Gulf of Mexico shore, learn about the creatures who call it home and maybe taste some Southern black eyed peas for good luck. Into it? Click here.
2. Visit Like a Cajun
You’ve heard Port Arthur is the official Cajun Capital of Texas. You can visit some area sites, enjoy some authentic food (spicy or not) and even learn a few phrases to enhance your visit to our corner of Texas. Hear how we got this state title here. Allons cher! That means come on, dear! Pick up some Cajun phrases here.
3. Celebrate Janis Joplin’s January Birthday
Rock Queen Janis Lyn Joplin was born on January 19, 1943, right here in Port Arthur. A Texas Historical Marker is posted at a childhood home. Museum of the Gulf Coast gets visitors from around the world who continue to be moved by her music. She “moved” around in a psychedelic Porsche. A colorful replica of that ride, a bust and memorabilia are museum faves. Stop there, then crank up your tunes and take the Janis Joplin self-guided tour suggested here.
4. Have Faith
We call it the Faith Trail because it inspires. Art, architecture, history and the stories of Port Arthur’s people who have taken their traditions from Mexico, Italy, Africa, Vietnam and other regions to worship their way their new home. Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, Queen of Vietnamese Peace and Buu Mon Buddhist Temple are some of this journey’s reflection points.
5. Have a Taste of Gumbo
In the Cajun Capital, you can’t have too much gumbo. The Rotary Club of Port Arthur knows it tastes even better when it’s for charity. This is the 45th season local restaurants and groups cook up gallons upon gallons of our favorite broth, filled with combinations of seafood, sausage, chicken and/or okra for sampling. This year the venue is Central Mall and the date is Feb. 22. Get your $15 tickets, that benefit area good causes, by calling (409) 985-7822. If you miss this date, try gumbo and other Cajun fare from our area restaurants. Get tempted here.
6. See why it’s called Pleasure Island
What’s in a name? Find your Port Arthur PLEASURE with a fishing pole along the jetties, a picnic near the disc golf course or a drive along the coast. Sabine Lake boating and charter fishing is BIG fun in Port Arthur. A waterside bird blind near the golf ball water tower is like a nature break. Shore birds wade along the coast. Kids coming along? Little captains can set sail on the Lakefront Park pirate ship.
7.Cut a Rug at Cajun Heritage Festival
Mais cher? You haven’t been yet? This is your year to get to the Cajun Capital of Texas and hear some good live music at the Cajun Heritage Fest. The big day is April 5, 2025, but you’ll want to spend a couple of nights with us to see this area’s Cajun assets and try all our #flavorsofpatx. We’ll keep updating this event listing as we know more. Plan a road trip now with our Cajun Trail.
8. Rock on at Museum of the Gulf Coast
Swamp Pop, Hip Hop, The Big Bopper, Tex Ritter and Barbara Lynn are some of the headliners and genres the Museum of the Gulf Coast Music Hall of Fame honors. Play their “juke box” of videos and learn about some pivotal musicians and performers with ties to this area. Did you know four locals performed at Woodstock? They are Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter and Larry Graham, who played bass with Sly & The Family Stone.
9. Is it Crawfish Season Yet?
When you order 3 to 5 pounds of dinner per person, you must love it. We crave those tails, but we’re willing to share. Call ’em mudbugs if you must, just boil some up for us. Peak season is February to April. Here’s where to get some.
10. Spring Migration
You won’t believe the colors. Painted buntings, orioles, tanagers and flycatchers flock to Sabine Woods. They’ve migrated for miles and now it’s time for resting and dining. We draw birds from both the Central and Mississippi Flyways. The Upper Texas Coast welcomes northbound spring migrants from late February through mid-May. Birders of all experience levels can add to life lists at Sabine Woods. You can truly #birdportarthur year-round and spot those wading and shore birds at the beach.
11. Paddle a State Park
Are you a novice oarsman or ready to paddle 11 plus miles? Sea Rim State Park is a gem on the Gulf of Mexico, and the Marsh Unit beckons with a peaceful stretch across the street. Who knows what critters you’ll encounter on the trails. Well, alligator. You are likely to see an alligator, for starters. There are three levels of skill sets marked. Map out your journey here!
12. Jam with the Cajuns
You’ve got a standing invitation to sit down with some old-school area Cajuns who meet up for a Cajun and Creole Jam Session. Got a guitar, fiddle, triangle or something else that makes music? Bring it to the American Legion Hall in Nederland and prepare to jam with musicians from all around the area. Singing is also encouraged. Living musical history happens from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Learn more here.
13. Taco Time
Crunchy ones.. soft ones… It’s always taco time. Enough said. Browse some Tex-Mex and Mexican temptations here.
14. Flair for Festivals
We celebrate all year. The Nederland Heritage Festival turns spring break into a carnival celebrating Dutch Heritage. Cajun Heritage Festival is an April affair. RiverFest brings boat racing to Port Neches in May. Juneteenth is observed in Port Arthur and Buu Mon Buddhist Temple hosts Garden Fest in June with a focus on lotus blossoms. Mexican Heritage Society’s Fiesta is in September and Groves Pecan Festival brings October fun. Our events calendar offers more options.
15. Ring in the Fourth of July
Celebrate freedom with fireworks along the Intracoastal Canal Waterway. Lamar State College-Port Arthur usually hosts family activities preceding the display. It’s a bang-up good time!
16. Treat Yourself to Sweets
Creamy Mexican fruit treats on a stick and ice cream with mix-ins will cool you off. Cute cupcakes instead? There are so many sweet #flavorsofpatx that will do the trick. Don’t worry, you can work it off with a hike around Sea Rim State Park. Get your sweetie and try some of the sweets here.
17. Camp on the Beach
Book in advance for camper, cabin and primitive camping at Sea Rim State Park. Check out their calendar for various hikes, programs and special events. Check out paddling and other amenities here.
18.Reel in Trout, Flounder and Redfish
We’re famous for what lives in Sabine Lake off Pleasure Island. The habitat encourages fish to grow big. Read what award-winning outdoors media expert Chester Moore boasts about our catches here.
Want someone else to get you to the fish faster? Connect to a guide and download your Port Arthur waterways guide here.
19. Juneteenth
A new Middle Passage marker acknowledges enslaved people transported through this area. In nearby Galveston, enslaved Texans learned on June 19, 1865, learned the Emancipation Proclamation had announced their freedom nearly two and a half years earlier. In Port Arthur, a parade and community events are usually centered around Barbara Jacket Park. Travel influencer Sholisa Roland shares some of Port Arthur’s Juneteenth story here.
20. Antique at Snooper’s Paradise
What’s old is new again. This noted purveyor of fine goods boasts 50 showrooms filled with splendor from France, Belgium and Italy. That’s 36,000 square feet of chandeliers, furniture and decor from lines including Althorp Living History Collection, Theodore Alexander, Mait-land Smith, Hancock & Moore, Marge Carson, Habersham, Schonbeck Crystal Chandeliers, Savoy House, Jonathan Charles, and John-Richard. More on this designer’s delight here.
21. Golf at The Babe
Babe Didrikson Zaharias was named after Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias, who is considered one of the greatest athletes of all time. She won two gold medals in the 1932 Olympics, and excelled in every sport she ever attempted. Born in Port Arthur and raised in Beaumont, both cities honor her. Museum of the Gulf Coast shares her story. Ready for the greens? Click here.
22. Date Night
Romance is different for all of us, but waterside views and a nice seafood meal is equal to romance in the Cajun Capital. Hold hands at the seawall and later enjoy some live music and low lighting. Double date at local favorites such as Tia Juanita’s. Bowling your thing? Get a lucky strike at Max Bowl. Perhaps Port Arthur Little Theatre will be hosting a play.
23. Fall Migration: The Birds are Back
They arrived in spring and went north, now they’re passing through Sabine Woods again going south. The peak of fall migration is Sept. 5 through Oct. 29. Come again to #birdportarthur this fall. J.D. Murphree National Wildlife Refuge is famous for duck action.
24. Honor a Veteran
The Golden Triangle Veterans Memorial Park – near the foot of the Veterans Memorial Bridge and Rainbow Bridge – contains 10,000 names of Golden Triangle service men and women who served in World War I and II, the Korean war, The Vietnam War, peacetime, Desert Storm and with Merchant Marines in WWII. Visit from dusk to dawn. Learn more here.
25. Catch a Holiday Parade: Or Several
Santa, The Grinch and our very own Allie Gator are frequent guests at various December parades in the area. Port Arthur, Nederland, Groves and Port Neches each have their own, so come and share our holiday joy.
BONUS: #LovePortArthurTX
Tag your fun photos with #loveportarthurtx, #flavorsofpatx and #birdportarthur
Remember, Texas is BIG. Once you’ve had all the fun you can handle in Port Arthur, stop by the Ben J. Rogers Regional Visitors Center and other visitor centers to learn about our greater area. See you in 2025!
