From the Fall Fling on October 13 to the Gingerbread Jubilee on December 13, the Monahans Chamber of Commerce calendar lists eight dates. Six of them are at the Ward County Event Center, 1525 E. Monahans Parkway. The other two are the BBQ Bash and St. John's Catholic Bazaar. The Lighted Christmas Parade on December 4 starts across town near the Million Barrel Museum and ends at the Event Center's door. In practice, a Monahans fall means one building on Monahans Parkway, plus one big Saturday outdoors at the sports complex.
That changes how the weeks ahead play out. You won't be driving between venues. You'll be heading back to the same parking lot on a Tuesday evening in October, a Saturday night in November, and a Friday in December. The one outdoor day comes first.
October 17 Is the Day Monahans Spends Outside
The seventh annual West Texas BBQ Bash is Saturday, October 17, at the Ward County Sports Complex, 801 S. Helen Ave. Admission is free. The organizer's website gives the location as West 10th Street and South Helen Avenue and says public gates open at 11 a.m. Both descriptions point to the same block of Helen Avenue, but check which entrance to use before you park.
A nonprofit puts on the Bash, and this year the Monahans Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring it. Organizers say it draws thousands of people and supports local charities and first responders. It isn't new. Big Bend Times called the October 19, 2024 event the fifth annual, and it came back on October 18, 2025.
The judging schedule is worth planning around, because the meats come in one hour apart. Here's the turn-in order from the official 2026 schedule:
- Chicken at noon
- Pork ribs at 1 p.m.
- Pork butt at 2 p.m.
- Brisket at 3 p.m.
- Kids Q at 4 p.m.
The music starts while the chicken is being judged. The website lists Chris Deanda from 12:30 to 1:30, Pump Handle Vandals from 2 to 3, Jerry Hart from 3:30 to 4:30, and Clay Creek from 5 to 6. BBQ awards run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Jesse Joe plays at 8, and Kody West closes from 9:30 to 11. The schedule PDF puts the last two acts together in a 7:30 to 11 p.m. block and says times may change, so the order is firmer than the exact start times. The day also has a People's Choice BBQ contest, a car show, vendors, and family activities.
That's eleven hours on Helen Avenue. After October 17, nearly everything moves indoors and east.
The Event Center Run, Date by Date
The Event Center season actually opens four days before the Bash, on a Tuesday. Here's what the Chamber has posted for that building through mid-December:
| Date | Event | Time | What's listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue., Oct. 13 | 2026 Fall Fling Shopping Spree | 4 to 7 p.m. | Free; crafts, clothing, jewelry, baked goods, specialty foods, gifts from home-based vendors |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | Movie Night | 1 to 4 p.m. | Listed as "Rescheduled Movie - Featuring David" |
| Mon., Nov. 2 | 2026 Battle of the Badges Blood Drive | 2 to 8 p.m. | Blood drive |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | 2026 Monahans Kids Zone Party with a Purpose | Doors 5:30 p.m., dancing 9 p.m. | Dinner, auction, Caleb Young, Magician Monte Holder |
| Fri.–Sat., Dec. 4–5 | 2026 Christmas in the Dunes | Not yet posted | Free admission, craft vendors, food vendors |
| Sun., Dec. 13 | 2026 Gingerbread Jubilee | Not yet posted | No activity details listed yet |
Look at the days of the week. You get a Tuesday evening, a Friday afternoon, a Monday, a Saturday night, a Friday and Saturday together, and a Sunday. Because the building stays the same, the calendar can spread across the whole week, and no single weekend carries the whole season.
The Fall Fling page says the shopping spree is built around home-based vendors. It's three weekday hours, five days from today, and the earliest chance this fall to buy from local makers in one room. The Kids Zone Party with a Purpose runs the longest of anything on the list: doors at 5:30, dinner and an auction, a magician, and dancing that doesn't start until 9.
One October date doesn't fit the pattern. St. John's Catholic Bazaar is on the Chamber calendar for Saturday, October 24, with no venue or hours listed yet. Check with the organizers before you plan around it.
How the Parade Got Routed to the Same Door
The Event Center being the season's anchor is easiest to see on the parade route.
The Chamber's fourth annual Christmas in the Dunes Lighted Christmas Parade starts at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 4. It begins near the Million Barrel Museum, goes north to Sealy Avenue, turns east to Parkway Boulevard, and heads south to the Ward County Event Center. This summer's announcement calls it a new route, but it isn't new to this year. Big Bend Times reported the same Million Barrel Museum to Event Center route for the December 5, 2025 parade and called it new then. So 2026 is its second year, and the second year the parade has delivered its crowd straight to the festival grounds.
The finish line matters because of what happened after the parade last year. In 2025, Christmas in the Dunes kept going after the parade until 9:30 p.m. When the parade ends at the venue, the evening simply continues, with no move between locations.
This year's theme is "Christmas Through the Years," and the Chamber's suggestions for float builders cover a lot of ground:
Organizers are encouraging participants to interpret the theme through different eras and styles, including Victorian Christmas scenes, 1950s decorations, colorful 1960s and 1970s displays, neon-inspired 1980s and 1990s themes and classic Christmas toys from different generations.
The Chamber also suggests "Christmas in America" entries for the country's 250th anniversary, plus a West Texas Christmas with decorated trucks, tractors, and cowboys. The top three entries win cash prizes. Two rules carry over from last year: nothing, candy included, can be thrown from floats, and entrants can't dress as Santa, because the parade's official Santa rides in on a sleigh. Families, businesses, churches, schools, and community organizations are all invited to enter.
What Christmas in the Dunes Has Confirmed, and What Was Only Last Year
So far, the 2026 Christmas in the Dunes listing confirms the dates, December 4 and 5, along with free admission, craft vendors, food vendors, and the Event Center address. Hours and activities haven't been posted.
Last year's version is the best guide to what the two days might look like, though none of it has been announced for this year. Christmas in the Dunes ran December 5 and 6, 2025, with ice skating both days, live stage performances, vendors, children's activities, a balloon artist, and the Grinch. Plan on the free admission and the vendors, and wait for the Chamber's announcement before promising the kids a skating rink.
Eight days later, on Sunday, December 13, the Gingerbread Jubilee closes the season in the same building. Its listing has the date and address but no hours yet. Between October 13 and December 13, that makes six trips to 1525 E. Monahans Parkway, and a seventh if you follow the parade to its finish.
Keeping Track Between Now and December 13
The listings will fill in on the Chamber's events page, which is where the dates above come from. As of today, these details are still missing: the bazaar's venue and hours, hours for Christmas in the Dunes and the Gingerbread Jubilee, and any 2026 activity list for the December festival. Parade registration runs through the Chamber, and BBQ team registration runs through the West Texas BBQ Bash website.
If your plans include listing a home on one of the streets the parade uses this season, or near the Event Center, which is busy most of the fall, Marisa Florez can tell you how the Monahans calendar affects your timing. Start with an instant home valuation so you have the numbers before the December crowds arrive on Monahans Parkway.
