November in Tyler: Tribute Bands, Turkey, and the Start of Christmas

Hope everyone remembered to set the clocks back an hour on November 1st — that

extra hour of sleep feels like a gift every single year doesn’t it? Election Day falls on

Tuesday, November 3rd this year too, so if you're local, don't forget to get out and vote.

After that, November settles into its usual rhythm: mornings cool enough to actually

want a jacket on the porch, woodsmoke drifting over from somebody's fireplace getting

its first use of the season, and a calendar absolutely stuffed with concerts and shows.

There's a little bit of early Christmas sneaking in toward the end of the month too, and of

course Thanksgiving right there in the middle of it all. Here's everything going on around

Tyler this November.

Rose City Comedy Club kicks the month off with Shelly Belly, performing November 6

and 7. The venue's billing says it best: loud, funny, and not built for boring crowds.

Tickets here.

Later in the month, Liberty Theatre hosts Red Dirt Comedy on November 13, featuring

William Lee Martin turning marriage, divorce, parenting, faith, and plain old hard-earned

life lessons into an hour of honest, big laughs — no cheap shots, no politics. Tickets

here.

The 2026 Team Hope 5K Tyler starts things off early on Saturday, November 7, at 8:30

a.m. at Rose Rudman Park, with the race starting across from Tyler Legacy High

School. Park in the lot behind the high school. Packet pickup happens the night before

at ETX Brewing Company from 6–8 p.m., or race morning at 7:30 a.m. Registration is

$45. Register here. Questions can go to Annelizabeth at aatie@hdsa.org.

If you like to work with your hands, November is loaded with options. Cassie Edmonds

is running two separate workshops out of her downtown Tyler studio this month. First up

is a Christmas Planter Workshop on November 7, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m., where you'll

build a decorative Christmas planter from scratch — materials and tools included, $125

per student. She mentions she finds her favorite vases at flea markets, antique shops,

eBay, and Etsy, and encourages you to bring your own if you have one you love.

Register here.

If you missed her jeweled mosaic class back in September, there's a second chance on

November 14, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. — same $125 price, no grouting required, and you'll

leave with a finished piece. Register here. For either class, you can also reach her

directly by calling or texting 903-360-3069. or register online here

Out at Kiepersol, the holiday crafting continues with a Christmas Wreath-Making

Workshop on November 19, from 6–8 p.m. You'll build a wreath from the winery's own

vines while sipping their wines and spirits — space is limited, so don't wait too long to

reserve a spot. Tickets here.

For business owners who need an excuse to actually relax for once, there's the

Entrepreneur Masquerade Ball on November 7, from 6–9 p.m. The whole point is to

give people who carry the weight of running a business a night to breathe, dress up,

dance, and not think about their to-do list for a few hours. It's also a fundraiser, so your

ticket does double duty. Tickets here.

This is where November really shows off. With the weather finally cooperating, there's

barely a weekend this month that doesn't have an outdoor stage warming up

somewhere, whether that's a lawn full of folding chairs or a downtown patio strung with

lights. The Tyler Museum of Art's Texas Songwriter Series continues as part of their

55th anniversary celebration, with West Texas Exiles playing True Vine Brewing

Company on November 7, from 6–9 p.m., free to the public. The band draws five

musicians raised in El Paso, Lubbock, and Amarillo, including Colin Gilmore, son of

Texas troubadour Jimmie Dale Gilmore — real West Texas songwriting pedigree. A

dollar from every beverage sold during the show goes back to the museum.

If you'd rather catch a full orchestra that same night, the East Texas Symphony

Orchestra presents Every Breath You Take, a tribute to The Police and Sting featuring

guest artists Jeans 'n Classics, also on November 7. Expect "Roxanne," & "Fields of

Gold," and the title track, " Fields of Gold,"all with a full orchestral treatment. Tickets here.

Stanley's BBQ brings in The Surfrajettes on November 14 — a four-piece instrumental

act out of Toronto blending psychedelic rock with reverb-soaked surf music, beehive

hairdos and all. Tickets here.

Serenade Range has two big Saturday nights this month. On November 14, it's Forever

Dolly, a tribute starring Rhonda Medina covering Dolly Parton's whole catalog —

"Jolene," "9 to 5," "I Will Always Love You"— with plenty of rhinestones and big blonde

hair to match. Tickets here.

Then on November 21, Rockin' Down the Fast Lane returns after selling out their last

visit, covering both the Eagles and the Doobie Brothers in one set. Tickets here.

For something a little more low-key, Rick's on the Square hosts Acoustic Night every

Thursday, including November 19, from 8–11 p.m., with Jaydon, Waylon, and Brody

playing on the patio. It's a $10 cover, and every dollar of that goes straight to the artists

— good excuse to grab dinner downtown and stay for the music.

UT Tyler's Cowan Center has an unusually stacked lineup this month. Beetlejuice: The

Musical lands on November 12, based on Tim Burton's film and telling Lydia Deetz's

story with the kind of irreverent humor that's made the stage version a hit (fair warning,

it does contain strong language). Tickets here.

Food Network fans won't want to miss An Evening of Alton Brown on November 14 at

7:30 p.m. Brown's promising new demonstrations, music, and what he's calling "slightly

scaled-down mayhem"— equal parts science, food, humor, and heart from the man

behind Good Eats and Iron Chef America. Tickets here.

The following Thursday, The Oak Ridge Boys bring over 50 years of four-part harmony

to the Cowan Center stage on November 19, with hits like "Elvira," "Bobbie Sue," and

"Dream On." Tickets here.

On November 21, things get a little more acrobatic with Cirque Mechanics: Tilt!, a circus

show built around the neon, retro feel of an '80s amusement park — part circus arts,

part storytelling, part genuinely impressive engineering. Tickets here.

And right after Thanksgiving, on November 28, the Cowan Center hosts Dolly Parton's

Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol, a musical retelling of A Christmas Carol set in 1930s

East Tennessee, featuring original songs written by Dolly herself. It's a sweet way to

kick off the Christmas season if you're looking for one. Tickets here.

That same night, Kiepersol offers an alternative for those who'd rather sip than sing

along: History of the Old Fashioned, with Distiller Dylan Latham walking through the

cocktail's history alongside a tasting flight, November 12, 6–8 p.m. Tickets here.

Beyond the Old Fashioned class mentioned above, there's a Holiday Food & Wine

Pairing Class offered twice this month — November 13 and 14, from 6:30–7:30 p.m. at Nourish ETX located in Bergfeld Center. The class features six tastings of classic holiday dishes, each paired with a complementary wine.

It runs $81 per person, gratuity included, held at 112 E 8th Street downtown. Register here. Special seating requests can go to info@nourishetx.com.

If you just want to sit back and listen, Sean of the South comes to Liberty Theatre on

Sunday, November 15. Doors open at 5 p.m., the show starts at 6, and it's a night of

music, storytelling, and plenty of laughs. Sean sticks around afterward for a meet-and-

greet with hugs, photos, and book signing — bring any books from home if you'd like

them signed. Tickets here.

Right after the turkey is put away, Kiepersol hosts Lighting of the Vines on November 27,

from 5–7 p.m. There's Christmas music, a coffee cart, food trucks, a devotional, hot

cocoa and popcorn, and — weather permitting — fireworks, all capped off by the first

lighting of the twinkle lights on the vines for the season. Picture rows of bare vines

strung with white lights switching on all at once while the smell of hot cocoa and kettle

corn drifts through the crowd — it's become one of those events people plan their whole

weekend around. More info here.

And if that's not enough to get you in the spirit, keep in mind the city lights the Rose

Garden, Fireworks and a Drone Showon December 3rd, with the garden lit up

every evening after that through the holidays. Something to look forward to once

November wraps up. Rosevine Inn is the closest accomodation to the Christmas kick off!!

Between the concerts, the comedy shows, the workshops, and all that Thanksgiving

cooking, November gives you plenty of reasons to make a trip of it. We'd love to have

you here at the Rosevine Inn — a quiet room, a good breakfast with coffee strong

enough to get you through a busy day, and a soft bed waiting whenever the evenings

plans wind down and the house finally goes quiet.

We'll leave the porch light on for you.