I live in the cutest little lakeside town in north Texas about half an hour east of Dallas and I thought it was about time I tell you about it. Here are some of my favorite things to do in Rockwall, Texas!
The Harbor
The Harbor District is really what sets Rockwall apart from the rest of Dallas. My friends from Germany came to visit me and exclaimed, “This looks just like Spain!” when they saw The Harbor. I’ve never been to Spain but I’ll take their word for it. The architecture is beautiful. There are string lights hung over parts of the promenade, fountains, flowers, and a sparkling blue lake dotted with boats. There’s even a picturesque lighthouse!
The Harbor Rockwall is mainly a place to dine, stroll, and see a movie. Restaurants include Gloria’s (delicious Latin cuisine), Sideways (amazing BBQ), Rodeo Goat (one of the best burgers in town with a fantastic view of the water), Giovanni (delicious Italian food), and Dodie’s (casual cajun cuisine). There’s also a frozen yogurt shop, ice cream shop, and chocolate shop. So come hungry!
Update: Check out my review of the newly opened Sear Steakhouse here. It has the most spectacular view in town!
The Harbor is also home to the prettiest movie theater ever. And I’m not just saying that because I worked there in high school. Seriously, jaws drop when they see the epic fountain and view in front of Cinemark for the first time. The inside has a very old-Hollywood look and the theater was upgraded in recent years with comfy reclining seats.
The Harbor is also one of my favorite places in Rockwall to picnic. It’s dog-friendly so feel free to come walk your dog along the water!
Sail with Scott
Want to go out on the water? Sail with Scott is by far one of the best things to do in Rockwall. I love this so much that I wrote a whole article about Sail with Scott! The sunset cruise is absolutely gorgeous. It’s not even that expensive – tickets range from $26-$36 depending on which cruise you pick. You can pack a picnic, take wine, and the lovely crew will even let you pose with the ship’s wheel.
Concerts by the Lake
Most notably, The Harbor is home to Rockwall’s famous Concert by the Lake series. Every Thursday May through July, Rockwall hosts free outdoor concerts at The Harbor’s amphitheater. It’s really festive because people will even drive up on their boat to catch the concert! The official hours are 7:30 – 9:00 pm but I’ve gone before at 6 pm and people are already playing music. Be warned: this is a very popular event and parking is insane. Your best bet is to get there early (before 6:30 pm) and camp out. My friend Sarah and I thoroughly enjoyed the Motown concert!
San Martiño Winery & Vineyards
Frequent Rose Table readers are probably already well versed in San Martiño Winery and Vineyards! I absolutely love to hang out there with my friends. Picnicking is encouraged, but they also have fun food events now and then. The owner’s family has been making wine in Spain for hundreds of years and it shows. The patio is beautiful with lots of space to lounge around with a view of the vines. The wine is excellent and they often have live music on the weekend.
Historic Square
This has the best shopping in my opinion. Rockwall was founded in 1873 and still has a totally happenin’ historic downtown. Think Stars Hollow (and yes, we thoroughly decorate downtown for holidays). There are quite a few adorable shops to stroll through full of clothes, kitchen goodies, candles, and gifts. There’s also a great coffee shop called Book Club Cafe. Try the Benny if you go! Downtown also has some of the best restaurants in town: Bin 303 (farm-to-table American cuisine with great cocktails in an adorable historic home) and Zanata (famous for their wood-fired pizza but leave room for the bananas foster cake). Read more about downtown Rockwall here.
Rockwall Farmers Market
If you’re in town on a Saturday, be sure to check out the Rockwall Farmers Market. It’s held every Saturday May-September on the historic square. The vendors change but you can often pick up local beef, bread and pastries, flowers and plants, fruits and veggies, tamales, toffee, coffee, honey, and more. I zoom through the market in twenty minutes but you could easily spend an hour sampling everything and shopping. You can read more about the Rockwall Farmers Market here and here.
Blase Family Farm
Blase Family Farm is a must-visit spot in the summer and fall! This beautiful farm is located about five minutes from our historic square. During berry season in the summer, you can pick a bushel of delicious blueberries. Be sure to book in advance – time slots fill up quickly! In the fall, the farm is transformed with a hay bale maze, petting zoo, and pumpkin patch. They even offer hayrides! Read about blueberry picking at Blase here and the pumpkin patch here.
Harry Myers Park
Rockwall has 300 acres of developed parks to explore but Harry Myers is by far the standout. Located close to our historic downtown, Harry Myers Park is home to our annual Founder’s Day Festival (just call me Elena Gilbert!), our big Fourth of July celebration, and many other events throughout the year. There’s a disk golf course, playgrounds for kids, charcoal grills, covered picnic area, walking trails, and a big pond that’s the perfect spot for a picnic! Read about my picnic at Harry Myers Park here.
Founder’s Day Festival
One of my favorite events of the year is Founder’s Day Festival (and only partly because it makes me think of The Vampire Diaries!). There’s tons of food and live music at Harry Myer’s Park plus a huge bouncy house alley for your kids to jump around to their heart’s delight. It’s a fun way to spend the day! Read my article about it here.
As you can see, Rockwall is definitely a town worth visiting if you’re in the Dallas area! From stunning water views to farm-to-table cuisine, this is hands down one of the cutest towns in Texas.
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Xoxo,
