The courthouse square still hosts the biggest dates on downtown McKinney's calendar. Oktoberfest filled 111 N. Tennessee St. from September 25 to 27, and Home for the Holidays returns to Historic Downtown November 27 to 29. Most of the downtown weekends in between are happening a few blocks east, on the Mill District campus at TUPPS Brewery and around the Cotton Mill.
The clearest sign of the shift came from the McKinney Día de los Muertos Festival. After five years at Dr. Glenn Mitchell Memorial Park, the 2026 festival is moving to TUPPS Brewery at 402 E. Louisiana St. on Saturday, October 17.
A city festival picked a brewery lawn
The organizers explained the move in their own words:
"If you have spent any time in McKinney lately you already know that TUPPS has become one of the most beloved gathering places in our community. More space, more room for the moments you love, and a venue that has shown again and again that it knows how to bring McKinney together."
They say the ofrendas, performances and the rest of the program are coming with them. The festival runs from noon to 9 p.m. and is free and open to all. The extra space they mention is real. TUPPS describes its Mill District campus as 4 acres, with an outdoor stage and live-music lawn, a Beer Hall with a covered patio and bar, The Grain Room restaurant, a second covered patio, retail shops, a turfed soccer pitch and outdoor play areas. The brewery's event page lists 210 parking spaces, which matters for a free festival that runs nine hours.
The space keeps growing. In May 2026, TUPPS and the McKinney Chupacabras announced a community mini-pitch on the campus, with a Memorial Day groundbreaking and plans for clinics, pickup play and watch parties. TUPPS also lists Lelo's Coffee Co. as coming soon, so a morning reason to visit is on the way too.
October on the east side, date by date
Here's the case for the shift laid out as a calendar. Every event below is either at TUPPS or at the Cotton Mill, 610 Elm St., unless noted otherwise.
| Date | Event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Ratrodtober Fest, 10th anniversary | TUPPS | 9 a.m.–1 p.m. per TUPPS |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | MillHouse Makers Market | Cotton Mill | 10 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | TX/OU TUPPS Tailgate | TUPPS Outdoor Beer Hall | 2:30–11:30 p.m. |
| Sun., Oct. 11 | Plant Bingo | TUPPS Outdoor Beer Hall | 1–3 p.m. |
| Sun., Oct. 11 | Movie Night Under the Stars: Hocus Pocus | TUPPS Outdoor Stage & Lawn | 7:30–9 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Día de los Muertos Festival | TUPPS | Noon–9 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | TUPPS Halloween Party with The Dick Beldings | TUPPS Outdoor Beer Hall | 7–11:55 p.m. |
| Sun., Oct. 25 | TUPPS Trunk or Treat | TUPPS Outdoor Stage & Lawn | 1–2:30 p.m. |
Before you plan around Ratrodtober, check one thing. The brewery's own calendar lists it from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Visit McKinney lists 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If the hot rods, classic cars and motorcycles are why you're going, take the earlier window and arrive early.
October 10 is the busiest single day on this calendar. One Saturday holds a car show, a makers market and a football tailgate, all within the same few blocks, and the tailgate goes until 11:30 p.m.
For more after that, TUPPS has brewery tours at The Grain Room on November 7 and December 5, both from 11 a.m. to noon.
The Cotton Mill and Chestnut Street fill in the gaps
TUPPS has the lawn and the stage. Two nearby spots give the east side something to do on weekends without a festival.
The MillHouse Makers Market at the Cotton Mill runs nine times a year, with local vendors and coffee and food on site. The Cotton Mill also added a creative space this year. Its new Atrium Gallery opened with the America 250: Texas Trailblazing Wonder Women exhibition, which ran June 12 to August 30, 2026. That show has closed, so check the gallery's schedule for the next exhibition before you go.
On Chestnut Street, The Cipher Lounge opened August 12 at 101 S. Chestnut St. It pairs a cocktail lounge with two escape rooms. One draws on the mystery and paranormal history of the Phoenix Hotel. The other is set on a deep-space station that has gone dark. The menu includes a signature drink called the Rose of Margo, made with vodka, passion fruit and raspberry. The escape rooms make it a good stop after a TUPPS event lets out, or a place to spend a whole evening once the lawn goes quiet in November.
City Hall now sits on this side of downtown as well. The city's Municipal Complex finished construction in December 2024 and opened for business in January 2025, and City Hall's address is 401 E. Virginia St.
The square is still adding places to stop
This isn't a story about the square emptying out. Some of downtown's newest storefronts are close to the courthouse, and they give a Saturday at TUPPS a natural first or last stop.
- XO GiGi, 216 N. Tennessee St., opened August 26. Founder Gabrielle Parton stocks art supplies, artisan goods, books, cards and gifts. The shop also runs art classes and workshops for every skill level and has a gallery of local artists' work.
- Grace+Emma, 101 E. Louisiana St., Ste. 100, opened September 1 as a clothing boutique. It sits on the same street as TUPPS, toward the square.
- Sam's Rug Corner, 213 N. Kentucky St., opened in late August.
- Cadence Cyclery is moving this month from 119 S. Tennessee St. to 210 N. Tennessee St. The shop offers bike service and repair, rentals and custom builds.
The square also bookends the month. The Spooktacular Brews & Boos Walk starts at 111 N. Tennessee St. on October 31 and runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. A Halloween weekend can easily cover both halves of downtown, starting at TUPPS on October 24 or 25 and ending at the walk on Saturday the 31st.
Getting across SH 5 is still a work in progress
The walk between the two halves of downtown is the one piece that isn't finished. The city's Lower 5 Plaza is planned as a bridge-level crossing and park across SH 5 between East Virginia and Louisiana streets. In July 2025, the city's engineering director said the project was still years from construction. Community Impact reported on June 5, 2026, that SH 5 utility relocations were about 70% complete, TxDOT's project was underway, and more lane closures were coming. The same report said city-funded signal work at SH 5 intersections was expected to have signals working by early 2027.
That report also expected Elm Street, the Cotton Mill's street, to stay closed until early August. We haven't found a newer update confirming it reopened, so check your route to 610 Elm St. before the October 10 market.
Until the plaza is built, the trip from the square to the Mill District means crossing an active construction corridor. On festival days, plan to park once on the side where you'll spend the most time.
Downtown's calendar is changing fast, and so are the blocks around it. If you're watching how the Mill District and the SH 5 work could affect your street, Tomlin Team keeps up with McKinney block by block and can walk you through what's happening near you. Schedule a Consultation.
