The video above captures a full day exploring things to do in San Marcos TX, from a downtown street festival to tubing on the river to live music at a couple of the area's best spots. San Marcos is a college town about 30 miles southwest of Austin, home to Texas State University, and the campus sits right up against the downtown square. That means you've got a solid strip of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and live music all within walking distance of each other. There's an interesting, eclectic energy to the place — part college town, part river town, part something harder to pin down.
The Mermaid Capital of Texas
San Marcos leans hard into its identity as the Mermaid Capital of Texas, and the video was filmed during the seventh annual Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest. The downtown area was packed with vendors, art, food, and live music, plus a full Mermaid Promenade through the streets. The mermaid tradition goes back to the 1950s, when the Aqua Maids used to perform at Aquarena Springs alongside glass-bottom boat rides and a famous swimming pig. Today, you can find ten mermaid statues scattered around town. The walk from downtown to the San Marcos River takes you past several of them, and there are little feet painted on the ground to guide your way. Once you hit the river, you can rent a tube near the top and float down through a series of parks, then walk or catch a shuttle bus back up.
What live music venues should you check out in San Marcos?
San Marcos has a handful of spots worth your time if you're into live music. Here are two that show up in the video:
- Cheatham Street Warehouse — A legendary Texas songwriter venue with decades of history. This is where George Strait got his start, and it still hosts raw, authentic Texas music nights. In the video, The Drop Tines were playing and the place was packed with locals who clearly knew the spot well.
- Middleton Brewing — A brewery just outside downtown San Marcos proper where David Bridwell played a set for a relaxed crowd. It's a laid-back room that books live music regularly and has a good beer selection to go with it.
Food and the Downtown Square
The downtown square itself is easy to spend a few hours in. The Root Cellar Cafe came up as a solid pick for food — it's a popular spot right in the middle of everything. From there you can wander toward the river, check out the mermaid statues, or just drift between the bars and shops along the square. The whole area is compact enough to cover on foot, which makes it feel more connected than a lot of Texas towns where you have to drive between every stop. If you're passing through on your way to or from Austin, San Marcos is worth more than a gas station stop.