Gainesville Texas Accommodations

When should you visit Gainesville, Texas?

Gainesville enjoys hot, sunny weather much like the rest of Texas. The extreme summer heat is best spent in the shade, indoors at the casino, or lounging at the resort pool. For outdoor activities, plan your trip in the cooler spring, fall, or winter months.

Youth 16 and younger look forward to the annual Kid's Trout Fishing Derby, held at The Gainesville Parks and Recreation Department each January. A fully stocked pond ensures a great experience for all, and the event is free. Simply bring your own rod and bait. Kids can win prizes for the longest and most accurate cast.

Visit on the first Saturday in May to enjoy the annual Spring Fling, a showcase of local vendors and artisans, as well as tasty food cart treats such as funnel cakes and tacos. Kids can take a ride on The Frankie Schmitz Express Train or take a spin in a human hamster ball.

The town's largest event of the year is the Medal of Honor Host City Program, with four days of events each April honoring Medal of Honor recipients. The city honors veterans once more on Veterans Day in November at Leonard Park. Listen to guest speakers, experience patriotic music performances by local schools, and see a presentation by the local VFW color guard.

Train enthusiasts won't want to miss the Depot Day train-themed carnival in October. Visit in December for the "All That Glitters" Holiday Home Tour. You'll get a chance to peek inside the stately homes of Gainesville decked out in their holiday finest.

Where are the best hotels in Gainesville, Texas, for discounts?

When you're considering the best hotels in Gainesville, stay at the Comfort Suites Gainesville, and you'll be within a 15-minute drive of the WinStar World Casino and Resort. This hotel offers significant discounts to military and government service members traveling to Gainesville's veterans' events. Due to high demand, book early to ensure you lock in a room. AAA members and older adults will also find great rates here.

During your stay, you can save more money by preparing light meals in your room using the in-room refrigerator and microwave. The daily hot and cold breakfast buffet is also free. Be sure to take advantage of other included amenities, from swimming in the indoor pool to working out in the fitness center and using the complimentary wireless internet service.

What are the best value hotels near Gainesville, Texas?

If you'd like to stay within a short drive of the WinStar World Casino and Resort, head across the river to Oklahoma and the Best Western Red River Inn & Suites in Thackerville. This hotel is located only 6 miles from Gainesville, so you can easily meet family for a picnic at Leonard Park and be back in time for cocktails and gaming later that evening at the casino. You'll get there thanks to the Best Western's free area shuttle service.

Your room at the Best Western Red River Inn includes conveniences such as your own coffee and tea maker, microwave, and refrigerator. Complimentary wireless internet access will keep you connected. Stay entertained with cable programming, or head downstairs to the outdoor pool or fitness center. If you need something, visit the on-site grocery and convenience store, but leave room for the complimentary daily breakfast buffet.

What will history buffs love about Gainesville, TX?

Gainesville's patriotic roots go back to its earliest days. The city was conceived and founded as "Liberty," but it was soon discovered that a Liberty, Texas, already existed. Instead, the city was named after United States Gen. Edmund Pendleton Gaines, the first veteran the town officially honored, in what would become a town tradition years later.

A World War II army infantry training camp was established in Gainesville, and Camp Howze helped stimulate the economy enough to bring the community out of The Great Depression, while forever cementing the city's links to the military.

In 2001, Gainesville established its Medal of Honor Host City Program. The organic celebration evolved into a four-day celebration designed to reconnect the community with American history and inspire patriotism in the next generation. Each April, the city flies and hosts Medal of Honor recipients, starting with the grand welcome at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

The city showers the Medal of Honor recipients and their families with the honor and respect that they deserve. Participants greet their motorcade escort into town with heartfelt homemade signs, banners, and flags. Veterans visit schools, enjoy dinners of honor, and join in a full military parade. If you're a veteran or love supporting the military, you won't find a better way to experience the best of the American spirit celebration than during this special time in Gainesville, Texas.

If you miss the annual celebration, you can still stop into The Medal of Honor Host City Program Park to contemplate and honor veterans of all conflicts who bravely served at a special monument and famed serene gardens. Leave a lasting impression of your own when you donate to sponsor a hero with an embossed nameplate brick for the Walk of Honor in memory of your own veteran, family member, mentor, friend, or ancestor. Stroll down the Home Grown Hero Walking Trail, and you'll enjoy shade from oak trees that have also been memorialized in honor of veterans.

Come to Gainesville for a taste of Americana. You'll be delighted to find a family-friendly getaway where civic pride remains alive and well.