With fall among its busy seasons, Eisenhower State Park advises families to book ahead because it frequently fills, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department visitor information. The agency’s event calendar advertised the Pumpkin Grove Festival for Sept. 26, 2026, starting at 10 a.m., as a celebration of autumn at the Lake Texoma park.
For Cooke County residents considering a visit, Eisenhower is in Grayson County; TPWD’s park history places it northwest of Denison beside the lake. The festival announcement establishes what was scheduled, but does not confirm that the event occurred.
Eisenhower’s calendar carries holiday programming into December, with Halloween scavenger hunts followed by Light Up the Park. TPWD publishes these upcoming dates in its park schedule:
| Upcoming Eisenhower event | Dates in 2026 |
| --- | --- |
| Halloween scavenger hunts | Oct. 30 and 31 |
| Seventh annual Light Up the Park | Dec. 11 and 12 |
The reservation recommendation covers daytime outings as well as camping. That makes advance planning relevant even for visitors who intend to return home the same day. TPWD lists the following standard daily admission charges; festival-specific charges have not been verified.
| Visitor | Regular daily admission |
| --- | --- |
| Adult | $5 |
| Child age 12 or younger | Free |
Nearby parks have announced Halloween outings with their own admission arrangements. Bonham State Park’s annual Boo in the Park will include trick-or-treating and decorated campsites, according to its event announcement. Visitors who donate paper goods for the local Open Arms Shelter can have their entrance fee waived.
At Ray Roberts Lake State Park, the Johnson Branch Unit’s State Park Spook-Tacular announcement includes children’s costume competitions.
Regular admission is lowest at Bonham among these parks
Standard daily charges: adults at Eisenhower; visitors 13 and older at Bonham and Ray Roberts Lake. These are not verified festival-specific prices. Bonham’s Boo in the Park offers an entrance-fee waiver for a paper-goods donation to Open Arms Shelter.
Source: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/eisenhower/pubs; https://tpwd.texas.gov/calendar/bonham/boo-in-the-park; https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ray-roberts-lake/fees-facilities/entrance-fees
| Nearby event | Scheduled date and hours |
| --- | --- |
| Bonham: Boo in the Park | Oct. 30, 2026, 6–9 p.m. |
| Johnson Branch: fourth annual State Park Spook-Tacular | Oct. 31, 2026, noon–10 p.m. |
Seasonal park programming predates this fall’s announcements. A TPWD bulletin from 2009 described Halloween events across more than a dozen state parks and fisheries centers, with activities extending from hayrides to science programs and guided hikes.
Eisenhower appears in that history of holiday outings. In an archived announcement, TPWD promoted Monster Mash Cache for Halloween season a decade ago. The planned scavenger hunt used GPS devices to guide participants through the Elm Point day-use area to hidden treats and craft materials.
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