As summer heat gives way to cooler mornings across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the landscape starts to change. Afternoon light turns golden through the tree canopies, and October brings Texas Pecan Month, a month-long celebration of the state’s official nut and pie.

The pecan tree has been the official state tree of Texas since 1919, and native pecans grew wild across more than 150 Texas counties long before the first commercial orchards were planted. Granbury sits on the Brazos River, 35 miles southwest of Fort Worth, along the shoreline of Lake Granbury. That makes it one of the best places on the southwest edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth area to spend a fall weekend outdoors. To understand why this time of year feels so distinct, it helps to start with the harvest itself.

A cluster of pecans begin to ripen on a tree

When Is Pecan Season in Texas? How to Tell When Pecans Are Ripe

Pecan season in Texas centers on autumn. Depending on the variety and the weather, Texas Pecan Growers Association puts the harvest anywhere from late September to late December, with most of the activity in October and November. The signal growers watch for is called shuck split. Through the summer, each pecan develops inside a smooth green outer husk known as the shuck. Once the nut inside matures, the shuck splits open along four seams, exposing the brown pecan shell. Watch this short video on the shuck split!

Knowing how to tell when pecans are ripe comes down to watching those shucks. When the shucks open and dry out on the branches, the harvest has arrived, and a light breeze is often enough to bring ripe pecans down to the ground. Around the same time, roadside markets hang their “New Crop Pecans” signs, and stands across the area start selling fresh pecans, homemade pies, and other seasonal treats. Those stands are only the start of what fall brings to the area. Beyond the roadside stands, fall is also when Granbury’s historic square comes alive.

The Hood County Courthouse in downtown Granbury, Texas

Things to Do in Granbury in the Fall: The Historic Square and Autumn Events

Granbury has been named the Best Historic Small Town in America by USA TODAY 10 Best Readers five times, most recently in 2026. Much of that recognition centers on the Historic Granbury Square, which was the first courthouse square in Texas to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Hood County Courthouse, completed in 1891, anchors the square with its three-story clock tower. Around it, 19th-century limestone storefronts hold shops, restaurants, and wineries, along with the restored 1886 Granbury Opera House.

Fall is one of the busiest seasons on the square. The biggest draw is the Harvest Moon Festival of the Arts, a late-October weekend that brings more than 100 juried artists from across the country to the square. The festival also has live music, a wine stroll with tastings from Texas wineries, and a Saturday night street dance. Between the harvest, the festival weekends, and a town square more than a century in the making, Granbury is at its most active in the fall. Just outside town sits a community whose name raises a question for many first-time visitors: Pecan Plantation.

Pecan Plantation is surrounded by nearly 17 miles of the Brazos River 

Is Pecan Plantation a Real Pecan Farm? The History Behind the Name

Visitors often ask whether Pecan Plantation is a real pecan farm. The residential community is not a commercial orchard, but the land it sits on was one of the most productive pecan operations in the country.

The community occupies part of a 4,200-acre peninsula wrapped by 17 miles of the Brazos River, known historically as the deCordova Bend. In 1949, Fort Worth businessman O.P. Leonard bought the property to develop a pecan and peach orchard. By 1956, the Leonard Bend Pecan Farm had 3,300 acres in orchard, making it the largest contiguous pecan orchard in Texas and the second largest in the United States. In 1970, about 800 acres of the farm were sold to create Pecan Plantation as a residential community. The country club, golf course, and airport opened the following year. Full timeline here.

The orchard never fully left. About 1,500 acres of the original farm remain in active, year-round pecan production, so the fall harvest still plays out on the peninsula each year. The newest neighborhood, The Orchards, is set among mature pecan trees from that original planting. That history is easiest to appreciate in person, and fall is one of the most practical times to see it.

Mature pecan trees are a natural highlight of the Pecan Plantation community

Pecan Plantation Homesites and Amenities

For buyers weighing the best time of year to buy land in Texas, fall makes a strong case. The milder weather across the Dallas-Fort Worth area means you can take your time walking a homesite, getting a feel for the trees, the terrain, and where your future home might sit. And with no time limit to build in The Orchards, there’s no pressure to rush from purchase to construction.

A tour also shows what daily life looks like once you’re here. Residents play two private 18-hole golf courses, launch boats onto Lake Granbury from the community marina, and run everyday errands without leaving the gates. For pilots, Pecan Plantation stands apart: two private runways and taxiway homesites in The Landings let residents fly in and park the plane at home. Explore the full list of amenities, or better yet, see them for yourself this fall.

New homes under construction at Pecan Plantation

Tour Pecan Plantation This Fall

Plan a visit to Granbury this fall, enjoy the cool autumn air beneath the mature pecan groves, and see what life at Pecan Plantation looks like for yourself.

Learn more or arrange a visit at PecanPlantationLand.com or call/text (833) 273-2159.

To stay up to date on events, land releases, and featured homesites, follow Pecan Plantation on Instagram and Facebook.

The Patten Properties Difference
Backed by over 40 years of experience, 600+ communities, and $1 billion in land sales, Patten Properties develops acreage communities with strong infrastructure, natural preservation, and long-term value in mind.

We find the land. You make it home.

Learn More:

• View Our Patten Properties Portfolio
• Looking to Sell Your Land?
• Looking to Partner with Patten Properties?