Errands on Preston, Evenings on the Square: What's New in Celina This Fall

Three big stores opened on South Preston Road in Celina within eight days in August. The Home Depot opened on Aug. 19, Academy Sports + Outdoors on Aug. 23, and Costco Wholesale on Aug. 26. Smaller openings have kept coming along the same road since then.

So Preston Road now carries most of a Celina week. The 3000 block of South Preston handles the bulk errands. A new coffee stop sits closer to town. And on Saturday, Oct. 24, a parking lot on North Preston is how a lot of people will get to the Square for Beware! of the Square. Here's how the road fits together this fall, south to north.

The 3000 block is now the errand block

Before you head out, it helps to know that block numbers on South Preston climb as you drive south. Three of the four big new stores sit within about 300 address numbers of each other. You can hit them in one stop-and-go trip without getting back on a highway.

Costco sits at the corner of Preston Road and Ownsby Parkway, and it has a gas station. That makes it the anchor of the cluster for anyone who'd rather fill up and shop in one stop. According to Community Impact, The Home Depot opened with 149 employees.

Chipotle opened a month before the big three. It's the chain's first Celina location, and it has a Chipotlane, which is a pickup window for orders placed ahead. If you're doing a Costco and Home Depot run, dinner is across the street from Academy.

Discount Tire is next. Community Impact reports that it expects to open at 4250 S. Preston Road in late November 2026, depending on construction. That's farther south than the other three, but it's the same trip.

Closer to town, the lower block numbers fill in

Drive north toward downtown and the addresses drop to four digits and then three. This is where the newest daily-stop businesses are opening.

Jimmy John's opened at 1520 S. Preston Road, Suite 110, on Oct. 14. A little farther north, 1418 Coffee's second standalone Celina shop is set for Celina Station, 565 S. Preston Road. The Celina Current reported an Oct. 21 opening date, with a Celina Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Celina Current describes the menu as handcrafted drinks, cold brew made in-house, and pastries. The paper also called out the location. It said the shop gives people in the southern and central parts of the city a local option without a detour to the Downtown Square. On the map, 565 S. Preston puts coffee between the errand block and downtown.

One more new stop is just off Preston. Hometown Paws Dog Daycare & Resort opened at 710 S. Oklahoma Drive on Aug. 31.

Downtown has its own new spot too. LSA Burger Co. opened at 218 W. Walnut St. on Aug. 13. Walnut comes up again below, because the Kid Zone at Beware! of the Square is marked near W Walnut St on the event map.

Saturday's Beware! of the Square starts on North Preston

Beware! of the Square is Saturday, Oct. 24, from 4 to 9 p.m. on Celina's Downtown Square. It's free. The City lists trick-or-treating, a haunted manor, a free Kid Zone, Cirque sideshows, a pumpkin decorating contest, and market vendors. The vendor listing on the event page shows 86 artists, vendors and exhibitors.

The City's shuttle map warns that downtown parking is limited. The parking map also shows W Main St closed to traffic and the S Ohio Drive parking lot closed. Here's how to plan the night:

1. Park at the Celina High School lot, 3455 N Preston Rd. That's the park-and-ride site. Shuttles drop off and pick up at N Ohio Street and Beech Street.
2. Know that shuttles run an hour past the event. They operate from 4 to 10 p.m., and the festival ends at 9. You can stay for the last show without rushing back to the car.
3. Pick a Cirque du Beware! show. Show 1 runs from 5:30 to 6 p.m. and Show 2 from 8:15 to 9 p.m. Families with little kids may like the early one. The late one closes out the night.
4. Find your spot on the map. The haunted house is marked by W Pecan St, and the Kid Zone is near W Walnut St.
5. Pack chairs, not a canopy. The FAQ allows lawn chairs and blankets. It doesn't allow canopies, tents, bicycles, scooters, ATVs, golf carts, or other wheeled vehicles unless they're medically required.
6. Leave pets at home if you're taking the shuttle. Pets aren't allowed on the shuttles. Service animals are.

If you'd rather drive downtown, the shuttle map shows the Downtown Parking Garage at N Louisiana Dr and W Pecan St, plus parking at S Louisiana Street and Pecan Street. The FAQ says downtown public parking is free and that limited ADA parking is at 111 W Pecan St.

There's a pumpkin contest too. Entries can be real or faux pumpkins, carved, decorated or bedazzled. You drop them off before the event, they're displayed during the festival, and attendees vote for prizes. Entry details are on the Beware! of the Square page, along with the full event FAQ.

November keeps sending people back up Preston

After Halloween, the calendar follows the same pattern. Events alternate between the Square and South Preston.

• Nov. 6, Celina Friday Night Market. From 6 to 9 p.m. on the Downtown Square. It's free, with local vendors, food and live music. The organizer's dates are on the Friday Night Market page.
• Nov. 14, Fire Station #1 Open House. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1413 S. Preston Road. That's just north of the new Jimmy John's at 1520, so you can grab lunch on the way. Details are on the City of Celina calendar.
• Nov. 26, Celina Turkey Trot. From 7:45 to 10 a.m. on the Downtown Square, on Thanksgiving morning. Discount Tire's expected late-November opening on South Preston falls around the same week.

Christmas on the Square follows on Wednesday, Dec. 2, from 5 to 9 p.m. That's a weeknight, so if you're coming from work, you'll be driving north on Preston in evening traffic.

The 150th year has one open item left

Celina has spent 2026 marking 150 years since its founding. The Celina EDC reports that a new downtown mural was unveiled during the anniversary celebration. If you haven't seen it yet, Oct. 24 puts you downtown anyway.

The anniversary item still open is the City's 150th Community Reading Challenge. The goal is 150,000 collective reading minutes, it's open to all ages, and it runs through Dec. 31, 2026. Count the minutes you spend reading while you wait in a Costco checkout line.

I'm Brandon Kirk, and I keep up with what's opening along Preston and what's on the Square's calendar. If you're curious what's going in near your street, just text me.