Tag: Texas Star Winery

Summer Fun in Brenham

The days are getting longer and the sun is shining, which means that it is time to plan your summer trip to Brenham, Texas! Come spend a few nights at one of our wonderful lodging properties because there is no shortage of fun during the summer months. Make your summer to-do list for Brenham & Washington County today!

Summer Events

Main Street Chappell Hill Artwalk - May 25, 2024; Come to Chappell Hill to shop and meet the artists in the variety of stores while they create original artwork throughout the day.

Summer Sip & Art Walk - June 8, 2024; stroll through unique shops in historic Downtown Brenham while tasting signature drinks and enjoying a variety of featured art.

Cotton Gin Classic Car & Truck Show - June 8, 2024; Annual Car & Truck Show held in the shadow of the oldest operating cotton gin in America, located in Burton, TX. This event is weather dependent; in case of rain, it will be on June 15 instead.

Annual Judge Eddie E. Harrison Juneteenth Heritage Celebration - June 8, 2024; Washington on the Brazos is proud to celebrate Juneteenth as a part of Washington County’s long history of marking the end of slavery in Texas. This year the event will focus on the evolution of Black music in Texas. There will be food trucks, vendors, informational and cultural heritage booths, and lots of fun!!

WCJA Juneteenth Ceremony & Parade - June 15, 2024; Annual Juneteenth Parade in Downtown Brenham held by Washington County Juneteenth Association.

Hot Nights, Cool Tunes  - Saturday evenings July 6, 13, 20, & 27; Bring your lawn chair and gather around the historic downtown square to listen to the sounds of live music and walk through the classic car show. Admission and parking is FREE!

Chappell Hill Independence Day Parade & Festivities - July 4, 2024; It's the best small town parade you'll experience! Come on out to celebrate Independence Day in Chappell Hill.

Annual Independence Celebration - July 4, 2024; Fireworks will be visible for miles, so there's plenty of room for everyone to come out and celebrate our freedom and independence in Independence, TX.

Chappell Hill Wine & Cheese Swirl - August 10, 2024; Stroll the shops along Chappell Hill's charming Main Street and taste a variety of wines and chocolate pairings.

Movies in the Park Summer Series - May 31, June 21, & August 2, 2024; Bring the kids and watch movies including Sharktale and The Little Mermaid at the Blue Bell Aquatic Center, and Under the Boardwalk at Hohlt Park. All movies will start approximately 10 minutes after sunset.

Summer Activities for Kids

Blue Bell Creameries is a must visit when you are in Brenham! It is usually only open on the weekdays, but during the summer months of June-August, the Ice Cream Parlor and Country Store will be open on Saturdays from 10am-4pm as well. To experience everything Blue Bell has to offer, including the parlor, visitor center, country store and observation deck, please come on weekdays from 8am-5pm.

Other fun activities include swimming at the Blue Bell Aquatic Center, playing arcade games, mini golf, and racing Go-Karts at Horseshoe Junction, roller skating at Silver Wings Ballroom, picking lavender at the Chappell Hill Lavender Farm, and horseback riding at Rockin' Star Ranch. There's fun for everyone in Brenham & Washington County!

Finding Holiday Magic

Finding Holiday Magic

This is my favorite time of year … waiting and anticipating the first cold snap of the season … when the air turns crisp, leaves begin to float gracefully to the ground, coffee tastes better and animals and children alike seem to get a boost of extra playfulness. It’s magical.

Sounds a bit like the opening of a Hallmark movie, but … it is real. Brenham and Washington County can’t be replicated. This is true Texas. Unapologetically Americana. Authentic.

Fall wouldn’t be complete in Brenham without candy-littered streets from the annual homecoming parade, including of course, homecoming queen hopefuls waving from convertibles. It doesn’t get much more Americana than this, right?

October boasts creatively dressed scarecrows posed in front of Downtown Brenham shops. Each one lovingly put together by dozens of schoolchildren and individuals alike, who have put their hearts into these straw creations, in hopes of winning one of the many prizes. Local spirit and pride are reflected in each entry.

Our community of Chappell Hill, located just 15 minutes east of Brenham, throws its annual Scarecrow Festival. This popular event draws huge crowds to its tiny town to shop, eat and welcome the season with a smile. Tent-lined streets are full of holiday shoppers, happy to escape big city mass merchandise to enjoy unique street vendors and small-town life.

November continues the holiday spirit with what we’ve all been looking forward to all year long … the Christmas Stroll and Lighted Parade in Downtown Brenham … an event that will melt the heart of even the worst Scrooge. Downtown Brenham comes to life with residents and visitors mingling on the streets and throughout the shops. No crowded malls here, just a hometown atmosphere of genuine Christmas spirit. Brenham’s Downtown shopkeepers dazzle and surprise unsuspecting visitors with unique finds. Inside some of the antique architecture, new hip ventures are alive and well and waiting to be discovered.

The Stroll is kicked off with the tree lighting ceremony where onlookers are serenaded by a Girl Scout choir singing carols. As night continues to fall, the parade begins. Beautifully decorated and fully lit floats, marching bands, horses and dancers parade through Downtown, all to the delight of friends, family and visitors. And of course, the man of the hour SANTA makes his grand entrance to the squeals of excited children lining the streets, frantically waving to him as he passes by, perched atop a Fire Truck.

People passing, children laughing, meeting smile after smile … doesn’t just happen in a song or a Hallmark movie. It’s in Brenham, Texas and Washington County … where It’s a Wonderful Life! Sorry, couldn’t help myself!