Visitor information, news, events and helpful tips for visiting Brenham/Washington County, Texas. Located half way between Houston and Austin, our area is a great place to get away from it all.
We are so excited to announce that Brenham is home to a new business and future attraction. Let's give it up for Brazos Valley Brewing Company!!!
Brazos Valley Brewing Company is a Microbrewery located in Downtown Brenham, Texas. It was founded in 2013 by Josh, Nelson,
Todd, Jeremy, and Richard, a five-man team of craft brewing enthusiasts. They make high quality craft beers for the people of Texas and have a variety of
styles thoughtfully created using passion and experience.
The Brewing Team
The brewing journey began several years ago when Nelson showed up
to Jeremy’s house with beer that he brewed himself. An Irish
Red Ale and a Pale Ale that tasted great. The next weekend they were
brewing batches in Jeremy’s backyard and have brewed countless styles and
batches since. Josh tried some of the beers on a brew day and
was immediately hooked.
About three years ago the guys decided to take brewing to the
next level and open a production brewery. "We all love brewing beer and
sharing our beers with everyone, so it didn’t take much to convince us to go
for it." Todd, already a fan of the brews, joined in as as soon as he heard of the brewery opportunity and has put his accounting skills to good use. And finally Richard came in to lend his sales and distribution skills
and the team was set.
Tasting visit from Brenham National Bank and our very own Page Michel & Clint Kolby!
The Brazos Valley Brewing Company anticipates production to start in mid to late summer and
will have beers on tap at local establishments and also available to sample at
the brewery. "Whether you prefer the maltiness of an American Brown ale,
our German influenced Golden Ale, or the complex bitterness of our massively
hopped India Pale Ale, Brazos Valley Brewing has a beer for you." They also plan
to have special release beers available during Brenham’s Maifest and hope to host an Oktoberfest to celebrate the end of summer.
"We hope you enjoy the beers
and we look forward to raising a pint with you in our beer garden at the
brewery."
Again, we are super excited to welcome them to Brenham and wish them a great success! As soon as the doors open we will loudly shout it from the rooftops, so stay tuned! You also might want to friend them on FB and/or follow them on Twitter to stay up with the news. :-)
In case you prefer wine over beer, you're in luck! Washington County has three wineries! Pleasant Hill, Saddlehorn, and Windy Winery are all within a 10-minute drive of Downtown Brenham, open for tours and tastings, and host special events year round. Coming up the last two weekends in July and the first two in August are the annual grape stomps held at Pleasant Hill and Windy Winery. For just $25 ($15 for kids) you can pick your own grapes, stomp them until your feet are nice and purple, then step out and stamp your personalized, collectible t-shirt.
Also, on August 10 from 9am to 3pm, Windy Winery teams up with Chappell Hill Lavender Farm to bring you their annual Lavender & Wine Fest. Enjoy tastings, cuttings, crafts, vendors, music, and more. Admission is free and fun for all!
It's finally the weekend! Here are a few suggestions for how to get out of the house and have fun for almost free!
1) FREE carousel rides Friday night from 6:30-8:00pm at Fireman's Park. This carousel is really special to Brenham - originally built in the early 1900s, it was found miles away and beautifully restored by locals. The carousel is not open regularly, so take advantage of this special time of year!
2) Live music at Buffalo Creek in Bellville, Nathan's BBQ in Brenham, and the Burton Cafe in Burton. Details
3) Round Top Festival Institute has concerts all weekend long! Get your tickets and enjoy the music.
4 Go swimming at the Blue Bell Aquatic Center in Brenham. Cool off in the pool, but don't forget the sunscreen!
5) Wanna be a cowboy? Take the kids (and yourself!) to Chappell Hill to the Historical Society Museum fortheir annual Summer Cowboy Roundup! Activities are June 22-July 28 and feature VT "Cowboy" Williams exhibit and demonstrations on how to use a branding iron, tie knots, toss cow chips, design a boot, rope a steer, and pitch horse shoes! All activities are FREE and there's even a special program after the July 4th parade featuring the Buckaroo Band, Cowboy Bob the fun roper, pony rides and petting zoo, cowboy chuckwagon and cooking demos, and free Blue Bell ice cream!
Hey, speaking of July 4th, you better start planning your July 4th holiday and weekend! We have plenty of fun on the 4th all throughout Washington County and even a little beyond. Watch the video below first - it'll get you inspired for celebration. :-) Then to help you make plans, here's a blog post we wrote dedicated to July fun and 4th events. You can book a hotel or B&B straight from our website if you want to save on travel time. After you're confirmed, check out all the fun things there are to do - from history & museums to go-carts & swimming, we've got you covered.
Oh, and don't forget to view the Special Offers we have online, specifically online now to help you save on your fun in July!
July 4th is celebrated all throughout Washington County, Texas, and this is how we do it... (be patient, it may take a minute to load up the first time)
Thank goodness it's Friday! Want to do something, but don't know what to do? We can help!
1) Antiques! Seems like we just had a big antiques show in Round Top... Oh, wait, we did! But that was the really big Spring Show and this one is the still-big-but-slightly-smaller Summer Show. Head to the Big Red Barn for great finds Fri & Sat for only $5.
2) Live music on Friday night at Burton Cafe or Nathan's BBQ, or happy hour from 5-8pm at R-Place. You can also enjoy live music and a delicious pork loin dinner at R-Place on Saturday night.
3) Austin County is having a Summer Music Fest & Rodeo! The town of Bellville is only 15 minutes from Brenham, so you can easily stay with us and join them Friday night and/or all day Saturday for fun, fun, fun! Schedule
4) Attend an orchestral or chamber music performance at Round Top Festival Institute. You have only a few weeks left to witness fantastic skill and music for this year. Get Tickets
5) Museum Hopping! Yes, it's hot, and it's only June. But fortunately for you, Brenham & Washington County has air conditioned fun. :-) Check out our museums and plan a hopping fun tour!
In case you need a little help getting around, come see us on Saturday from 10-3 at the Simon Theater building in Downtown Brenham. We'd love to help you plan your day and give you a Visitor Guide!
See you soon!
~ Jenny Mills :-)
Visitor Center & Website Manager
Brenham/Washington County Chamber-CVB
In Washington County, July has become a month- long celebration. Starting with free summer concerts in Downtown Brenham, the town comes out to sing and dance to all of our favorite tunes. Hot Nights, Cool Tunes has become one of those "look forward to" events around here. Yes, the nights are HOT, but the tunes are super COOL.
In addition to the concerts, we also have classic cars lined up Alamo Street, a train ride for the kids, and plenty of food and drinks.
For the first time since Hot Nights started, area businesses are giving out discounts to give you an extra incentive to join us for all the fun. From free night's lodging to big discounts on shopping, food, and attractions, you can enjoy these special offers on July weekends as our way of saying "Thank You" for joining us in one of the hottest months of the year.
Oh, did I mention the concerts are free? Yeah, FREE concerts, FREE lodging, FREE gifts, FREE food. Plus, at each concert the Chamber-CVB staff (that's us) will have a table set up downtown giving away FREE prizes to anyone who fills out our very short survey. That's right, "Everyone's a Winner" is our motto on Saturday nights. Not only are you guaranteed to win a prize, right then and there, but you are also entered into a drawing for a chance to win even MORE free stuff!
"But wait, there's more!" :-)
Freedom certainly isn't free, as our forefathers found out while they were building our country in the 18th century. Every year we celebrate our independence as a nation, thanks to those great men who sacrificed much as they fought to build a free land, and thanks to everyservice member who has faithfully and sacrificially fought to keep that freedom alive.
This year Washington County has several celebrations, from a small-town parade to a fireworks extravaganza. If you're looking for family fun while remembering our nation's history, come join us!
Fireworks-On-The-Brazos
July 4, 10am-10pm
Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site
Celebrate our nation's independence where Texas declared her independence! Live patriotic concert and a fireworks extravaganza.
Fun
for ALL! Food and refreshments available for purchase all day.
Sponsored by the American Legion Post 242 and Auxilliary. 11-1 enjoy BBQ
pork & beef, at noon there will be an auction, from 1-5 there will
be bingo, and at 5 there will be cake walks and raffle drawings. Meal
tickets are $9 for adults, $4.50 for kids.
4th of July Celebration - Independence
2pm-11pm
Downtown Independence
6th
Annual Independence Day Celebration. Trail ride at 2pm. Parade at 5pm
with street dance immediately following. Fireworks Extravaganza
9:30pm.
4th of July Parade - Round Top
10am
Round Top, TX
The
best small town Fourth of July celebration anywhere! Festivities begin
at 10:00 on the square. At 10:30, the historic cannon booms and the
parade begins. After the parade, come on down to the Rifle Association
Hall for great bar-b-q, music and fun. A public dance will follow from
4:00 - 7:30.
So we're having concerts on Saturday nights in July. We've got fun 4th of July celebrations plus a cowboy event. But what else? Well... Remember Lucy and Ethel stomping those grapes in that iconic episode of "I Love Lucy"? Well, you have the fun opportunity to be just like them! But it probably won't be as messy. :-)
Pleasant Hill Winery and Windy Winery, two of the three wineries within Washington County, put on grape stomps every year. You get to walk in the vineyard picking grapes, then you get to stomp them as long as you want, feeling those squishy grapes between your toes! And after your feet are perfectly purple, you step out onto your collectible t-shirt, personalizing it with your very own feet.
After stomping grapes you can also enjoy relaxing on the deck with a glass of delicious red or white wine. Stomp tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for kids. BUT, if you take advantage of the Special Offers mentioned above, you can save 20% on each ticket!
What could be more fun?! Concerts, 4th of July, grape stomps, plus all our other fun like downtown shopping, touring Blue Bell Creameries, visiting the oldest cotton gin in the nation, seeing what life was like in the 1850s at Washington-on-the-Brazos, and so much more! Start planning your visit today.
Wait, did I mention the lodging? Over 30 bed & breakfasts, in town or in seclusion; 9 hotel/motels in Brenham; plus RV options! And remember those Special Offers? Yep, you can save on lodging too by taking advantage of one of those offers. Be sure to check it out - you're worth it.
See you soon!
~ Jenny Mills :-)
Visitor Center & Website Manager
Brenham/Washington County Chamber-CVB
This weekend holds a little something for everyone... Have fun!
1) Free carousel rides on Brenham's very own Antique Carousel in Fireman's Park (910 North Park, Brenham). Friday night from 6:30 to 8pm you can enjoy family fun at the carousel!
It is believed that our carousel was built sometime between 1895 and 1906, but it wasn't a staple of Brenham until 1932 when someone found it in a field about 20 miles northeast of Brenham!
The carousel is only open during Spring Break and Fridays in July from 10-1. However, the Arts Council of Washington County has graciously rented the carousel for specific times and dates so that families can enjoy it a more during the summer. Carousel History
2) Juneteenth Celebration kicks off Friday night at Fireman's Park with free music concerts. Join in the fun from 7-11pm. Saturday morning there will be a parade through Downtown Brenham at 10:30am, then more festival fun at Fireman's Park for the rest of the day.
3) Attend a concert on Saturday at Round Top Festival Institute. Now through July 13 you can enjoy various fantastic performances. Purchase tickets online at www.FestivalHill.org.
4) Beer Fest in Round Top starts Saturday at 2pm. The Stone Cellar will be hosting the annual beer fest along with live music entertainment from Neal and the Real Deal and The Black Cat Choir. Beer & Music, what more do you need?
5) Geocache! Washington County has over 200 well hidden caches. Some will take you to our top attractions, others will lead you to remote historic cemeteries, and a few will even bring you to Downtown Brenham. Plenty to keep you busy for days!
Wait.... You DO know what Geocaching is, right??? Yes? No? Maybe??? No problem! Here's a little introduction to geocaching as a whole and our future GeoTour. And here's where you get started. After you become an official geocacher (it's FREE!), do a search for caches in Brenham, TX. We are placing a brand new one today, so be sure to look for the "Welcome to Brenham, TX!" cache. We hope you enjoy exploring our area while picking up those yellow smilies. :-)
It's hot, but there are inside activities for you to enjoy so don't sweat it! :-) Here are a few ideas to help you "fun up" your weekend... Lots of music to start with and free time on Sunday to rejuvenate...
1) Friday night you'll find live music at Nathan's BBQ in Brenham or Burton Cafe in Burton. More Info: http://bit.ly/11x41xf
2) Juneteenth gospel concert on Saturday at 6:30pm at Mount Zion United Methodist Church.
Round Top Festival Institute concert hall
3) Opening performances at Round Top Festival Institute. Every year musicians gather from around the world to perfect their talent at Institute, and every weekend they display that talent with live performances that will knock your socks off! Get tickets online at www.FestivalHill.org for all performances of the season.
4) The Rankin Twins will be playing live at Buffalo Creek in Bellville Saturday night at 8pm.
5) Sleep late. Pull out the map over breakfast and pick a back road you've never been on before and plan a loop. After you're done eating, hit the road and enjoy a leisurely drive through the countryside. Washington County is beautiful to drive through. There are so many little roads that wind here and there and everywhere that you never know where you'll end up. But because nearly every road leads to another which will eventually lead to somewhere, you're never really lost - but we dare you to try. Go ahead, you have our permission - GET LOST!
And on your way home, stop by Home Sweet Farm Market in Downtown Brenham to grab some veggies, artisan cheese, sorbet, grass fed beef, honey, and more. YUM!
Hope you have a fun filled weekend. Stop by the Visitor Center in Downtown Brenham from 10-3 on Saturday if you need help. Darlene or Jeanine would be more than happy to assist you. :-)
Las Brisas Farm in Fayetteville, Texas, is giving back to those who serve us every day with complimentary weddings and vow renewals. Las Brisas Farm is offering three active-duty military couples a special day to remember, complete with cake, flowers, music, photography, overnight stay, dinner, breakfast, and more! The couple must be available November 10, 2013 and submit an application for approval by July 14, 2013. The application and more information can be found online at www.LasBrisasFarm.com.
The Hot Nights, Cool Tunes Concert Series is coming to Downtown Brenham and we haveSPECIAL OFFERS for you during the month of July!
You don't want to miss it! Enjoy live music, a car show, delicious food
and fantastic fun! It's a great event for the entire family in
beautiful Downtown Brenham.
The festivities are held every Saturday evening at 7pm during the month of July. Here's the music line up for this year:
July 6 - The Newsboyz - A 5-piece Austin band playing huge variety of music. July 13 - Radiostar - A high-energy trip through the 80's playing the biggest hits of that decade. July 20 - Matchmaker Band - A 10-piece show band specializing in the sounds of Motown, Soul, Funk and Dance music. July 27 - Suede - An electrifying band playing hits from the 70's, 80's, 90's and today.
Come spend the weekend with us, have fun AND save! Check out the Special Offers and plan your getaway.
We want to see you every July Saturday night! We're not willing to pay you, but we ARE willing to give you stuff!!! :-) Come visit us at our table set up near the Courthouse stairs. We'll have a prize wheel, drawings, and fun little gifties just for filling out a very short survey. Fill out the survey, spin the wheel, win a prize, and be entered for a bigger prize during intermission. What? Two prizes? Yeah, and one is guaranteed!!! Come on out to Downtown Brenham every Saturday night for great music and a lot of fun. We look forward to seeing you!
Also, on August 10 from 9am to 3pm, Windy Winery teams up with Chappell Hill Lavender Farm to bring you their annual Lavender & Wine Fest. Enjoy tastings, cuttings, crafts, vendors, music, and more. Admission is free and fun for all!
