5 on FRIDAY: Aug 30-Sept 2, 2013

Not only is it the weekend, it's also a holiday! Happy Labor Day weekend to you all. :-) Whatever you do to celebrate, we hope you have fun and stay safe. If you haven't already made plans to go camping or to the beach or something fun like that, here are some suggestions of things happening in the Brenham/Washington County area...

Country music artist Brandon Rhyder LIVE on Saturday!

1) Live music can be found at Nathan's BBQ, The Kenney Store and The Stone Cellar on Fri & Sat nights.

AND... Brandon Rhyder will be playing LIVE at Legend's Billiards in Downtown Brenham. Tickets are $10 and the show starts at 8pm on Saturday. Contact Smitty's for more info at 979.251.7665.

2) Indulge in a delicious dinner at a cozy, remote place... R-Place! Every Saturday night Randy fixes up a wonderful meal. This week he'll be grilling 14-16 oz. U.S.D.A. Choice Black Angus Texas (NY) Strip Steak to perfection on his open pit. Paired with the steak will be Parmesan garlic potatoes, house salad and warm French bread with brie cheese. To further entertain you Gene Scott will be playing music and R-Place has great wines to pair with your evening. Meal this week is $27.95 per person. Reservations are helpful and can be made for anytime between 6 and 9pm by calling us at 936-878-1925 during hours or 281-744-4195 anytime.

3) St. Stanislaus Labor Day Festival & Bazaar is Sunday from 10am-10pm.There will be food, dancing, games, prizes, auctions and more! Best of all, it's FREE to participate. :-)

4) Blue Bell IS OPEN on Monday for creamery tours, ice cream eating and Country Store shopping. Tours are 8:30-3 but everything is open 8-5.

5) Washington-on-the-Brazos IS OPEN nearly every day of the year, including weekends and most holidays. Go join them in learning about Texas history, what life was like in the 1800s, have a picnic on the grounds or go geocaching! We just learned yesterday that the 300-year-old folk life toy exhibit has been extended through Sept. 30, so take the kids to see that at the Star of the Republic Museum. Talk about a hands-on experience! :-)

Remember, have fun and be safe! If you're in town Saturday and need help, we will be open 10-3, but closed Sunday and Monday. Check our website for more help, or visit Ant Street Inn in Downtown Brenham to pick up helpful guides.

See you soon!





Jenny Mills
Visitor Center & Website Manager
Brenham/Washington County Chamber-CVB

FAQs: "Is anything open on Sundays?"

We know... Saturdays can be a busy time at home and sometimes you don't get a break until Sunday. Fortunately things ARE open around Brenham/Washington County on Sundays! So come on over and take a casual stroll, or meet someone for lunch!

Several downtown Brenham shops are open (although not all of them - probably around eight or so). Typically they open at 12:30 or 1 and close at 4 or 5. Six of the eight downtown restaurants are also open (for lunch). Oh, don't forget about Home Sweet Farm Market, also in downtown Brenham! Local produce and many other edible and non-edible things, all locally made, are available for sale Sundays 11-4.

All three of our local wineries are open from noon to 5.

Chappell Hill Lavender Farm is also open Sunday afternoon March through October.


Independence, Texas, welcomes you with roses at the Antique Rose Emporium and also self-guided tours of Old Baylor Parks.

Washington-on-the-Brazos is open nearly every day of the year, so you can enjoy all three areas of the State Historic Site, both outside and in air conditioning! :-)

During certain times of the year we even have plays going on at Unity Theatre in downtown Brenham.

PLAY! If you've got little ones and you need an indoor activity to keep them stimulated, you could take them to Silver Wings to go roller skating, or Horseshoe Junction to play laser tag, mini golf and arcade games, or if all else fails you could see a movie at Westwood Cinema!

The outdoor pools at  Blue Bell Aquatic Center are open Sunday afternoons during the summer.

Corn maze design for 2013!

Coming up at the end of September will be a fun activity for the whole family! Brazos Valley Maize will be open on Sundays from 1-7pm (and Saturdays, too!). GET LOST with each other and have fun navigating the maze of corn higher than your head. You can also carve pumpkins, enjoy a campfire or hay ride, shoot the corn cannon and more!

If you like art, go to Round Top. Henkel and Bybee Squares have a number of unique shops and art galleries open on Sundays.

And don't forget, most of our events and festivals are on the weekends, usually taking up both Saturday and Sunday, so if none of the above interests you, check our calendar for the day you want to come over to see if anything special is going on!

See you soon!

Jenny Mills
Visitor Center & Website Manager
Brenham/Washington County Chamber-CVB

5 on FRIDAY: Aug 23-25, 2013

You made it through another week - congrats! Now it's time for one last summer fling with the family before school starts! Here are some ideas for things to do in the Brenham/Washington County area....

1) Another chance to ride Brenham's antique carousel at Fireman's Park - FREE! Join in the fun from 6:30-8pm on Friday.

2) Live music at Nathan's BBQ, The Stone Cellar, Buffalo Creek and The Kenney Store - check the calendar for details for the night you want to listen in. (And we just found out there will also be a band playing at Yumm! Sweets & Eats in Downtown Brenham on Saturday at 7pm!)

3) Fanthorp Inn in Anderson is hosting "Music Makes a Celebration" - a look at 1800s period music, instruments, and dance. Come learn about the authentic Stagecoach Inn, take a ride on the Stagecoach, and see what life was like way back in the day. Music presentations are Saturday 11-3, but the grounds are open Sat & Sun 9-3:30.

4) One more week to see life-size versions of toys from 300 years ago. A fun, hands-on experience for all, these toys can be seen and played with at Star of the Republic Museum at Washington-on-the-Brazos. Open Fri, Sat & Sun 10-5.

5) Go swimming at the Blue Bell Aquatic Center (Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5). Play mini golf, laser tags, climb the wall, ride the go-carts and more at Horseshoe Junction (Fri noon-11pm, Sat 10am-11pm, Sun noon-9pm). And grab a scoop of your favorite flavor in the ice cream parlor at Blue Bell (Fri 8-5, Sat 10-4).

Enjoy the weekend and we'll see you soon!

Jenny Mills
Visitor Center & Website Manager
Brenham/Washington County Chamber-CVB

The First County Fair in Texas

If you ask someone from Fredericksburg, they might argue that Gillespie County holds the title for the oldest county fair in Texas. And maybe they're right - there's currently some research being done on that. But... Washington County held the very first county fair in 1868 so while we both claim to have the "Oldest County Fair in Texas," we are rightly claiming the title of "First County Fair in Texas."

The Washington County Fair celebrates 145 years this year and we're already working on great things to celebrate our 150th! Don’t miss the fun this year, September 13-21, at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Brenham.

Get ready for the excitement and thrills of rodeo events, plus great musical entertainment including favorites like Suede, Cody Canada and the Departed, Los Reyos del Sol, Juan Acuna, Anthony Moreno, Cody Hodges and the Linemen, Beau Hinze and the Backporch Shufflers, and more. Featured entertainers for Friday and Saturday nights are Jerry Jeff Walker and Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, respectively.

Rodeo activities include single events of Team Roping, Calf Scramble, Mutton Bustin’ and Bull Riding, with full-fledged rodeo performances taking place Thursday through Saturday..

Enjoy the tantalizing aroma of turkey legs and corn dogs, the shrieks and squeals of laughter from spinning carnival rides, and the varied, exciting fair exhibits, livestock judging and more, all at this year’s county fair.

A family fun-filled time can also be found at the fair, with a Children’s Petting Zoo, Pony Rides, Antique Farm Equipment, Livestock shows and, of course, the crowning of the Fair Queen.

Grab your boots and cowboy hats and join us at the Washington County Fair, September 13-21, 2013.

VIEW FAIR SCHEDULE

Friday, Sept. 13
10:00 AM: BBQ Contest
5:00 PM: Arts & Craft Show
7:00 PM: Pitch Tournament, Wine Event
8:00 PM: Suede

Saturday, Sept. 14
8:00 AM: Trail Ride
9:00 AM: Horseshoe Tournament, Texas Parks & Wildlife-Skins & Skulls & Alligators
10:00 AM: Arts & Craft Show, BBQ Contest, Fair Parade through Downtown Brenham, Youth Rodeo
11:00 AM: Open Jr Steer Show
12:00 PM: Open Jr. Beef Heifer Show, Talent Show, Washer Pitching Contest
1:00 PM: Bean Bag Contest, Texas Parks & Wildlife-Skins & Skulls & Alligators
2:00 PM: Fun Zone
5:00 PM: Little Mr & Miss Pageant
6:00 PM: Fair Queen Announcement & Crowning
9:00 PM: Cody Canada and the Departed
11:00 PM: Kyle Park

Sunday, Sept. 15
2:00 PM: Ranch Rodeo
6:00 PM: Carcass Hog Show
7:00 PM: Los Rayos Del Sol
8:30 PM: Juan Acuna

Tuesday, Sept. 17
10:00 AM: Country Creations Open
7:00 PM: Team Roping
8:00 PM: Anthony Moreno
10:00 PM: Cody Hodges and the Linemen

Wednesday, Sept. 18
All Day: Barrow Show, Broiler Show
5:30 AM: Kid's Pedal Tractor Races
8:00 AM: Open Brahman Show, Rabbit Show, Turkey Show
8:30 AM: Texas Parks & Wildlife- Skins & Skulls & Alligators
9:00 AM: Commercial Steer Show
10:00 AM: Children's Petting Zoo, Country Creations Opens, Country Store, Human Hampster Ball & KIddie Water Bumper Boats
12:00 PM: Commercial Exhibits
1:00 PM: Colt Show, Lamb Show, Texas Park & Wildlife- Skins & Skulls & Alligators
2:00 PM: Calf Scramble, Fun Zone
3:00 PM: Goat Show
3:30 PM: Banana Derby
4:00 PM: Mechanical Bull Opens, Steer Show
5:30 PM: Ag Mechanics Show
6:00 PM: Carnival Opens, Little Mr & Miss Contest Winners Announced
6:30 PM: Banana Derby
7:00 PM: MUTTIN BUSTIN EVENT
7:15 PM: Kid's Pedal Tractor Races
7:30 PM: BULL RIDING EXTRAVAGANZA
8:00 PM: Banana Derby
8:30 PM: Johnny Lee
10:00 PM: Gene Watson

Thursday, Sept. 19
8:00 AM: Commercial Heifer Show
9:00 AM: Sr. Citizen's Day, Texas Parks & Wildlife-Skins & Skulls & Alligators
10:00 AM: Antique Farm Machinery in Operation, Children's Petting Zoo, Commercial Exhibits, Country Creations and Country Store Opens, Human Hamster BAll & Kiddie Water Bumper Boats
10:30 AM: Banana Derby
12:45 PM: Banana Derby
1:00 PM: Texas Parks & Wildlife-Skins & Skulls & Alligators
2:00 PM: Open Angus Show
4:00 PM: Mechanical Bull Opens
6:00 PM: Carnival Opens, Kid's Pedal Tractor Races
6:30 PM: Banana Derby
7:30 PM: Kid's Pedal Tractor Races, Rodeo, WILD STEER SADDLING CONTEST
8:00 PM: Banana Derby
8:30 PM: Beau Hinze & the Backporch Shufflers
10:00 PM: Jason Boland and the Stragglers

Friday, Sept. 20
8:00 AM: Children's Day
8:30 AM: Texas Parks & Wildlife- Skins & Skulls & Alligators
9:00 AM: Children's Petting Zoo, Human Hamster Ball & Kiddie Water Bumper Boats
9:30 AM: Banana Derby
10:00 AM: Antique Farm Machinery in Operation, Children's Petting Zoo, Country Creations and Country Creations Division Opens, Country Store Opens, Intercollegiate Livestock Judging Contest
12:00 PM: Commercial Exhibits
12:15 PM: Banana Derby
1:00 PM: Texas Parks & Wildlife - Skins & Skulls & Alligators
4:00 PM: Mechanical Bull Opens
5:45 PM: Kid's Pedal Tractor Races
6:00 PM: Canival Opens
7:00 PM: Kid's Pedal Tractor Races
7:30 PM: Rodeo, WILD STEER SADDLING CONTEST
8:00 PM: Banana Derby
8:30 PM: Max Stalling
10:00 PM: Jerry Jeff Walker

Saturday, Sept. 21
8:00 AM: Antique Tractor Ride, Livestock/Dairy Judging Contest
9:00 AM: Human Hamster Ball & Kiddie Water Bumper Boats, Little Wrangler Hay Hauling
10:00 AM: Banana Derby, Children's Petting Zoo, Commercial Exhibits, Country Creations, Country Store, Mechanical Bulls Opens
10:30 AM: Dairy Show, Pet Show
12:00 PM: Carnival Opens
12:30 PM: Kid's Pedal Tractor Races
1:00 PM: Banana Derby
2:00 PM: Ag Olympics, Texas Mounted Shooters
3:00 PM: Fun Zone
4:00 PM: Kid's Pedal Tractor Races
5:00 PM: Banana Derby
6:00 PM: Greased Pig & Youth Hay Hauling
6:30 PM: Kid's Pedal Tractor Races
7:30 PM: Calf Scramble, Rodeo, WILD STEER SADDLING CONTEST
8:00 PM: Banana Derby
9:00 PM: Curtis Grimes
11:00 PM:  Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers

5 on FRIDAY: Aug 16-18, 2013

There are a variety of things happening this weekend in Brenham and Washington County! Grab the kids, furry or human, and come on over! Here's our TOP 5 suggestions for what to do this weekend in our area...

1) Live music at Nathan's BBQ in Brenham, The Kenney Store in Kenney, and The Stone Cellar in Round Top. Each night there are live music opps, so check the calendar for details!

2) Go shopping at The Brenham Flea! This weekend is the first opportunity to check out the new flea market in town. Open Sat & Sun 9-5. Future dates for the Brenham Flea are Oct 26-27 and Nov 30-Dec 1. Located at Washington County Fairgrounds.

3) Attend a period presentation at Washington-on-the-Brazos. Saturday they focus on beating the heat during the era of the Republic, and Sunday is all about water. Presentations are 11am, 1pm and 3pm - meet at the Visitor Center and arrive early.

4) Stroll the streets of Chappell Hill. There are cute shops and beautiful historical homes and buildings there. Even a tiny church! The oldest continually operating bank in Texas is there, too. You can eat lunch at Bever's Kitchen or Chappell Hill Bakery & Deli - both of which have delicious pie!

5) If you get too hot, here's an indoor backup plan! There are only a couple of weeks left to see the Toy Time exhibit at Star of the Republic Museum at Washington-on-the-Brazos, so grab the kids and head on out there to check it out! Life-size replicas of 300-year-old toys - you don't see that every day! :-)

5 on FRIDAY: Aug 9-11, 2013

Are you excited that it's Friday? We are!

Here are our TOP 5 suggestions for things to do this weekend around Brenham/Washington County, TX. Check out our calendar listings for more information and event happenings. Remember, the list below contains just a handful of the things happening in the area.

1) Carousel rides at Fireman's Park in Brenham - Friday night from 6:30-8pm - FREE!

2) Live music at The Kenney Store, Stone Cellar, Nathan's BBQ, and Buffalo Creek - Fri & Sat nights (check the calender for details)

3) Annual Lavender & Wine Fest at Chappell Hill Lavender Farm and Windy Winery. Cuttings, demonstrations, food, vendors, music, grape stomping and wine tasting. Fun!

4) Shakespeare at Winedale - this is the last weekend to enjoy a live performance.

5) Stagecoach Days at Fanthorp Inn - Enjoy rides on an authentic stagecoach, tour the Inn, and enjoy an afternoon of 1800s life.

FAQs: "What is Toubin Park?"

Toubin Park is a pretty little pocket park in Downtown Brenham dedicated to Brenham's historic cistern system. Nestled between historic buildings along Park Street is a little treasure of history we've preserved to tell the story of why we have cisterns. 

Beneath Brenham streets is a State Archeological Landmark, a large system of historic cisterns. The cisterns were built in the late 1800s to store rainwater for public fire fighting. Private cisterns were also abundant throughout early Washington County, used for bathing, drinking and cooking. 

 

The large system of public cisterns in early Brenham was a rarity. The city was considered very progressive for using the new-fangled contraptions to fight fires. No other Texas cities were known to install public cisterns, or to provide public services so early. 

At Toubin Park you can: 

• Enjoy the Wild West story of why these cisterns were built. It’s a tale of an early railroad, a rough Boom Town, and colorful characters who shaped Washington County’s history. 
• Follow the intriguing details of the 1866 Burning of Brenham and the large gunfight that led to the fire.
• Learn how Brenham citizens banded together to protect themselves and their properties from oppressive Union troops during Reconstruction.
• See a large private cistern circa 1880 and learn how it was used.
• Discover how public cisterns were built and supplied with water by innovative private businesses.
• Find out about present-day cisterns and how to harvest rainwater for your landscape, water features, livestock, and even for indoor use.
• Relax on a bench while enjoying the quiet beauty that surrounds the cistern and fountain.

"The Burning of Brenham" is a book written by Sharon Brass as a result of the research done while preserving this piece of Brenham's history. The book is available for purchase at the Brenham/Washington County Visitor Center, The Book Nook, Kwik Kopy Business Center, among others.

P.S. Toubin is pronounced "toe-bin" and the park is named as such because of the donation of the property by Leon and Mimi Toubin.

5 on FRIDAY: Aug 2-4, 2013

It's that time again. Do you have your weekend plans worked out? Here's a little help...

1) Shakespeare is still alive at Winedale. Go see a performance - there are several to choose from!

2) Saturday AND Sunday you can go to Grape Stomps at Pleasant Hill Winery and Windy Winery! Only two more weekends left to squish those grapes! $25 for adults, $15 for kids, gets you a tour of the vineyard, a bucket of grapes to stomp and squish between your toes, and a t-shirt to personalize with your purple feet. Stay afterward and relax on the porch with a glass of delicious wine (or grape juice for the kids!).

3) "Sewing Samplers" at Barrington Living History Farm at Washington-on-the-Brazos on Saturday, 11am and 2pm. Initially samplers were examples of stitches and patterns women collected throughout their lives to be used to beautify their homes, but the reasons to sew samplers evolved and eventually they were used as educational tools for subjects from religious instruction to geography. Try your hand at an example of a sampler that Sarah Jones may have worked on when she lived at Barrington.

4) Support your local farmer in downtown Burton on Saturday 9am-noon at the train depot. You can also go to Discount Trees of Brenham along Hwy 36 North - a handful of farmers set up shop there to sell their produce to the locals. And on Sunday from 11-4 you can go to Home Sweet Farm Market in Downtown Brenham to get a variety of local products, from produce to honey to candles to grass fed beef and artisan cheese.

5) Pick lavender at Chappell Hill Lavender Farm on Saturday and Sunday or Lavande Lavender on Saturday. Both places offer fields of lavender to cut your own and a unique gift shop to buy those special lavender-infused gifts.

There's also plenty of live music options at Nathan's BBQ on Friday night, The Kenney Store at 8pm and The Boys Club & Saloon at 9pm on Saturday night.

We hope you have! See you SOON!  :-)

UP NEXT: Lavender & Wine!

The scent of fresh lavender is in the air! The Chappell Hill Lavender Farm hosts the 9th annual Lavender and Wine Fest on Saturday, August 10, 2013, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The festival kicks off the blooming season and guests will have the opportunity to cut their own fresh lavender and learn how to make lavender wands.

The popular Tour de Lavender and Wine Country returns featuring charming destinations in scenic Washington County. Begin your Tour at the Chappell Hill Lavender Farm with so much to see and do! Don’t miss the wide variety of craft booths, demonstrations of lavender weaving and flower pounding, sample lavender cuisine and enjoy live music with Jill Paulsen. Tour the farm’s gift shop with its wonderful selection of lavender-related items. Admission to the Lavender Farm is free.

WindyWinery provides the wine stop where you can participate in the grape stomp, vendors and live music performed by Mike Gallo from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. To participate in Windy Winery’s Harvest Grape Stomp, the fee is $25 for adults and $15 for children, and includes a hayride to the vineyard, stomping grapes and a keepsake t-shirt.

Other sponsors include Bevers Kitchen, Bluebonnet House Gift and Garden Center, Chappell Hill Sausage, Murski Bed & Breakfast and Two S Realty.

There are plenty of other events this weekend, too. Why don't you bring the family and have a little mini-vacay in Brenham?! There's a variety of lodging, dining and entertainment to keep everyone happy for the weekend. If you'd like to browse your options, visit our website.

See you soon!

Jenny Mills

Visitor Center & Website Manager

Brenham/Washington County Chamber-CVB