5 on FRIDAY: Sept 27-29, 2013

Wow, there's a lot going on this weekend so you better plan well! Here's our TOP 5 suggestions for how to spend time in Brenham and Washington County, TX!

1) You might have heard of Round Top Antiques... the Fall show has begun! A lot of vendors are open now, but the "official" show starts October 2. If you go shopping now you'll find less people and you might be able to make some really great deals! More information can be found online at www.RoundTop.org and www.RoundTopTexasAntiques.com

2) Go see a play at Unity Theatre! The first play of the season has opened and will run from now until October 13 with performances on Thursdays at 7:30, Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 4pm. George Bernard Shaw's "You Never Can Tell" is a comedy of errors and sure to entertain you!

3) You can find live music at various venues throughout the county and then some. Check our calendar for more details for the day you need dance.

4) Brazos Valley Corn Maze is opening for the 2013 season on Saturday from 10-9 and Sunday 1-7. This is fun for the whole family, so grab the kids and make your way over to the maze to GET LOST, carve pumpkins, ride the cow train, shoot corn out of a cannon and more!

5) Music Makes a Celebration at Fanthorp Inn, Brushes & Brews in Fayetteville, and Jazz Night at Leftovers are the other fun things that will interest you... Check our calendar for all the details.

We are also privileged to have a few motorcycle groups coming in to help us with an historic cemetery clean up project. The Rolling Thunder TX2, CVMA, and Buffalo Soldiers are taking time out on Saturday morning to ride over to Camptown Cemetery and give us a hand at cleaning it up. If you'd like to join us, make your way to Alton Elementary School around 9am. Cleanup will continue throughout the day.

There's plenty to keep you busy this weekend, and even more fun is coming with the Fall season now upon us. We're excited to have fun events and cooler weather to entice you to come to the country and play! Come on over and spend the weekend with us!

See you soon!

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

GEOforce Needed!

GEOforce? What's a GEOforce? Well, have you heard of Geocaching? No? Keep reading! If you're a seasoned geocacher, you can skip down below the video. :-)

Geocaching is a worldwide activity for anyone who has a GPS device and a desire to find hidden containers! Here's how it works... first you have to sign up on www.geocaching.com for a free user account. Access to the site allows you to find caches around the world and log them as you find them. Currently there are over 2 million caches hidden around the world and over 6 million registered geocachers. Wow!

So... first you register for a free account (or premium if you want added benefits), then you download an app. There's a paid version of the official Geocaching.com app for iPhone/Android and there are free apps too. We recommend getting one that will link directly to Geocaching.com for ease of logging finds. Once you've downloaded, installed, and set up your app you can search for nearby caches and start hunting! Just follow the GPS on your phone or your handheld GPS device to the posted coordinates and look for a hidden container.

There are many different kinds and sizes of containers, from as small as the tip of your finger to large trunks, magnetic ones and ones that look like snakes - there are some really creative ones out there, even caches under water! Once you find a cache you log it as found through your mobile app or through the Geocaching.com website. Each find earns you a smiley on the site and bragging rights. :-)

There's much more to it, and all the information you need can be found online. Geocaching can be a fun family activity or a solo activity, for kids and seniors... even dogs! The fun of it all is to get outside, be adventurous, and explore areas you've never seen before. Geocaching usually requires stealth, creative thinking, and persistence.

Here's a little video to further explain it...

If you are a seasoned geocacher AND you live in the Brenham/Washington County area AND you want to be a part of something really fun, email us to become part of our GEOforce! We are going to implement an official GEOtour and need some volunteers to help us put it all together. You qualify to be part of the GEOforce if you...

• Are excited about Geocaching
• Live in the Brenham/Washington County area 
• Can help maintain caches we place along the tour
• Have spare time during the week to meet, plan, and place caches
• Have ideas for placement, containers, geocoins, swag, etc. 

If you love geocaching, but you can't be a part of the GEOforce, that's okay! We will be thrilled to have you come to our area and find all the caches we place on the GEOtour as soon as it's ready. We will be posting updates as we develop the tour, so sign up to receive those updates as they happen. And as soon as the tour is live you will be the first to know!

We are super excited about this GEOtour and hope you all are too!

Happy Caching!
~ The Birthplace of Texas GEOteam

5 on FRIDAY: Sept 20-22, 2013

There's a lot going on this weekend, so let's get to it!

1)  The Washington County Fair is winding down, but the best fun is always the last two days. Friday and Saturday you can enjoy all day activities like carnival rides, exhibits, country creations and art, kid's tractor races, Banana Derby, rodeo fun, and great music by Max Stalling, Jerry Jeff Walker, Curtis Grimes and Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers! Check the website for details: www.WashingtonCoFair.com

2) If you want live music but a smaller crowd, make your way to Nathan's BBQ, The Stone Cellar, The Kenney Store, or Buffalo Creek for good food and entertainment. Details

3) Sidewalk Chalk Fun - this is a fun activity for the whole family! Starting Fri 6pm and Sat 9am around the courthouse in La Grange, join the celebration at Fayette county's 175th Anniversary on the Square! Watch renowned artist, Rhea Brown, create four chalk masterworks. Rhea's professional demonstration begins Friday evening, Sept 20, around 6 or 7pm.

On Saturday you can create your own Sidewalk Art - open to all ages. Those participants under 18 years of age will receive a participation prize donated by Fayetteville Bank! To reserve your 6 x 6 square visit www.ArtsForRuralTexas.org.

4) Learn all about cotton, its importance to early Texans and help us pick it! Join the fun at Washington-on-the-Brazos at Independence Hall for cotton presentations on Saturday and Barrington Living History Farm for picking on Saturday & Sunday. Details

You can also learn about 19th Century Folk Remedies at Washington-on-the-Brazos. In the 1800’s medicine was a combination of new science and old traditions. Many clung to the old folk healers’ potions and cures, and it is these folk cures that we are going to look at today. Presentations are Sunday, Sept 22, at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm, will last approximately 30-45 minutes and will meet at the Visitor Center. Details

5) Get an early start on your antique shopping in Round Top! The Fall show is coming up with most vendors set up Sept 27-Oct 5. However, there are a few who set up early. Even if you're not an antique shopper, Round Top is a fun little town to visit. It has an artists feel with galleries and unique shops, fun places to eat like The Stone Cellar and Royer's Round Top Cafe and Pie Haven, and super cute restored buildings to meander around. Take a minute to relax under the giant trees with a delicious slice of pie. :-)

With so much going on, you might want to spend the night to make the most of your time in the country. Also, if you think you want to come a little later for the Round Top Antiques show, you'll want to book something now if you don't already have a room reserved.

See you soon!

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

5 on FRIDAY: Sept 13-15, 2013

Wow, September is already halfway over and we are gearing up for a busy Fall! Are you ready for COOL? Not just cooler temps, but cool things to do? Yeah, we are too. :-)

As for this weekend, here are the TOP 5 things to do around Washington County. Come on over and play with us for a couple of days. We love company!

1) WINE EVENT at the Washington County Fair from 7-9pm. Call 979-836-4112 to get a ticket. It's only $25 and includes fair admission, wine tasting, glass, charm, food, and music by Chris Austin Martinez and Suede.

2) Live music at Nathan's BBQ, The Stone Cellar, Buffalo Creek, and The Kenney Store on Friday and Saturday nights. Details

3) Stress Relief fun at Chappell Hill Lavender Farm and Windy Winery on Saturday. From 10am-noon at the lavender farm you can learn about lavender weaving and flower pounding. Stroll the fields, cut lavender, weave wands and press flowers onto a muslin bag. Then cruise out to Windy Winery to cut grapevines and make a wreath while sipping wine. Fun and stress FREE! Details

4) Fanthorp Inn Guest Register: Have you ever been to this historic stagecoach inn? Join the folks at Fanthorp in Anderson at 11am, 1pm and 3pm as they present “The Fanthorp Guest Register.” Back in the 1800’s public conveyances like the Stagecoach brought common travelers and famous Texans alike to the shelter of stagecoach inns. The Guestbook at Fanthorp Inn is an important reflection of the pages of history we honor as Texans. Come and hear the stories of the famous travelers who spent time at one of the most important and best preserved stagecoach inns in Texas. Names such as Anson Jones, Sam Houston and Robert E. Lee are reported to have stayed here. Details

5) Go watch the rodeo, gospel festival, or ride the ferris wheel at the Washington County Fair. Proudly known as "The First County Fair in Texas," this fair kicks off Friday night and runs through Sept. 21 with fun activities happening daily (except Monday the 16th). Schedule

Sounds like a lot of fun, doesn't it? Maybe you should make a weekend out of it. Here - make a reservation to STAY. PLAY. GETAWAY. :-)

See you soon!

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

Corn Maze is Coming Soon!

Last year Washington County was home to its first public corn maze, thanks to Brazos Valley Maize!

So who is Brazos Valley Maize and why did they want to design a corn maze? Here's their story...

"Welcome to 4F Farms. Our family is happy to share our lifetime love of farm and family with you. Our history has revolved around agriculture since settling in Texas in the mid 1800's. Our paternal grandparents, Arthur and Cora Free, owned and operated a dairy and crop farm east of Brenham. Later the farm was converted to a cow/calf operation that is still run by our family today.

"Our maternal grandparents, Johnie and Meta Tiaden moved to this very farm in 1938. They developed a typical farm for the area, by raising their own food, growing cash crops of corn and cotton, and hunting occasional wild game. Grandma Meta set a mighty fine table. Their large garden, chickens, turkeys, hogs and cattle not only supplied their own food, but were sold and shared with neighbors, as is the farm way of life. Johnie was an avid hunter, and later in life Johnie decided to turn his passion for hunting into a business and learned the trade of taxidermy, which with his able assistant Meta became very successful. His taxidermy shop was located here on the farm and some of his works are still displayed here and in the homes of his three grandsons. Johnie and Meta began farming with mule-drawn equipment and eventually moved into the mechanized era with the purchase of a small tractor and two-row equipment. As you stand in the yard of our farm, please take the time to imagine yourself holding the reins of two strong, stubborn mules ready to plow the very ground upon which you stand. Ah, the good ole days!

"Opening our family farm to visitors and teaching about the importance of agriculture in our society has always been a life long goal. We truly enjoy sharing our history and our love of the land, which has been instilled in us over many generations. We hope you will come out and enjoy some quality time with your family and get back in touch with rural America and Agriculture.


"Sincerely,
The Free Family"

Designing the corn maze is quite an undertaking. First they come up with the design, then plant the corn, and wait for it to grow a certain height. They use a special program to design the maze on a computer, then somehow transport that image to the field where they cut the corn to make the design. And then they wait some more for the corn to grow tall enough to make it a true maze. Incredible!

2012 "Birthplace of Texas" design

The maze is six acres and split into two sections which actually makes two mazes. When you arrive you stop by the mailbox to pick up a passport to help you navigate. There are different passports of different subjects, each with 10 questions to answer. They are multiple choice and your answer determines whether you travel left or right at designated areas inside the maze. If you like getting lost and the challenge of finding your own way, leave the passport behind and go on in!

Food is available. Smoking is prohibited. And fun is had by all! Other activities on site include campfires for roasting marshmallows or hot dogs, pumpkin patch and carving station, corn cannon, cow train, bouncy horse races, and hay rides.

Tented area rentable for parties

If you have a group (kids or adults!), please call ahead to make a reservation. Groups of all kinds are welcome on Fridays - boy/girl scouts, corporate retreats, church groups, family reunions, and others all come out to the farm to enjoy a day of fun. You can even have a birthday party at the farm!

You are welcome to bring your own food and drinks. Campfires are rented for two hour time slots and you can purchase S'mores and "Weenie Roast" kits in case you didn't bring your own.

Special days at the farm are:

2013 "Faith, Family, Farming" design

• October 26 - "Trick-or-Treat in the Maze" from 2-5pm; "Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin" movie shown at 7pm.
• November 2 - "Farm Heritage Day" - A full day of fun and learning for the family complete with horse & mule farming demonstrations, a live band in the evening and a chuck wagon breakfast and dinner.
• November 29 - Day after Thanksgiving the farm will be open from 10am-9pm.

Opening day is September 28! Admission is $10 for ages 3-59 and $8 for seniors over 60 and military/law enforcement members. Group rates are available and credit cards are accepted.

Brazos Valley Maize will be open Sept 28-Nov 29 - Saturdays 10am-9pm and Sundays 1-7pm. Get your family or group together and make a date to GET LOST!!!

5 on FRIDAY: Sept 6-8, 2013

Why is that short work weeks sometimes seem longer to get through than the regular weeks? Whether you had a long or short one, I'm sure you're glad it's Friday! Got plans yet? Check out what's going on in Brenham/Washington County to get some ideas of what to do - in case you want to take a day off and play, that is. :-)

1) Wind down the week with live music at Nathan's BBQ, The Stone Cellar, The Kenney Store or The Burton Cafe on Friday night, or catch another great round on Saturday night at The Kenney Store, The Stone Cellar, or Buffalo Creek in Bellville. Details

2) Pick up local food, art, crafts and more in downtown Burton at their monthly Farmers & Artisans Market on Saturday from 9am-noon. You'll find unique and beautiful artisan wares, garden fresh produce, eggs, grass fed beef and artisan bread from the Brazos Belle Restaurant, jams, cutting boards, wine racks, tote bags, dolls, cards, sock monkeys, jewelry,  Burton t-shirts and more! While you're there take a tour of the historic Railroad Depot and check out the archeological dig that is currently on site. If you have reusable bags, bring them to make it easy and green!

3) Art lover? Enjoy a relaxing evening in Fayetteville for the Saturday Art Stroll. Art by two artists is on display at two locations from 5-8pm.

4) On Sunday you can support hundreds of cyclists, or join in the pedaling fun at the Chappell Hill Bank Classic Road Race. Riders will pedal along FM 1155 and FM 1370 from Chappell Hill to Washington and back - lots of hills!

5) Blinn College presents "Red" - a Tony Award-winning play by John Logan about artist Mark Rothko. Performances of this two-man play can be seen at the Dr. W.W. O'Donnell Performing Arts Center in Brenham Thurs, Fri & Sat at 7pm and Sun at 2pm. Contact Blinn College for more info & tickets at 979-830-4024.

Local Food, Local Business

Local Brenham businesses were featured in the latest edition of Edible Austin magazine and we are super proud! :-)  Below is the article and photos from the online version.

Agri-newal in Brenham

by Nicole Lessin
Photography by Nuri Vallbona

In spring, when Mother Nature rolls out her indigo-and-orange-hued coverlet of bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes, visitors flock to Brenham-area bed-and-breakfasts for a weekend of winery visits, Blue Bell ice cream and Texas history. But Brad and Jenny Stufflebeam, founders of the organic Home Sweet Farm and a new retail market in Brenham’s historic district, where most growers and producers are limited to those within a 50-mile radius of Brenham, are working tirelessly with area chefs, growers and food artisans to put the city on the map for yet another reason.

“The vision I have for this place is that Brenham starts to be known again as a local food destination,” says Brad. “We’re literally on the local food front lines, here where it’s actually being grown.”

While the Stufflebeams’ farm and nine-year-old community-supported agriculture program were initially geared more toward selling to the Houston metroplex, the focus of Home Sweet Farm has expanded in recent years to include their local community as well. “We’ve got food deserts right here in rural areas where food is being grown,” Brad says. “And we’re trying to put value back into local food in these rural areas and trying to prove to folks that by doing it, you can start to make a living through farming again.”



Located in a late-1800s railroad warehouse with exposed-brick walls, Home Sweet Farm Market features a large assortment of the family’s organic fruits and vegetables grown just outside Brenham, as well as those from Finca Pura Vida in Fayetteville, Yellow Prairie Farm in Caldwell and even backyard growers. “We have got a lot of old-timers out here that have some big gardens, and we can supplement their income,” Brad says. The year-round market, which the Stufflebeams have been offering on Wednesdays and Sundays since they opened last April, also features meats and eggs from pastured animals, handmade local bath and body products and cut flowers. In addition, the family sells an array of artisanal foods, such as Redneck Cheddar soaked in Texas beer from Veldhuizen Family Farm in Dublin and pickled wild grapes from Dai Due. On Wednesday evenings from 5 to 6 p.m., the market hosts a free get-together featuring samples of cheeses and wines from such local purveyors as Saddlehorn Winery and Pleasant Hill Winery, or craft beers from area microbreweries. Currently, the Stufflebeams are working on expanding to another building downtown where they will offer weekly workshops on everything from home canning to raising cattle for grassfed beef. They are also planning to host monthly farm-to-table dinners prepared by local chefs tasked with using only products from the market in Brenham.

Just around the corner, in an elegantly restored 1870s-era home with shiplap walls and vintage light fixtures, Kay Briscoe, owner of Kay’s Cuisine for the Soul, has been more than happy to incorporate fresh, seasonal ingredients from the market into her Asian-fusion cooking. “I smell like garlic, basil and tomatoes right now,” she says with a laugh from her sunlit kitchen. “I bought [Home Sweet Farm’s] heirloom tomatoes, and I roasted them and made a torte this morning. Right now, I’m rolling them in some fresh mozzarella and some basil, and oh, it’s going to be beautiful.” Briscoe says it has been amazing to be able to work with the Stufflebeams, who even deliver fresh produce to her door and then brainstorm with her about possible menus. “Brad and his family are just beautiful,” she says. “They give me a lot to play with and a lot of ideas.”



In a historic former blacksmith shop in the heart of the city’s downtown, Chef Elizabeth McColgin recently began offering weekly farm-to-plate specials at Funky Art Café, a popular tourist spot. On a recent Wednesday, her market-inspired menu featured a lemon and summer squash bisque with lavender crème frâiche, pattypan squash stuffed with grassfed ground beef and a roasted heirloom tomato gazpacho she topped with feta from Blue Heron Farm. “This has been fantastic,” says McColgin, who honed her craft at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin. She also uses seasonally available fruits to prepare handmade sorbets that are for sale at the café and the market.

Nearby, at Mobius Coffeehouse, owner Patty Dalrymple has utilized the local market as well, and is now offering a new organic juice bar featuring Home Sweet Farm carrots, greens and strawberries. Brad notes that Dalrymple’s business has expanded because she was able to get the produce needed for the juice bar. “That’s what I want to prove,” says Brad “That supporting local agriculture has this whole ripple effect across the local economy.”



While much remains to be done, Stufflebeam says the small businesses of this town will continue to work together to make Brenham and the Brazos Valley region—historically considered to be the birthplace and breadbasket of Texas—a food destination once more. “That’s why our whole vision is local people supporting local agriculture,” he says. “Because we really want to celebrate our agricultural heritage.”