Bluebonnet Festival — Local services in Brenham

My wife and I usually go there every year. A great day trip getaway, and they have a bunch of vendors selling their wares and services. They also have the Lavender and Scarecrow festival events which is pretty much the same venue.

Here are some tips to get the most out of these events:

1. Go early to get a good parking spot. If you go later in the day, the nearby lots will be full and you'll likely have to find a lot further out, from where you'll have to walk a ways to get to the festival. We usually get up pretty early and have a good breakfast at a selected restaurant along the way before heading to Chappell Hill, so we won't have to eat anything until we leave (usually around 1pm when we've already pretty much covered everything by then), and we like going someplace nearby to eat after we're done at the festival. Good local places are Chappell Hill Bakery & Deli and the A & J Seafood and Steak (next door). If you want to eat in Brenham which is about a 10-15 minute drive away, the Must Be Heaven restaurant comes highly recommended but they close at 3pm.

2. If you want to bring a dog, keep it in a stroller or keep it leashed & close by (and muzzled if the dog is aggressive). This is for legal reasons and if you see a dog you want to pet, I would strongly advise that you ask for permission first. It's about your safety and showing respect. I would suggest that you bring small plastic bags for picking up after them when they poop. There are plenty of garbage cans and port-a-potties where you can dump the poo bags into the waste receptacles.

3. Wear good walking shoes. This will keep your feet from getting too sore from walking all over the place. Dress light (shorts, polyester shirts, etc) so you won't feel too hot since it can get humid there sometimes. It's a good idea to wear headwear (hat, cap, etc) and sunglasses to keep the sun's glare and brightness from bothering your eyes. Wear sunscreen if needed.

4. Bring a wagon and/or a small cooler with ice and cold beverages. I do this so we wouldn't have to walk around carrying bags of stuff all day, and bringing our own drinks keeps us hydrated and saves us money since the drinks from the beverage vendors are usually overpriced (and it's a good idea to bring a large personal water bottle that you can attach to the wagon's side or slip it into the mesh beverage holders if the wagon has them). I also bring a clear plastic bin with a snap-on lid (105 quart size or whatever fits your wagon fully) inside the wagon to cover everything in case it rains, and I bring a medium-sized umbrella and rain coat just in case. The bin is also a great place to keep a bag or purse secure without having to carry them, and we just cover them with a towel before closing the lid. I also bring bungee cords to keep the cooler attached on top of the plastic bin.

I know all what I've said here sounds like a lot, but those hacks are very helpful with making things much easier for you. As they say, "Fail to plan,...

The festival was fun and the vendors super friendly. The parking was horrible. We sat for an hour waiting to get out of the lot. Discovered the only people directing the traffic were attendees, not employees (the employees were sitting laughing at everyone trying to get out). I tried to help with traffic as well and got screamed at by an older couple, who almost ran me over. Got yelled at by a security guard to get back in our cars, but he never did anything to help the traffic. Finally called the Chamber of Commerce number and begged for help, turned around to go another way out of the lot, and got yelled at by a handful of men that we weren’t allowed to leave that way (we're 4 women). This was a...

Lots of walking of course. If your balance isn't good, recommend a cane, or walker for support. My mom had a hard time walking thru all the different vendors. Parking is free if you know where to park. We paid $10 to park in a nearby cow pasture, watch out for cowpaddies. Wear comfor shoes. There are portacans in various spots. With hand sanitizer stations with them. There are lots and lots of vendors to choose from. It was very nice, my first time there for bluebonnet fest. I've been to the airing of the quilts. That's a neat and fun thing to go to also if you sew or...