According to State Symbols USA, "bluebonnets are to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland." This official state wildflower is sometimes called buffalo clover, wolf flower or el conejo, the Texas Almanac states. Bluebonnets blossom in spring, when stems sprout dozens of small, blue, bonnet-shaped blooms. Several Texas communities host bluebonnet festivals and celebrations. Each has its own claim to bluebonnet fame.
The Texas bluebonnet became the official state flower of Texas in 1901. In 1979, the state legislature named the city of Burnet the "Bluebonnet Capital of Texas." In 1997, the Texas House passed a resolution naming the Chappell Hill Bluebonnet Festival the "Official Bluebonnet Festival of Texas." According to the resolution, the annual event started in 1964 as the Bluebonnet Antique Show. Organizers renamed it the Chappell Hill Bluebonnet Festival in 1983. The same resolution named Ennis the "Official Bluebonnet City of Texas," home to the "Official Bluebonnet Trail of Texas."
According to the Chappell Hill Historical Society's website, Texas Highways voted the Chappel Hill Bluebonnet Festival the seventh-most popular festival in Texas. It features a wide variety of foods, live entertainment, activities for kids and more than 200 vendors selling crafts and other goods. Chappell Hill is a community of about 600 residents, approximately 57 miles northwest of Houston. Its population swells dramatically during Bluebonnet Festival weekend. In 2010, admission was free, but there was a small charge for parking.
The Ennis Chamber of Commerce boasts about the community's status as the "Official Bluebonnet City of Texas" and home of the "Official Texas Bluebonnet Trail." According to the 1997 resolution, Ennis earned this designation "because of the 46 years it has been associated with the official wildflower of Texas and the faithful efforts of the Ennis Garden Club in preserving our state wildflower for all to enjoy." During the entire month of April, the Ennis Garden Club monitors and sponsors a map of more than 40 miles of driving trails where visitors can spot bluebonnets in bloom. Take a self-guided tour for free, or contact the club to reserve a tour guide.
Burnet, Texas--about 50 miles northwest of Austin--started its annual Texas Bluebonnet Festival in 1983. According to the Burnet Chamber of Commerce, Burnet is the "Bluebonnet Capital of Texas." In 2010, the weekend included a parade and 5 km race, live entertainment, an air show, classic car show and special activities for kids.
Bluebonnet season peaks in April, although blooms can begin in March and continue into May. The Chappell Hill and Burnet bluebonnet festivals are typically the second weekend in April, while the bluebonnet trails in Ennis generally run the entire month of April.
