Ennis Bluebonnets Are In Bloom
If you like bluebonnets – and who doesn’t – there are opportunities galore to see them in North Texas. All along the roadways they adorn the countryside, begging folks to venture among them for that perfect photo opportunity.
And, if you really love bluebonnets, it would behoove you to take a trip down the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails now through April 30, and attend the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival April 16-18. This will be the 69th year for the event, which is hosted by the Ennis Garden Club.
Also, it’s the return of the event after having been canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We know that people are ready to reconnect and re-engage, and we are so excited to provide an authentic experience with our awesome festival and beautiful nature,” said City of Ennis Marketing and Communications Director Ashley Colunga .
The event has annually drawn between 15,000 and 20,000 visitors from across the globe for the weekend. This year it will be a gated event with limited attendance, so best to make plans now.
“One of the things that makes the bluebonnets in Ennis so special is that there are over 40 miles of mapped driving trials. These trails are the oldest such trails known in the state,” Colunga said.
“The Ennis Garden Club drives the trails each week to check the bloom status starting in April. The club then reports to the Ennis Welcome Center about the latest status of the bluebonnets so that visitors can be well informed where the best flowers are on the trails at the time of their visit. Each year, the bluebonnets will appear on different trails as these are natural to the area.”
Festival Activities & Entertainment
While bluebonnets are the star attraction, the weekend will include much more, including activities for kids and a concert at the end of each day. Friday, April 16 will feature Le Freak, billed as the “greatest disco band in the world.” Saturday will have Infinite Journey, a cover band of one of the greatest pop/rock bands in history, Journey. The 80s tribute band Spazmatics will conclude the festival on Sunday night.
As for the trails, a map and more information can be downloaded from bluebonnettrail.org.
Daily admission charge for the festival is $5 per adults, with children ages 12 and under admitted free. There are no pre-sale tickets, with tickets available only at the gates.
Entrances to festival will be West Ennis Avenue/North Dallas Street, along with West Baylor/ North Dallas.
Masks will be strongly encouraged for the festival. Things can change so follow bluebonnettrail.org for all updates. Social distancing guidelines will be in place.
The hours of festival are April 16, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; April 17, 10 a.m-9 p.m.; April 18, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
For more information, contact the Ennis Welcome Center at 972-878-4748 or visitennis.org. You can also download the free mobile app, Ennis Ya’ll, for shopping, dining, lodging, and trail map info.
Some of the best places to see bluebonnets in North Texas, along with Ennis, include:
*Cedar Hill State Park.
*Oliver Nature Park in Mansfield.
*George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas.
*Fort Worth Botanical Research Institute.
*Many DFW area lakes.
