ERMC - Proud Title Sponsor of Local Bluebonnet Festival

Home of the Bluebonnet because of the Ennis Garden Club

Erica Svehlak

Ennis has been home to notable musicians, criminals, athletes, and the official flower of Texas, the bluebonnet. For as long as I can remember, I have attended the Ennis Bluebonnet Festival annually. Growing up amongst the bluebonnets, I lacked both interest and knowledge in the rolling hills of blue that surround Ennis, Texas each spring. It wasn’t until moving to New York, that I realized the beauty of Ennis and the bluebonnets growing here.

Sure, in elementary school, we learned all about the state flower and how Ennis is known for being one of the best locations to view said flower. And, of course, my family has a gallery full of pictures of everyone gathered together, squatting in a field of bluebonnets, but that is all I could recall of the “infamous” bluebonnet. I had no idea that the official bluebonnet trail tours date back to 1938 in a prairie that I grew up next to, Kachina Prairie. I did not know that in 1997 the Texas State Legislature declared Ennis the official Bluebonnet City of Texas as well as the official bluebonnet trails.

The history I lacked of Ennis and the bluebonnet’s history shocked me. How could I grow up in a town and not know its background and fame?

The Ennis Bluebonnet Trails and Festival began in 1938 when the Ennis Garden Club began giving tours of Kachina Prairie – a 30-acre remnant of native Blackland prairie. While standing outside of the public library handing out trail maps, the club realized the profit potential for selling bluebonnet souvenirs. The profits they received from these sales were immediately invested into the future of the trails and (future) festival. In 1951, outside arts and crafts vendors were invited to participate in the official Ennis Bluebonnet Festival. The festival has since blossomed to include musical acts, wine tastings, and more.

The Ennis Bluebonnet Trails and Festival attracts visitors far and wide, both across state lines and internationally. With visitors spanning from Texas locals to New York to Germany to China, the bluebonnet trails have made Ennis a must-see location. With the expansion of the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails and Festival, came the need for bigger and better sponsorships. Ennis Regional Medical Center has been the proud title sponsor for the past three years. As a community hospital, ERMC makes sure to show its support for both the city and the surrounding community.

If only I had taken one of the educational bluebonnet tours given by the Ennis Garden Club, then maybe I would have known more of the history and background of the bluebonnet. So, make sure that you don’t end up as ignorant as I was and plan a tour of the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails (throughout the month of April) or spend the weekend shopping, drinking, and dancing at the Ennis Bluebonnet Festival (April 12 – 14).