Living in Texas: the red poppy festival

For 3 years in a row we’ve attended the local poppy festival.  And it’s easily becoming my favorite small-town tradition.  Parade, free stuff, yummy treats, live music.  It’s so cozy.  And there are plenty of good photo ops in a field of red poppies.I say that we live in Austin.  But we’re actually in the suburbs which is pretty fun because we get the best of both worlds….drive into Austin for the “big city” atmosphere (if you can even call it big). Or just hang around our little town for that small community feel (with good football and lights). We love it.
We’ve got a band, a few cowboys (and cowgirls), old cars that honk “a-ooohga”,
and apparently something that used to be the “sanitary bakery”? Casey and I laughed about that trying to figure out what that was once….?  Or.  Why?  I mean, what?Then we had another laugh as my obstetrician rode by on a float with her husband, who’s running for state senate. You know you’re in a small town when….Casey wanted to hold up Clara and declare….”she’s a Schwertner baby!” There were poppies on cars and poppies on dogs.There were just poppies galore.and popcorn galore.
With bags the size of Clara.To be honest, the treats are the real reason I enjoy local events.And I enjoy watching my kids have a ball….and running into friends (like Lucy’s pal who recently became his own barber).And that’s what it’s like living in our small town. With an official family photo to wrap it up. Wow, I think the last time we were all in a picture together was December of 2010. Time to hire a photographer.We love you poppy festival!
You make the hot summer seem doable.

  1. Bahahahaha! Sanitary bakery? And seeing your ob on the float…classic.

    You have the cutest family ever.

  2. 3) Emily L.

    I might just have to stop following your blog because you are constantly making me miss living in Round Rock! LOL, Okay, I guess we just need to go back for a visit with the kiddos and then I can keep following your blog.

  3. This is awesome. Wish I had known maybe I would have tried to come to Austin area sooner. We are schedule to come from Dallas for Memorial Day. Looks to be a lot of fun!

  4. OMG! I had no idea you were in Burnet! I live just the other side of Brady! What a small world!

  5. DANA!!! You have been one of my favorite bloggers since I first started several years ago….HOW DID I NOT KNOW YOU LIVE IN TX!??? That is so fun! I have met two new bloggers today from Texas….I love it!
    And yes all those towns in Texas have those local festivals featured around something so random…I’ve heard of the fireant festival, watermelon, and the festival in the town I great up in was called the YAMBOREE…featureing Yams (or sweet potatoes) ha ha

    Anyways, I love Austin…would love to live there one day, but I live in Abilene, TX. now! Glad to know you are in Texas, maybe one day we could meet! I love your blog and you helped me get started sewing when I first started 🙂 with your simply made skirt! Love that!

  6. 8) Tami B

    Looks like a lot of fun! Poppies are beautiful – and so is your fam!

  7. 9) Pam Cox

    Oh how fun to see these pics – is this Georgetown? I have been to a Poppy Festival in Georgetown. My son lives in Pflugerville. I am with you on this – LOVE small town festivals. We have one in Lampasas every July (Spring Ho festival) – it is HOT HOT HOT but so enjoyable. Loved the pictures!

  8. 10) fern

    This is such a wonderful post! Thanks for brightening my day with poppies and fun! 🙂

  9. 11) neisha

    thanks for sharing….I love poppys

  10. I love poppies! They are my favorite. I don’t think we’ve gotten any pictures of the whole family since my son was born a year ago! We are getting some done next weekend and I’m super excited.

  11. 13) Samantha Livermore

    A friend of mine’s family owns a sanitary bakery in South San Francisco, it just means that back in the 1900’s that’s how people knew health regulations were passed, is if it had the word Sanitary in it. It was like the business wearing a ribbon of greatness haah.
    Anywho, I am headed to Dallas the 24th through the 28th of May, is there anything I NEED to see!? I am so excited!

  12. So much fun! My little town of Gilbert, SC has the Peach Festival every 4th of July. So hot, and we live close enough to walk to it. A little town of around 500 people explodes to 10,000+ for one day in July. Glad your family have a great time.

  13. Oh wow, I had no idea that there was a festival like that. So cute! I will have to go next year. 🙂

  14. 16) Dakota

    did you know theres a HUGE poppy field/city in lancaster, ca? Right over the angeles national forest mountains.. Im hoping to go despite how far it is.. Yours is fun looking. I dont think they do an actual festival in lancaster.

  15. Aw, wish I lived closer! I’d LOVE to take your family photos!!

  16. How fun! I miss small town life, and the poppies are beautiful! We are moving to Texas this summer. We will have to check this out next year. Thanks for sharing Dana!

  17. 19) Kelly

    Gotta love Austin! We live in Dallas, but our house is going on the market and were looking at moving to Dripping Springs. Gotta love those small TX country towns.

  18. 20) LeAnn

    You know you live in a small town when your family doctor is also your bishop–he knows EVERYTHING about you. 🙂

    I love your poppy pictures! <3

  19. Hi Dana,

    I found your blog a few months ago and had a hunch we just might be… neighbors. And if fact, we are. Sweet G’town!! We missed the poppy festival this year but sure did enjoy poppy season!! Just gorgeous.

  20. 22) bdaiss

    Yup. This is why I love small town living. Although not so many poppies around here. We have “Yellow Belly Marmot” days. Seriously. : )

  21. 23) becky

    ooohh my kitchen would not have looked out of place in the festival…its got poppies just about everywhere (well almost!)
    some lovely pics there too 🙂

  22. It makes me happy to hear that you are enjoying small town life somewhat after the hustle and bustle of LA. I really miss living in a small community with other small towns nearby (and actual space between towns – like a corn field or whatever kid of field). The festival looks like it was true American family fun. And, sounds like you need a tripod and remote for some family pics. I try to get one every month! (Overkill, but tradition now).

  23. Oh my gosh… my in-laws live in Burnet too! We moved from Austin to Denton a couple of years ago, and (though we love Denton) we really miss Central Texas. Maybe I’ll see you when I’m visiting sometime!

  24. 26) Sandrine

    My gosh Owen is tall!

  25. Your poppy photographs are beautiful! It looks like a great festival for everyone, young and old.

  26. We went to the Red Poppy Festival on Saturday night, I think. I got some fried Oreos and was not disappointed!

  27. 30) Angela

    I’ll have to look for the poppies more next year now that I have a good camera. This was our 4th year at the Poppy Festival. I especially like the Saturday night concert. We get together with our friends on the square & stay our way to late with our kids & we all love it!

    I was curious who your doctor was. We delivered in the same hospital 2 days apart. We left the day Clara was born. One of these days we really will run into each other, probably at Target 🙂

  28. How fun! I feel like Texas owns the cool small town vibe.

  29. 32) Lucy

    Lovely photo’s! My little girl’s name is Poppy(she is almost 3), she would LOVE this!

  30. Cute pics…it looked like a lot of fun, but I got to admit, now, I am bummed out…I would totally go to that next year (reminds me of the small town I grew up in) but we are moving from Fort Hood to Germany at the end of this summer! Thanks for the great post!

  31. 34) Katie K

    Wow so beautiful! I had a job offer at Dell Children’s Hospital about 5 months ago but turned them down, I am totally regretting that decision after seeing how beautiful it is down there! Hopefully they’ll call me again next year!

  32. 35) Valerie Nelson

    Cute Fam 🙂 I live in England half the year and November is Poppy MONTH!

  33. 37) Heather K

    My husband and I used to live in the tiny Craftsman style house on the corner of 6th and Church. We LOVED the Poppy Fest and sitting on our front porch watching the parade go by. We have moved to Kansas City but I still really miss Texas and her small town festivals!! Thanks for sharing your day 🙂

  34. 38) Amy

    I love your blog. Just found it recently and now check every day. I love the project ideas, color, and I have a 5 year old and 1 year old so love the kid ideas too.

    One thing I have to mention though is to please look into a different type of baby carrier. If you look at the above picture it shows why baby bjorns aren’t good. It rotates the hips into a very unnatural position. There are other great soft carriers that don’t do this. If you have any questions feel free to email me.

    • 39) Jenna

      I was going to say the same thing! Get a sling where baby faces inwards! i LOVE my ergo 🙂

  35. Wow Lucy is so much shorter in real life!

    I mean like, when you’re all together. She usually looks so tall, but with Owen right there she doesn’t look so tall! Or maybe he’s just a giant like Vincent aha

  36. I love the red poppy festival! Unfortunately, we couldn’t go this year – thanks for all the photos. I love how each town in Texas has a quirky festival – we’re going to the corn fest in June in Holland, TX. You get a free ear of corn!

  37. Oh I LOVE poppies!! There are fields everywhere near our house! And a festival just for the poppies sounds like so much fun! I’m actually surprised they don’t do one here, since Italians have festivals for everything! Anyways, your photos are fabulous, and so is your blog! LOVE IT!

  38. I’m sorry to disturb the happiness, but PLEASE, DANA: Google “baby bjorn bad back” and then look for infos about carrying your baby “face to the front”. PLEASE.

  39. 44) Joan McLemore

    You have a beautiful blog!

  40. 45) Stacy

    My daughter, Poppy, was very excited to know that there is a red poppy festival in TX. I have a feeling that some day she will make a visit.

  41. 46) Cathy

    So when and when is the Poppy Festival in Texas. I have a daughter that loves poppies.

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