Georgetown, Texas, is known as the “Red Poppy Capital of Texas,” and there’s no better way to celebrate that than the annual Red Poppy Festival.
For three consecutive days, April 28 – 30, downtown Georgetown, Texas, will host one of its biggest celebrations of the year: the annual Red Poppy Festival. Not quite 30 miles north of Austin, Georgetown, which was established in 1848 and has one of the most beautiful town squares in the state, will turn out for three days of live concerts (this year’s headliner is Diamond Rio), celebratory parades, and contests. The festival will also provide food carts and art stations for guaranteed family fun.
On April 25, 1990, Georgetown was certified by local residents and the Texas Legislature as the “Red Poppy Capital of Texas” as it’s one of the few places in the United states where red poppies grow naturally each year. The cheerful- and delicate-looking but hardy flowers have been an enchanting part of Georgetown’s landscape for more than 70 years.
How did they get there? According to poppy.georgetown.org, “Seeds from poppies in Europe were sent to Georgetown right after World War I. Henry Purl Compton (known as “Okra”), who served in the American Expeditionary Forces, sent them to his mother. She planted them at her home, which is now 507 East 7th St. From there, they were spread (by birds, bees, and people!) down the river and over much of Old Town.”
When the poppies come into bloom every April, the town celebrates with the annual Red Poppy Festival.
Check out the festival schedule below.
Friday, April 28, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
7 p.m. — Kick-Off Concert
Saturday, April 29, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
11 a.m. — “Paint Georgetown Red” Parade
11 a.m. – 3 p.m. — Classic Car Show (Cars will be parked on Austin Avenue; awards given at 3 p.m.)
7:20 p.m. — Red Poppy Taste Awards Presentation
7:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m. — Concerts on the Red Poppy Stage
9:20 p.m. — National anthem
Sunday, April 30, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
2:00 p.m. — Kiwanis’ One in the Hole Ball Drop
4:30 p.m. — Coloring Contest Awards (The Celebrate Stage)
