"A shock to everybody." That was how Kelly Atwood, co-owner of Kippers Kountry Store, described the August 2025 news that the Chappell Hill Historical Society would end the Scarecrow Festival after its 48th edition. She told KWHI that losing the event would be a "big hit" to the town's shops, restaurants, hotels and bed and breakfasts.
In October 2025, thousands of people came to what was billed as the final weekend. On October 10 and 11, 2026, the festival returns to downtown Chappell Hill as the Scarecrow Music Festival. The name suggests the old event plus a concert. What actually came back is three separate events running in the same place. The street fair is still free. The big-name music now needs a ticket. And the scarecrows, the festival's namesake, have moved off the festival grounds and into residents' front yards.
Why the Old Model Stopped Working
The Historical Society's reasons were specific. In a letter from the board, President Steve Trevino named three: financial constraints, fewer volunteers, and overlap with events in nearby communities. He said added TxDOT requirements during the Highway 290 construction, including fencing, portable restrooms, dumpsters, sheriff's deputies and traffic accommodations, had left the festival "now operating at nearly a break-even point." He also cited the difficulty of drawing visitors away from events in Round Top, Cypress, Waller and Brenham.
Brenham innkeepers Suzy and Keith Hankins of the Ant Street Inn pointed to the calendar problem: the Round Top Fall Antiques Show had moved its start date into October, making the month very competitive.
Under the old format, nearly all of the money came from the organizer's side. The 2024 festival charged no admission, charged $10 to park and advertised more than 250 juried exhibitors. The 2025 edition kept the same terms. When the cost of hosting a crowd went up, the free-admission model had very little room to absorb it.
A Vendor's Suggestion, Mostly Adopted
Some of the fixes were proposed in public before anyone took over. Randy Bayer, who runs Brown Water Cigar Bar in Brenham and had been a festival vendor for several years, told KWHI in 2025 that the event should look at options such as a minimal admission charge, higher vendor fees, a date change or a better effort to recruit volunteers. Dale Ramey of the Bluebonnet House and Garden Center called the festival part of Chappell Hill's identity and asked for a community meeting with local stakeholders. Trevino said a committee would look at bringing the festival back in a different format.
In January 2026, KWHI reported that BirdDog, led by co-founder and CEO Jonathan Lusk, had taken over coordination of all festival activities in cooperation with the Historical Society. According to the Brenham Banner-Press, BirdDog handles day-to-day logistics and planning with the Society, fronts the event costs and reinvests whatever remains locally after expenses. All proceeds benefit the Chappell Hill Historical Society, the Volunteer Fire Department and the Chamber of Commerce.
The admission charge Bayer suggested arrived in a narrower form. Admission covers only the Main Stage and the VIP Room. The rest of the festival stays free.
The Free Festival Is Bigger Than It Looks
The Main Street vendor area and the Wine Garden are free on both days, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Wine Garden has its own stage. Of the 10 acts on the festival's two stages, four play there.
This is the 2026 schedule. Only the Main Stage sets need a ticket.
Saturday, October 10
- 10:30 a.m.: Joey McGee, Wine Garden, free
- 12:45 p.m.: Cul de Sac, Wine Garden, free
- 3:00 p.m.: Taylor Graves, Wine Garden, free
- 5:00 p.m.: The Flinns, Main Stage, ticketed
- 6:30 p.m.: Cody Hibbard, Main Stage, ticketed
- 8:00 p.m.: Roger Creager, Main Stage, ticketed
Sunday, October 11
- 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.: Church service at the Main Stage, with gates opening at 8:30 a.m. and coffee and kolaches before the service
- 11:00 a.m.: Black Cat Choir, Main Stage, ticketed
- 1:00 p.m.: Cathey Bolin & Henry Williams, Main Stage, ticketed
- 1:30 p.m.: Cooper Mohrmann, Wine Garden, free
- 3:00 p.m.: Bri Bagwell, Main Stage, ticketed
On Saturday, nobody needs a ticket for anything before 5 p.m. If you spend the day on Main Street and in the Wine Garden, you get three full sets of live music for free. That is close to the old festival's arrangement. The 2024 lineup, for comparison, was Chicken Live at a Bar, Jimmy Green, Dylan Rhys and Suzanne's Band on Saturday, with Jimmy Green and Scott Grieger on Sunday, all included with free admission.
The vendor count is less settled. The festival advertises 100-plus vendors, and its vendor page says it is aiming for 100 to 280 booth spaces without confirming a final number. The last two editions under the Historical Society listed more than 250. If you remember a solid row of booths from past Octobers, the 2026 Main Street could be the same size or a little smaller.
The Scarecrows Moved to the Front Yards
The biggest change for anyone who lives in Chappell Hill has nothing to do with the stage. This year's scarecrow contest is free to enter, and entries go up on the entrant's own property: a front yard, porch or driveway. Individuals, families, groups and whole neighborhoods can enter, and one household can submit more than one scarecrow. Chappell Hill businesses can't enter.
Prize money is real. First place pays $1,000, sponsored by Citizens State Bank. Second pays $500, sponsored by Bluebonnet House. Third pays $250, sponsored by Mark Troth. Bluebonnet House's name is on the prize list one year after Dale Ramey publicly argued for keeping the festival.
The contest page gives two different setup deadlines. Its instructions say September 10, and its schedule says September 27. The schedule also puts official judging in the week of September 28, with community voting from September 28 through October 4, which is today. Entries are judged on originality, creativity, craftsmanship, fun and festive spirit, and theme execution. Each one must be at least 3 feet tall and weather-resistant, must stay on private property and can't block walkways or traffic. Winners will be announced on the stage Sunday evening, October 11.
This means the festival no longer stays inside its fence. Scarecrows that went up in September stand along the roads through town for weeks, well before the stage opens and the vendors set up. Part of the festival now happens at people's homes rather than at the Historical Society.
The Practical Details for This Weekend
Most of the festival's added cost now shows up at the gate and in the parking lot.
- General admission: $50 for Saturday, $50 for Sunday or $75 for both days. Children 6 and under get in free. KWHI reported $40 early-bird tickets in April. The current listed price is $50.
- VIP: $500 for the weekend, with an open bar, chef-prepared food, artist meet-and-greets, reserved seating, a dedicated entrance and premium parking. Only 150 passes are available.
- Parking: General parking is $20, up from $10 at the 2024 and 2025 festivals. Valet is also offered, at a price the festival hasn't listed.
- Chairs: GA guests can bring a lawn chair or rent one on site for $5.
- Road closure: Main Street closes between Providence Street and FM 2447. For the Sunday service, the festival says to come in from the south on Highway 290 and follow the parking signs near the Main Stage at 5315 Main Street.
- Hours: The FAQ lists overall hours of 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Two questions don't have answers yet. The festival hasn't said whether you need a Main Stage ticket for the Sunday church service, and it hasn't published shuttle details. Check scarecrowmusicfestival.com before you leave home. Kids' activities are promised in general terms, but the 2025 kids' court and pumpkin patch haven't been confirmed for this year. The Historical Society also said in 2025 that the spring Bluebonnet Festival would go on as planned.
A resident who parks once, walks Main Street from 9 a.m. and stays in the Wine Garden through Taylor Graves's 3 p.m. set will have spent $20 for the day and seen three live bands.
Chappell Hill's traditions last because people give their weekends, yards and businesses to keep them going, and our team at Southern District Sotheby's International Realty is glad to be part of that across Washington County. If this weekend has you thinking about land of your own near Chappell Hill, or about what your property means to you, we'd welcome the conversation. Connect with a Local Ranch & Lifestyle Specialist.
