NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) – There are only a few annual events that can draw such a large crowd to the oldest town in Texas. The Texas Blueberry Festival has done it easily for 34 years, and this year is no different.
It has always been a custom, and I really enjoy participating,” stated Bella-Jace Moreno, a student at Stephen F. Austin State University. “It genuinely ranks as one of my favorite customs here in Nacogdoches.
People enjoy the blueberry festival largely because of the culinary offerings. At the event, blueberries are featured in various beverages and dishes for sale.
SFA students Moreno and Xavier Short had opinions on what represented the best blueberry inventions.
“Blueberry lemonade, and this stuff is really good. I’m about to sell water to the beach, let me tell you. You see how many lemons are in here, then on top of that you’ve got the flavor of the blueberry, then you’ve got the lemonade. It’s kind of sweet, and then it’s hot outside,” said Short. “It’s like the perfect concoction,” said Moreno.
The bricks in downtown Nacogdoches were so crowded that there was barely any space left to stand.
Baskets filled with blueberries were placed beneath the Brookshire Brothers tent, as various stalls offered grilled meats that were still steaming.
While Moreno and Short cooled off with lemonade, Christian Simmons was cooling himself off with a blueberry pie to the face.
Simmons won first place in the festival’s pie eating contest.
“They said they had one more slot open, and I was like, ‘You know what? I’ve never done this before,’ and I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I can eat some food,” said Simmons.
The blueberry festival helps Nacogdoches bring in money, with nearly 20,000 visitors shopping and staying in the city.
For certain individuals, it’s merely a time-honored community custom that draws them back again and again.
“If I had completed my graduation and moved away from Nacogdoches, I would return for the blueberry festival,” stated Moreno.
The upcoming Texas Blueberry Festival will take place during the second weekend of June next year. Preparations for this event occupy the city for several months.
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