Blanco, a name meaning “white” in Spanish, may be named for the brilliant limestone banks of the scenic Blanco River that slices through town, but this Hill Country destination is characterized by the colorful lavender growing in the area.
Home to the first commercial lavender farm in the state, Blanco is known as the Lavender Capital of Texas and hosts the annual Blanco Lavender Festival each June.
Austin Monthly calls the festival one of the “4 Classic Summertime Festivals in Texas”: “Drive one hour southwest of Austin in June, and you’ll discover lavender fields reminiscent of Provence. Celebrate the fragrant purple bloom during the annual Blanco Lavender Festival, which features three days of live music, beer and wine tastings, and a market filled with floral goods.”
Blanco is a bucolic area with just over 2,000 residents. Blanco County itself has just over 13,000 people, but the town population will swell during the 20th Annual Blanco Lavender Festival scheduled for June 6-8, 2025, with attendance in past years reaching 40,000.
The festival runs Friday the 6th from noon to 6 p.m., Saturday the 7th from 9am to 6pm, and Sunday the 8th from 10am to 4pm Attractions include:
The annual lavender festival’s location showcases some of the best of what Blanco has to offer year-round as the Old Blanco County Courthouse, Blanco River State Park, and local eateries such as Old 300 BBQ and Redbud Café are all within walking distance of downtown.
Another great time to visit is during Blanco Market Days, which happen once a month. The remaining 2025 dates are: June 21, July 19, August 16, September 20, October 18, November 15, and December 20 (Christmas Market).
Texas had been a state for less than a decade when pioneers began settling along the Blanco River in 1853.
A town to be called Pittsburgh, in honor of Gen. John D. Pitts of the Pittsburgh Land Company, was planned on the banks of the Blanco River across from the present-day town.
“When Blanco County was organized in 1858, an election located the county seat across the river from Pittsburgh and named the townsite Blanco for the Blanco River. The Pittsburgh Land Company gave the new town 120 acres of land,” says the Texas State Historical Association.
Blanco became the county seat in 1860 when its original courthouse was built. Today’s Old Blanco County Courthouse was built from 1885-1886 with native limestone and was designed by renowned Austin architect Frederick Ernst Ruffini.
“The grand new courthouse in Blanco was only used by the county for a scant four years as an election in 1890 moved the county seat to Johnson City,” says Historic Blanco.
Blanco was finally incorporated as a town in 1939.
This move of the county seat started a rivalry between Blanco and Johnson City, which persists today, and started an eclectic history of uses for the old courthouse featuring everything from a hospital, school, dentist’s office, barbecue joint, and more!
According to Historic Blanco, uses of the Old Blanco County Courthouse since 1890 include:
Before the courthouse was saved by the Old Blanco County Courthouse Preservation Society in the 1980s, a local rancher had bought the courthouse and planned to move it stone-by-stone to his property.
Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and today the courthouse, in all its glory, is a great spot to visit.
Blanco River State Park is one of the earliest assets in the Texas state park system. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established a company in 1933 that spent 11 months building bridges, dams, structures, picnic areas, and roads.
“Like some other CCC parks, Blanco was convenient for motorists traveling across Texas,” says Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD). “The CCC transformed the landscape and created a park where Texans could swim, fish, and camp. You can still see their work today. Have a picnic on a stone bench or stone picnic table. Take a hike out to see the remnants of the pump house. Swim in one of the pools created by the CCC dams.”
In the historic May 2015 flood, 10 to 13 inches of rain fell at the headwaters of the Blanco River in hours. The river rose an incredible 30 feet, devastating the park. Fortunately, much of it was restored in the last decade.
Today, you can:
For such a small town, Blanco has an amazing number of options to eat and drink that are rated at 4.5 or higher on Google reviews, including:
Blanco is a great day-trip destination but also has plenty of lodging options for those who want to extend their time in the area. There are short-term rentals and other boutique offerings such as the Tilman Resort, Blanco County Inn & Guesthouses, Blanco Riverside Cottages & RV, Betty B’s River House and City House, Swiss Lodge Motel, Hotel Henry, and more.
Those looking for small-town charm, good food and drink, historical significance, and natural beauty will find something to make them happy in Blanco.