Deemed the “Official Bluebonnet City,” Ennis is blanketed in the blue blooms every spring — it’s one of the first things you’ll notice when you drive into town.

But if you miss prime wildflower season, there’s still plenty to love about this destination that’s only about 30 minutes south of Dallas.

Ennis’ historic downtown boasts beautiful, tree-lined streets and wonderful shopping and dining outposts. And on Saturdays from April through October you can browse the Bluebonnet Market, a farmers market with local vendors selling pottery, baked goods, jewelry, fresh produce, and more.

For more activities to inspire a jaunt through Ennis, read on.

Head to the lake With more than 3,500 surface acres, Lake Bardwell is a sparkling body of water with skiing, fishing, swimming, boating, and more.

Head to Highview Marina, where they can also hook you up with paddle board rentals. With the lake's 1,800 acres of surrounding land, there’s plenty of space for camping and picnicking, too.

Schedule in some screen time Put down the smartphone and switch to the big screen at the famous, retro-fabulous Galaxy Drive-in Theatre, where you can catch a movie under the stars.

Hit the track Considered one of the finest quarter-mile drag racing facilities in the nation, the Texas Motorplex hosts the annual NHRA Fall National auto racing event (save the date for October 13-16, 2022!), along with more than 90 other racing events.

For a slightly different speed, the Big O Speedway is a dirt track that hosts events from March through October.

Say cheers Just northeast of Ennis is Sugar Ridge Winery, which is situated in the scenic countryside and pours a wide assortment of lovely reds, whites, and specialty wines — think sangria, Party Pear, and Little Green Apple.

The family-friendly destination also hosts live music most weekends, along with karaoke nights and girls-night-out events with food and shopping.

For a glass right in historic downtown Ennis, The Vine at 119 is a cozy place with a variety of hand-selected wines and whiskeys from across the world, along with bistro-style cuisine that enhances the pairing experience.

Be a theater kid Ennis has year-round live theater via two organizations. Theatre Rocks stages world premieres and incredible renditions of the classics, all in an intimate 75-seat venue.

Ennis Public Theatre holds seven stage productions a year: The Book Club Play, Clue on Stage, and Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town are on the docket for the rest of 2022.

Get some park time The 19-acre Veterans Memorial Park is not only a compelling, unique tribute to local war vets, it also holds community events like the summer Freedom Fest.

The park is also the official home of the Ennis Soccer Association, with three soccer fields along with a paved walking path through a designated bluebonnet prairie, picnic tables, a playground, and more.

Coordinate with an event With events nearly every month, there’s always something on the calendar, from February’s Ennis Czech Music Festival to April’s Ennis Bluebonnet Trails and Festival, a three-day extravaganza of live music, food, kids’ activities, shopping, wine, and more.

In May, the National Polka Festival over Memorial Day Weekend celebrates Czech culture with a number of festivities. And in June, there’s a Blues on Main music event and an Ennis Freedom Fest that’s known for having the “most beautiful fireworks display in all of Texas.”

Come fall, downtown Ennis sets up a larger-than-life hay maze and hosts the Autumn Daze Festival on the last weekend of October. Lights of Ennis in December ushers in all that magical holiday spirit.

No matter when you arrive in town, swing by the Ennis Welcome Center to get the lay of the land and see the wonderful new art display called Full Bloom by Michele R. Gutlove.

Download the free mobile app, Ennis Y’all, for access to all the city has to offer and more details on upcoming events — or head over to Visit Ennis for more info.

ENNIS, Texas (March 27, 2023) – The 71st Annual Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival, presented by the Ennis Garden Club, returns to the heart of historic downtown Ennis beginning at 10 a.m. Friday, April 14 and continuing daily through Sunday, April 16 at 6 p.m. The festival will feature an abundance of activities and live music throughout the weekend as well as a spectacular array of Texas bluebonnets across 40 miles of trails.

Daily admission for the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival is $5 per person with children 12 and under free. There is no fee to enjoy the 40 miles of driving trails throughout the month of April. Festival activities include arts and crafts exhibitions, shopping, children’s activities, the railroad and cultural heritage museum and delicious food options. Visitors also can enjoy the beer garden or sample Texas wines at the Ennis Education Foundation Wine Wander.

Wear your cowboy boots Friday evening to get down with King George. On Saturday get wild with Slippery When Wet, The Ultimate Bon Jovi Tribute Band. The Windbreakers will close out the weekend with their high-energy on Sunday. Fireworks will cap off Friday and Saturday night festivities. A complete lineup of entertainment is online at bluebonnettrail.org/

Ennis was named the Official Bluebonnet Trail of Texas and the Official Bluebonnet City of Texas by the 1997 State Legislature. Visitors can experience 40 miles of mapped bluebonnet trails during the entire month of April. These trails are the oldest known trails in the state of Texas. Along the route, visitors will enjoy tree-lined country roads, longhorn cows, horses and, of course, bountiful fields resplendent with colorful wildflowers.

Visitors are encouraged to download the free Ennis Y’all app to get the best route for the specific day of their visit or check online at bluebonnettrail.org. The app also provides recommendations on the best places to shop, dine and stay. A current map and information will also be located at the Ennis Welcome Center, located at 201 NW Main.

While in Ennis, make plans to visit the Downtown Ennis Bluebonnet Market, located on N. Dallas Street, open every Saturday from 8am to noon April through October. The market features fresh produce, baked goods, hand-spun pottery, jewelry, clothing, artisan gifts and family-friendly live entertainment.

The Ennis Welcome Center will be open 7 days a week in April (except Easter Sunday, April 17th) to help guide bluebonnet seekers to get the most out of their visit.

For daily bluebonnet updates, contact the Ennis Welcome Center at (972) 878-4748 or follow Visit Ennis, Texas on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Bluebonnet fans can also follow Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival on Facebook.

The staff encourages visitors to call, email, or visit the website for the latest status of the bluebonnets before driving out to the trails. Status updates are available online at bluebonnettrail.org and on the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival Facebook page.

For everything Ennis, download the free Ennis Y’all app or go to VisitEnnis.org.

FORT WORTH, Texas — This weekend, festivalgoers get ready to descend on Panther Island for the Ubbi Dubbi Festival.

If you're one of the many heading out there this weekend, below is a list of things you need to know before you head to the festival.

The festival runs April 21 and 22 with shows beginning in the afternoon and running all night. Parking lots open at 2 p.m. Gates open at 3 p.m. and the festival ends at 12 a.m. both nights.

The festival will take place rain or shine, excluding life-threatening weather. Visit the Spectrum News 1 weather page to get the latest updates.

Parking lots open at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. It is $10 per day and several payment options are available.

Below are accepted payment methods:

You must purchase parking on the day of the event

Here is a link to a parking map. ADA parking is available to those with valid handicap placards, plates and permits, as well as the applicable proof that it belongs to them.

For more information about ADA accessible parking and entry, contact ada@ubbidubbifestival.com.

Every attendee will be searched prior to entry, which includes emptying your pockets and bags, a full pat-down, an examination of items brought with you, and potentially removal of your shoes. Police officers work both inside and outside our events with the aid of K9 units. All narcotics laws are strictly enforced. Event staff reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone.

The following items are accepted within the festival grounds:

The following items are prohibited within the festival grounds:

Lost and found is located just inside the entrance to the festival from 3 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. After 11:30 p.m., Lost & Found can be found at the Ticket Help tent just outside the festival entrance until 12:30 a.m.

On Day 2 of the festival, starting at 2 p.m., all IDs collected from Day 1 are stored at the festival box office outside the event.

All other items (aside from IDs) will be at the Lost & Found location just inside the entrance to the festival until 11:30 p.m.. At 11:30 p.m., patrons can retrieve Lost & Found items at the Ticket Help tent just outside the festival entrance.

On Monday, April 24, the Lost & Found is at The Shack from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. After April 24, please get in touch with lostandfound@ubbidubbifestival.com to inquire about your lost items up to Tuesday, May 9.

For more information about headliners, and what the festival has to offer, visit the Ubbu Dubbi website.

Wildflower fanatics, it’s time to start your engines and plot out your course. Peak viewing in Texas typically runs from mid-March through April. With a color palette of blues, reds, pinks, and yellows, the highways and byways, farms, and fields of Texas are painting themselves with vivid swaths of bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, pink evening primroses, Mexican hats, roses, and poppies.

Weekend excursions, day trips, and leisurely drives are a springtime right of passage in Texas. If you’re new to the wildflower fun, get ready for a real treat. We’ve found some of Texas’ most tried-and-true destinations for wildflower viewing along with the local festivals that celebrate this grand —and colorful — tradition.

The entire month of April is a spectacle in Ennis as fans trek the Ennis Bluebonnet Trail. Located about 35 miles southeast of Dallas, the famous trail showcases more than 40 miles of scenic wildflower drives mapped in detail by the Ennis Garden Club.

These trails are the oldest known in the state, and tens of thousands of visitors take the tour each year. Bluebonnets typically peak around the third week of April. This year’s trail map will be released on April 1. Check the trail website for all the details.

Hill Country wildflower splendor begins in Austin. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a stunning first taste, plus the education provided at the center is worth your time.

In Fredericksburg, you can see the largest working wildflower farm in the country — Wildseed Farms. Then there’s the Willow City Loop ? 13 miles of country road known for its spectacular fields featuring a multitude of wildflower varieties.

Don’t forget to stop at the Blue Bonnet Cafe in nearby Marble Falls for a slice of its famous pies. Fun fact: The popular diner is not named after the Texas state flower. Instead, it’s an homage to the bonnets worn by settlers of the 1800s. Finally, the scenic drive along FM 1431 towards the Balcones Canyonlands offers a showstopping display of blooms.

Brenham is home to some of the brightest blooms in Texas. The annual Wildflower Watch program tracks notable blooms throughout Washington County. Check out the wildflower driving map that guides troves of seasonal visitors through downtown Brenham and on to Chappell Hill, Independence, Washington-on-the-Brazos, and Burton. This is a flower-filled day trip worth taking.

Just past Brenham and Burton, you’ll find yourself in picturesque Fayette County. Head South on 237 and you’ll meander through the quaint antiquing haven of Round Top past lazy meadows and pastures filled with cattle as well as a profusion of bluebonnets and Mexican hats. Time it right and you can hit the Spring Round Top Antiques + Design Show, which runs through April 2. The traffic will slow down, so you might as well make a pitstop in Round Top while you’re passing through.

When you finally arrive in La Grange the choice is yours, either head East or West on Highway 71. You can’t make a wrong choice.

Texas is filled with spring festivals built around those colorful flowers too. These are community gathering events that welcome travelers to take part and make many of them feel right at home. Here are a few notable festivals dedicated to Texas’ abundant wildflower blooms:

— April 1 to April 16: Wildseed Farms Wildflower Celebration (Fredericksburg)

— April 15: Wild About Wildflowers Family Workshop (San Antonio)

— April 14 to April 16: Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival (Ennis)

— April 15 and April 16: Official State of Texas Bluebonnet Festival (Chappell Hill)

— April 28 to April 30: Red Poppy Festival (Georgetown)

— May 19 to May 21: Wildflower Arts & Music Festival (Richardson)

Yes, it’s Texas wildflower season. You need to get out there and take in the sights and smells of spring in the Lone Star State before it’s too late.

SECAUCUS, NJ. — Freshpet, Inc. shared its third-quarter earnings for the three-month period ended Sept. 30, detailing ongoing plans to mitigate logistics disruptions, cut capital expenditure costs, and support its goal of achieving $1.25 billion in net sales by the end of 2025.

Third-quarter net sales were up 40.7% to $151.3 million, with growth supported by pricing, velocity, distribution gains and innovation, Freshpet stated. Billy Cyr, chief executive officer at Freshpet, said the company is “well ahead of the pace needed to achieve our 2025 net sales goal of $1.25 billion.”

The company reported $18.4 million in net losses, up significantly from $2.1 million in the third quarter of 2021. Adjusted EBITDA also declined from $13.5 million in the third quarter of 2021 to $3.5 million in the third quarter of 2022. The company attributed this largely to the inclusion of plant start-up and launch expenses, which it began accounting for in its adjusted gross profit and adjusted EBITDA last quarter.

According to Freshpet, these operational expenses totaled $9.6 million this year, compared to $1.2 million last year. Third-quarter plant start-up costs totaled $8 million in the third quarter alone.

The company provided an update for its production kitchen in Ennis, Texas, which is expected to begin shipping product within the next two weeks. Freshpet shared that 12 SKUs have been qualified for production, and operations are already occurring around the clock.

“The second line in Ennis, a bag line, will begin test runs in January, about one to two months later than previously indicated, and we expected to begin shipping product about one to two months after that,” Cyr said. “This added time is designed to ensure that we have completed the optimization of the rolls line start-up, where we have a greater need for the capacity. We have adequate bag capacity in our system to meet the current level of demand, so this delay will not impact our growth. However, it will delay the full utilization of the Dallas DC until later in Q1 or early Q2.

“We also believe that, at scale, Ennis will be our most efficient plant,” he added. “The Ennis facility has the capability to have higher throughputs with less labor and longer run times as a result of greater automation, some technology improvements, and through enhanced sanitary design. Additionally, the on-site chicken processing will offer improvements in quality and cost versus what we experienced in Bethlehem.”

Gross profit was $44.5 million, or 29.4% of net sales, compared to $41.5 million, or 38.6% of net sales, in the third quarter of 2021. Adjusted gross profit was $52.2 million, or 34.5% of net sales, compared to year-ago $46.8 million, or 43.5% of net sales. The company again attributed gross profit declines in the third quarter to increased plant start-up costs, as well as ingredient and labor cost inflation and quality issues.

“We put in place a more rigorous system of tracking underlying cost drivers, adjusting the frequency and duration of our supply commitments, and are working with our suppliers to find ways to create greater cost certainty that works for them and for us,” Cyr said.

“…The point is that we are seeing headwinds sooner and using that information to take more timely price increases,” he added. “As a result, we have now taken a hard look at our anticipated cost for 2023 — roughly two months sooner than we have in previous years — and have concluded that the basket of input costs will go up in the near term. And in response to that work, we've already announced a 5% price increase to go into effect in early February. That increase is designed to protect our margins and to greatly reduce the impact of any timing mismatch.”

Increased media spending and logistics costs drove up Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) expenses in the third quarter of 2022. The company’s $18.4 million net loss was also attributed to increased SG&A expenses, along with plant start-up costs.

“We delivered a strong, on-plan quarter,” Cyr said. “More importantly, we are executing on our plan to address the cost challenges and improve margins. While it is still early, we are attracting the high-quality talent we need, taking the necessary remedial actions, and putting in place the systems needed to further improve our performance. The benefits of those efforts should become increasingly apparent in the quarters ahead.”

Speaking of talent, the company announced Nov. 1 the appointment of two new leaders. Todd Cunfer has been named chief financial officer, effective Dec. 1, and Dirk Martin has been tapped as vice president of customer service and logistics, effective Dec. 7. Dick Kassar, current interim CFO at Freshpet, will return to his previous position as vice chairman on Dec. 1.

These two appointments are expected to bolster the fresh pet food company’s financial and logistics acumen and support the company’s operational plans to drive margin expansion. This includes improvements to logistics, commodities and quality, among other things.

Cunfer offers 25 years of experience with financial planning and analysis, treasury, capital structure, commercial operations, supply chain management and M&A activity from previous roles in the CPG industry. He most recently served as CFO at The Simply Good Foods Company and, before that, held several leading financial roles at the Hershey Company over the course of 20 years. Cunfer earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the College of William in Mary, followed by a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.

Martin brings more than 20 years of logistics and supply chain management experience to his new role at Freshpet. He most recently served as senior director of logistics at Lamb Weston, a frozen potatoes manufacturer, where he led a successful three-year cost optimization effort. He has also held senior logistics roles at Univar, Inc., Nexeo Solutions, LLC, Clean Harbors and Stanley Black & Decker. Martin is a current member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). He is a US Marine Corps veteran.

“As Freshpet’s VP of customer service and logistics, Dirk brings extensive supply chain, warehousing and transportation skills that will be critical as we build a multi-level distribution network,” Cyr said. “We are thrilled to welcome both Todd and Dirk to the Freshpet team and look forward to leveraging their financial and operational acumen as we continue to improve our profitability and generate sustainable value for our shareholders.”

Also in its third-quarter earnings report, Freshpet detailed its penetration has grown to more than 5 million households so far this year, up 14% from 2021. Buying rate has also increased to $149.60 so far in 2022, up 19% from 2021. The company’s “super heavy and heavy” dog food buyers — those who purchase at least $40 worth of product over the recent 10-week period — have increased as well to 2.8 million people, up 31% from 2.2 million in the concurrent period in 2021.

“Price sensitivity has stabilized behind the large price increase in February,” Cyr said. “…We've just begun to see the third, much smaller 2.6% September price increase show up at retail, but have not seen any indications of significant price sensitivity behind that increase and don't expect to see much. As anticipated, household penetration continued to grow now that we are back in stock and media is on the air.”

E-commerce and omnichannel sales — including fresh delivery, last-mile delivery and “click and collect” sales — accounted for 7.6% of the company’s total revenue in the third quarter, totaling $12.2 million and up 65% from the third quarter of 2021. Eighty-seven percent of the company’s sales continue to come from brick-and-mortar channels.

Freshpet has added 1,020 new stores to its retail network so far in 2022, including the addition of 374 new stores in the third quarter. Branded fridges have been upgraded at 408 locations, and second or third fridges have been added to 382 stores so far this year. The company’s total store count now includes 24,651 locations.

Following its third-quarter earnings report, Freshpet reiterated its full-year guidance for net sales and adjusted EBITDA. Net sales are expected to exceed $575 million, which would represent an increase of approximately 35% from 2021. Adjusted EBITDA is expected to exceed $15 million.

The company’s forecast for capital expenditures in 2022 was adjusted to $290 million, reflecting a reduction of $30 million from previous projections. In 2023, Freshpet plans to spend roughly $230 in capital expenditures, down $70 million from its previous expectations.

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KEYWORDS cost inflation dog treats fresh cat food fresh dog food freshpet leadership logistics price increases supply chain disruption