Dripping Springs is known as the “Gateway to the Hill Country.” It’s located about 20 minutes west of Austin and is the perfect place to begin an excursion through the heart of the Hill Country.
The town is also a popular destination. It is far enough away from the city to feel like you’re on vacation, but close enough to visit from Austin anytime. Dripping Springs is home to beautiful trails, stargazing locations and of course, Hamilton Pool. Visitors can also explore unique antique stores and boutiques, live music, vineyards, craft breweries and local distilleries.
Here are five more reasons to visit Dripping Springs.
1. Wedding Capital of Texas
Photo: rusticweddingchic.com
Did you know Dripping Springs is the official Wedding Capital of Texas? This small town offers over 30 wedding venues within a 15-mile radius. Regardless of the size, religious affiliation or style, engaged couples can find everything they need.
From quirky to elegant to cowboy casual, Dripping Springs has a venue for just about any wedding. Are you having a formal wedding and need a pristine, historic mansion? How about a rustic barn that can double as a chapel and dance hall? Dripping Springs has it all. There’s even a relocated 19th century Vietnamese chapel perfect for an intimate ceremony.
In addition to venues, couples can find local ministers, florists, bakeries, photographers, catering companies and wedding planners. Dripping Springs hosts over 1,000 weddings a year. So if you’re in the planning stages, check it out before they’re all booked up!
Photo: destinationdrippingsprings.com
Here’s yet another reason to spend an afternoon in the Texas Hill Country. The annual Dripping with Taste Wine & Food Festival combines the best flavors of Texas into one big party.
Visitors can mill about sampling Texas wines, gourmet foods, local craft beers and award winning spirits at the beautiful Dripping Springs Ranch Park & Event Center. The Dripping Springs Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau created the event to showcase the local food, beverages and chefs from the Hill Country.
The 8th Annual Festival will take place Sept. 12, 2015 and includes over 75 vendors, as well as live music performances and a grape stomp hosted by local radio station, KOKE FM.
Photo: Facebook/Barber shop Bar
If you’re looking for a haircut, it isn’t that kind of barbershop. The Barber Shop is a brewpub popular among young locals, old locals and pretty much everyone in between. It’s also a favorite stop for the numerous classic car and motorcycle clubs touring the Hill Country on any given day.
The pub takes its name from the Dripping Springs Barber Shop, which occupied the same building decades ago. The Barber Shop pays homage to those early days through its décor.
Photo: Facebook/Texas Hill Country Olive Company
The Texas Hill Country Olive Company opened in 2009, when John Gambini and his brother-in-law, Rick Mensik, bought 17 acres of land in Dripping Springs. They started the business with the intent to produce fresh olive oil and other olive-based products, while protecting the beauty of their land. They are the only certified organic olive orchard in the state of Texas and were the first in the state to win awards for their olive oils.
The property features a Tuscan-inspired mill house and an Italian olive press. They also have a large tasting room and a bistro, which offers light snack plates desserts, and local wines.
The Texas Hill Country Olive Company also hosts the annual Texas Olive Festival in the fall. It features local chefs, food vendors, Hill Country wines and of course, olive oil.
Photo: drpoundhistoricalfarmstead.org
Dripping Springs was founded by three families who packed their wagons and left Mississippi in search of a new life in Texas. They arrived in January 1854 and settled on what is now Wallace Mountain. Dr. Joseph McKegg Pound and his wife, Sarah, built their home and a farm the same year. Dr. Pound was one of the first doctors in the area and fought in the Mexican and Civil Wars. The family operated the farm for more than 130 years, and four generations of the family lived in the home.
The home was a hospital and a church before the family donated it to the city. It is recognized as a national and state historic landmark and is now the Dr. Pound Pioneer Farmstead Historical Museum. The local community pulled together to restore the home, and they completed renovations in 2003.
They provide public tours of the main house, barn, blacksmith shop, smokehouse, and other outbuildings. The resident blacksmith also holds demonstrations on Fridays and Saturdays.
