Navasota, Texas - Attractions

Attractions

Navasota has some shops & artisans in its historic downtown district, typified by antique, gift shops, and junk stores housed in old classic stone and brick structures, live plays at the Sunny Furman Theatre. Navasota Blues Alley is in the heart of the downtown district, and offers blues memorabilia, museum exhibits, art, vintage music and radios, and much more. The city also has golfing facilities and parks, as well as wineries.

Navasota retains a number of historic Victorian homes on Washington Avenue, the main residential and commercial thoroughfare through town. Another historic edifice is Brule Field, a natural amphitheater built out of native stone by the Great Depression-era Works Progress Administration. It served as the primary grid for the local high school football team, The Navasota Rattlers, until the new stadium was constructed in 2006. Several native stone churches also remain near downtown, with its Victorian fronts.

The city is also home to two La Salle Statues, including a bronze monument, dedicated in 1936 by the DAR, to celebrate the explorations of the famous French explorer. The second is a stone bust that was previously in downtown, was re-dedicated by the French consulate in May 2012 at August Horst Park. The bust was donated to the City by the French government in 1978. Supposedly, La Salle was murdered by one of his men somewhere near present day Navasota, while looking for the Mississippi Valley and the way back to French held lands near the Great Lakes. After numerous voyages, explorations of the Mississippi valley, trading ventures and several mutinies, La Salle’s bones are believed to have found their resting place in the Navasota Valley.

Seasonally, Navasota is visited in the Spring for bluebonnets. A summer festival, the Navasota Bluesfest, honors the memory of blues man Mance Lipscombevery second weekend in August who recorded numerous albums and lived in Navasota all of his life. The celebration raises money for college scholarships for local students. A statue of Mance Lipscomb is now a part of Mance Lipscomb Park, near downtown. A spring event is also held that honors Mance's birthday in Mance Lipscomb Park along Cedar Creek in downtown Navasota. The nearby Texas Renaissance Festival is held near Plantersville in the fall.