The Great Texas Mosquito Festival is a family-friendly event that takes place over the course of three days and includes a carnival, a variety of vendors, a BBQ contest, a 5K race, several competitions, and the always-popular mosquito legs and calling events. Live music is the cherry on top of each night’s festivities. Remember to get your photo taken with everyone’s favorite mosquito, Willie-Man-Chew.
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When is the Great Texas Mosquito Festival?
The Great Mosquito Festival is an annual event that takes place over the course of three consecutive days in the month of July specifically, on the last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the month. Thursday will be the first day of the event, and Saturday will be the last. The events always start at midnight and typically begin in the day at five in the morning.
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Where is the Great Texas Mosquito Festival Located?
The Great Texas Mosquito Festival is held annually in the town of Clute, Texas, which is approximately 55 miles southeast of Houston and close to the ocean.
About Clute, Texas
At the intersection of the Old Calvit and Eagle Island Plantations is where Clute, Texas had its start. Today, Clute is known as the Hub of Brazosport. In the year 1824, Alexander (Sandy) Calvit, who was also known as one of Austin’s Old Three Hundred, was awarded the title to this piece of land. Jared Groce, who was the wealthiest individual in Austin’s Colony, was the owner of the Eagle Island Plantation.
When Soloman J. Clute bought the property in 1881, he decided to give it the Clute name. Later on, in the year 1886, Soloman J. Clute parted ways with the property and sold it to his brother George. The arrival of Dow Chemical and several other significant construction businesses in Southern Brazoria County initiated a period of economic growth in the town of Clute during the beginning of the 1940s.
By 1952, Clute had reached the population threshold necessary to be classified as a town. Clute is now a contemporary city that successfully blends the new with the old, the planned with the random, and the eye-catching with the gorgeous, all in a way that is uniquely its own. Clute, as it exists right now, is a city that is actively engaged in living, expanding, and bettering itself.
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A Brief History of the Great Texas Mosquito Festival
In 1981, a tale served as the inspiration for what would later become known as Clute’s world-famous Great Mosquito Festival. Willie-Man-Chew took a break from his exhausting hunt for the ideal residence and looked down at the landscape below. The sights and noises that met him when he arrived at this location in the early summer of 1981 were a treat for his senses. People who were fit and full of energy could be seen enjoying themselves while playing ball, swimming in a pool of Olympic proportions, using cutting-edge playground equipment, laughing, and generally having a good time.
In 1981, a tale served as the inspiration for what would later become known as Clute’s world-famous Great Mosquito Festival. Willie-Man-Chew took a break from his exhausting hunt for the ideal residence and looked down at the landscape below.
The sights and noises that met him when he arrived at this location in the early summer of 1981 were a treat for his senses. People who were fit and full of energy could be seen enjoying themselves while playing ball, swimming in a pool of Olympic proportions, using cutting-edge playground equipment, laughing, and generally having a good time. Willie’s keen vision caught the sight of the verdant landscape that extended up to the residences and schools in the area.
As someone who is descended from some of the most illustrious families in southern Brazoria County, he concluded that he had, at long last, found the property that had been the subject of his fantasies. Willie moved quickly to assemble a team of people to serve as his official goodwill ambassadors, and he immediately began making plans for the first of the yearly festivities that commemorate him and his fellow mosquitoes on the final Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of each July.
These ambassadors, whom Willie fondly and playfully refers to as his “Swat Team,” deliver three days of exciting and entertaining special events, activities, food, carnival rides, competitions, artisan booths, cook-offs, and a whole lot more.
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What Should You Do During the Great Texas Mosquito Festival?
The event features a variety of activities, such as a carnival, activities, contests, races, and tours, in addition to nightly live performances on stage. On Saturday, there will be a Mosquito Chase 5K Run and a 600-meter Kids Run for those who are interested in competing in races. In addition, there are activities on Saturday that feature double washer pitching and double horseshoe pitching.
Participating in the Barbecue Cook-off and Grill Master Competition is a requirement if you have any culinary skills. There will be Bingo for those who are a little bit older, and for the younger children, we will have the Haystack Dives, Little Mister and Little Miss Skeeter, a petting zoo, a carnival, and many other activities.
Merchants are selling a variety of foods as well as arts and crafts, so they may cater to a wide range of preferences. Participating in the Mosquito Calling or Mosquito Legs Contest will provide you with some additional amusement. The Great Texas Mosquito Festival, which takes place in Clute, is an event that welcomes children and families.
The Great Texas Mosquito Festival Tickets
Entry tickets can be purchased both in-person and online in advance of the event. On Thursdays, entrance costs $2 for everyone in the family, but on Friday and Saturday nights, children aged 5 and under get in free, admission costs $5 for those aged 6 to 12 and those aged 65 and over, and it costs $10 for those aged 13 to 64. The wristbands for the rides at the carnival cost $25 for unlimited rides or $1 per ticket, with the majority of the rides requiring numerous tickets each.
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Facts About the Great Texas Mosquito Festival You Did Not Know
Festivalgoers had the chance to take part in the LeBron James Bubblicious Ultimate Bubble Blowing League Tour when it stopped in the city in 2007. The event was part of a nationwide competition. One lucky local contestant earned the trip of a lifetime to the championship game in New York, where he or she got to meet basketball legend, LeBron James.
The Texas Festivals and Events Association presented the city with an award in July 2011 for Third Place in Best Miscellaneous Printed Material for the city’s publication. Officials were informed by the United States Commerce Association that the festival had won the 2011 Best of Clute Award in the category of outdoor events. In addition to receiving attention on a local level, the festival has been featured in publications.
The world’s largest mosquito, which is 26 feet in height and wears a large cowboy hat, boots, and a large proboscis as its festival mascot, may be found during the Great Texas Mosquito Festival. Willie is everyone’s favorite performer at the festival, and he quickly becomes the subject of most photographs taken as a memento to take home.
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Conclusion
Willie-Man-Chew welcomes guests from near and far to the Great Texas Mosquito Festival, which is held annually in Texas and lasts for three days and features a variety of activities for the whole family, including entertainment, cuisine, and competitions. Willie is everyone’s favorite performer at the festival, and he quickly becomes the subject of most photographs taken as a memento to take home. The event offers a wide variety of activities, including a carnival, games, competitions, and races, as well as nightly live entertainment on stage. There are a variety of food sellers as well as arts and crafts vendors who can cater to a wide range of preferences.
