Wurstfest opens Friday, Nov. 6, for its 65th year. Gates open at 4 p.m., and the sausage-biting starts at 5:30 p.m. in the Wursthalle. Admission costs $15 to $30 on the weekends. It's free Monday through Thursday, Nov. 9–12, and kids 12 and under get in free every day. The Visit NB anniversary release named four acts. Three of them play at least one free weeknight, and the Veterans Day Salute falls on the Wednesday.
The Anniversary Lineup, Night by Night
The Visit NB announcement promised more than 40 bands playing over 250 sets on five stages. It named four acts in particular: Grammy winner Jimmy Sturr and his Orchestra, Grammy-nominated accordionist Alex Meixner, Munchholzhauser Blaskapella from Braunfels, Germany, and Die Schlauberger from New York. Here's where the official Wurstfest schedule puts the free-week sets in the two biggest rooms:
| Night | Wursthalle | Grosse Zelt |
|---|---|---|
| Mon., Nov. 9 | Barvarski 5:10–7:15 p.m.; Klaberheads 7:35–10 p.m. | Alex Meixner Band; Die Bayrischen Hiatamadln |
| Tue., Nov. 10 | Cloverleaf Orchestra 5:10–7:15 p.m.; San Antonio Dutchmen 7:35–10 p.m. | Alex Meixner Band; Die Bayrischen Hiatamadln |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | Das Ist Lustig 5:10–7:10 p.m.; Veterans Day Salute 7 p.m.; Klaberheads 7:30–10 p.m. | Alex Meixner Band; Terry Cavanagh & Alpine Express |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Seven Dutchmen Orchestra 5:10–7:10 p.m.; Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra 7:30–10 p.m. | Alex Meixner Band; Die Schlauberger 6:45–8:30 p.m. |
The Alex Meixner Band has a Grosse Zelt slot on all four free nights. On Monday and Tuesday it plays 5:10 to 6:15 p.m. and again from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. Meixner also opens the festival on Friday, so an accordion you heard at the sausage-biting will be back the following Monday without a ticket.
The other three stages fill the same hours. Kerry Christensen, billed as a master yodeler, has two short Kleine Zelt sets on Monday and Tuesday, at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Lederhosen Junkies play the Stelzenplatz early in the week and move to the Kleine Zelt on Wednesday. Pivo & Polka holds the Stelzenhaus from 5:10 to 10 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
Wednesday Is Veterans Day
The Veterans Day Salute is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, in the Wursthalle, between Das Ist Lustig and Klaberheads. It's a regular part of the festival. This year Visit NB says it'll have "added flare and significance" for the 65th anniversary. Admission is free that night, so a family can go to the salute without buying a ticket for anyone.
The rest of Wednesday's schedule leans toward families. The schedule lists a St. Martin Lantern Parade from 6:30 to 6:50 p.m. and Dallas Puppet Theater shows at 6 and 8 p.m. Rebecca Jane Huck has sets starting at 5 and 7 p.m. Over at the Stelzenplatz, the Chardon Polka Band opens and closes the night, with The Billie Jeans in between. Cloverleaf Orchestra plays the Stelzenhaus straight through from 5:10 to 10 p.m.
The Visit NB release also confirms Student Day for local high schools. Families with high schoolers should check the date with their school, since it isn't on the published schedule.
Thursday Stays Open an Hour Later
The gates close at 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and at 11 p.m. on Thursday. That's the night the schedule puts Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra in the Wursthalle from 7:30 to 10 p.m., after the Seven Dutchmen Orchestra plays from 5:10 to 7:10 p.m. Die Schlauberger, another act from the anniversary announcement, play the Grosse Zelt from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m., between two Alex Meixner Band sets.
Thursday is the last free night. The next evening, Friday, Nov. 13, admission goes back to $15 online or $20 at the gate. The festival opens at 5 p.m. that Friday. Saturday, Nov. 14, is the most expensive day, at $25 online and $30 at the gate.
What's New on the Grounds This Year
You can find the anniversary additions any night of the festival, and an uncrowded weeknight is a good time to try them. Wurstfest President Marc Allen told Community Impact about a new Weingarten in the Hydroplant near Gate One. It'll pour German wine and premium U.S. selections. Visit NB places the Weingarten next to the mill pond in the historic Hydroplant section of the grounds. Otto's, the local cheese shop, will serve cheeses to go with the wine. Otto's Cheese Shop is at 2345 Loop 337, Suite 100. On the festival's vendor directory, its menu lists raclette over hot potatoes, charcuterie and specialty cheeses.
Allen also told Community Impact that three beers are new on tap this year: Modelo, Paulaner Pils and Weihenstephan. Rocky Mountain Crepes is a new food vendor, Fun Biz concessions are expanding, and a new trailer by the carnival will sell nachos and street tacos. The sausage-making demonstrations in the Weingarten run only on Saturdays and Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where the Food Money Goes
Twenty-six local nonprofits sell food, drink and goods at Wurstfest this year. Allen told Community Impact that most of them raise their annual budget there. On a free night, the food and drinks are what you're paying for, and that money goes to booths like these on the Wurstfest vendor directory:
- Rotary Club of New Braunfels sells potato pancakes, or Kartoffelpuffers.
- Downtown Rotary sells the Wurst-N-Tashen, a bratwurst pita with sauerkraut, onions and peppers, plus the Wurst Dog.
- New Braunfels Conservation Society sells pretzels.
- Canyon High School Music Boosters makes funnel cakes to order.
- Long Creek High School Dance Boosters offers a sausage boil and its signature fluffy soda.
These menus come from the vendor directory, so a booth's offerings may vary once the festival starts. Admission and bar purchases are card-only, using tap-to-pay or credit and debit cards. Allen told Community Impact that the other small-business vendors take both cash and cards.
Getting In on a Weeknight
Weeknight gates open at 5 p.m., so plan the trip around the evening commute:
- Expect the Landa Street lane to close at 3 p.m. From Monday, Nov. 9, through Friday, Nov. 13, the westbound lane of Landa Street between Zink Street and Landa Park Drive is closed to cars from 3 p.m. to midnight. It stays open to people on foot.
- Park at the Comal County Fairgrounds. The City of New Braunfels traffic notice warns that parking in and around Landa Park is limited. It points drivers to free parking at the fairgrounds, 701 E. Common Street. According to the Wurstfest Park 'N Ride page, the shuttle costs $10 for ages 13 and up and is free for kids 12 and under. No reservation is needed. The first shuttles leave at 4:45 p.m. Nov. 9–13 and run until closing.
- Use Mill Race Run for rideshare. Uber and Lyft pickups and drop-offs are on Mill Race Run in Landa Park. Community Impact says the spot is the Landa Park Pavilion, reached through Gate 2.
- Bring a physical ID and leave the cooler at home. The Wurstfest FAQ says bags may be searched at the metal-detector entrances. Outside food and drink, weapons, coolers, chairs and pets other than trained service animals aren't allowed. Only physical state-issued IDs are accepted.
Admission is free again after 3 p.m. on the closing Sunday, Nov. 15. That puts the polka contest at 3:30 p.m. in the Wursthalle inside the free window. The USSA Texas Steinholding State Championship Tournament Finals start at 2 p.m., an hour before free entry begins.
The festival began in 1961 as a one-day sausage festival led by Ed Grist, a local veterinarian and city meat inspector. In the Visit NB release, Allen said he went to his first Wurstfest as a young boy, back when it was "a local tradition for New Braunfels residents." This year's free admission runs Monday, Nov. 9, through Thursday, Nov. 12.
If you have family or friends coming to town for Wurstfest and they're curious what life in New Braunfels is like the other 355 days of the year, I'm happy to talk them through it, in English or Spanish. Lira Realty Group is a phone call away. Schedule a consultation.
