Wurstfest – A Salute to Sausage

Ah, Texas. Bluebonnets, longhorns, BBQ, and lederhosen… wait, what? A part of Texas often overlooked by those who visit, one of the things that makes Central Texas so special is the German culture found in the surrounding Austin area. It may come as no surprise that one of the biggest fall celebrations in the area takes place in New Braunfels: Wurstfest.

After moving to Austin in the mid-nineties, it took me a while to realize how prevalent this culture was. One of my bestfriends, John, was telling me about his polka band and how they won the state championships in highschool. German is always on the syllabus for classes. Bratwurst is at every sporting event. The smoked brisket BBQ that makes Texas so unique comes from a German immigrant. We have the cities of New Braunfels, Fredericksburg, Bergheim, Schulenburg, and Boerne. And beer – well, you’ve heard how much I love that part as well.

So every November in New Braunfels, we celebrate. For 10 days, over 100,000 people from all over Central Texas take over the fairgrounds party hard and dust off their lederhosen, dirndls, and silly hats. You don’t come to Wurstfest to experience Germany. You come to experience the Texasdeutsch culture – the melting of Texas and Germany. You come to celebrate the food – and more importantly, you come to drink waaaaaaaay too much beer.

Admission: $8
Parking: Good luck
Address: 120 Landa St New Braunfels, Texas 78130
Notes: There are ATMs on the premises, but expect long lines. Booze is purchased through tickets.
Upcoming Dates:
2015: October 30th – November 8th
2016: November 4th – November 13tha
Website: Wurstfest.com