New Braunfels, TX The 65th annual Wurstfest, New Braunfels’ 10-Day-Salute-To-Sausage, opens November 6 and runs through November 15 with a robust entertainment line-up, polka and waltz dance contests, a stein holding state championship, and of course what started it all, sausage making.
Tickets go live September 1with discounted online pricing; $15 for Fridays and Sundays and $25 on Saturdays. Purchasing tickets at the gate on the day of the event are $20 for Fridays and Sundays and $30 for Saturdays. Admission is FREE Monday through Thursday. Children 12 and under are FREE each day. Admission also is free after 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 15.
“In honor of our 65th anniversary, we are pulling out all the stops to ensure our patrons have the ‘best of the wurst’ times,” said 2026 Wurstfest President Marc Allen. “I was a young boy when I attended my first Wurstfest. What used to be a local tradition for New Braunfels residents now draws people from all over Texas and the nation. Yet over the last 65 years many things remain the same - enjoying Gemütlichkeit and the very best in German entertainment, all while supporting vital nonprofits in the New Braunfels community.”
Located in Landa Park along the banks of the spring-fed Comal River, Wurstfest offers 10 days of German-inspired food, drink, and entertainment and loads of Texas family fun, complete with amusement rides, artisan shops and a special children’s area called Kinderhalle. Over 25 local non-profit organizations benefit from selling food, drink and wares, many meeting their annual fundraising goals through the generous support of Wurstfest patrons.
New this year, Wurstfest is introducing an expanded offering of German wine at the Weingarten, which will be nestled next to the mill pond within an historic section of the grounds called the Hydroplant. Local cheese shop, Otto’s, will serve cheeses to pair with the wine and patrons can learn the art of Wurstmachen, or sausage making, passed down through generations of local families.
Regularly scheduled events during the festival like Student Day for local high schools and the Veteran’s Day Salute on Wednesday, November 11 also will have added flare and significance in honor of the festival’s 65th anniversary.
“Each year we work to improve the grounds and provide new ways for our patrons to celebrate German culture,” said Allen. “We also are very committed to maintaining our traditions like supporting the 25 nonprofit organizations that sell their food and wares at the festival, as well as offering the incredible music that is a staple of the festival.”
With 5 stages, several dance areas and 40+ bands playing over 250 sets, visitors will enjoy music from the likes of Grammy-award winning polka musician Jimmy Sturr and his Orchestra; Grammy-nominated accordionist Alex Meixner; Braunfels, Germany artists Munchholzhauser Blaskapella; and New York based Die Schlauberger.
Alex Meixner kicks off the festival’s opening ceremonies and the famous “biting of the sausage” on Friday, November 6. From that point on, live music will fill every hour of the 10-day festival rich with regional, national and international talent.
The festival opens Friday, November 6 at 4 p.m. with opening ceremonies and the annual ‘biting of the sausage’ slated for 5:30 p.m. in the Wursthalle. Wurstfest hours are Fridays 5-11 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to midnight, Sundays 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday through Wednesday 5 p.m.-10 p.m. and Thursday 5-11 p.m. Wurstfest is cashless, accepting only credit and debit card payments for admission and bar purchases.
From its humble beginnings as a one-day sausage festival in 1961 led by local veterinarian and city meat inspector Ed Grist, Wurstfest has become a beloved Texas tradition and an integral funding source for local nonprofit organizations.
“We cannot wait to welcome guests for our 65th year, all while making a true impact in the New Braunfels community,” said Allen.
About Wurstfest
Wurstfest is a ten-day Bavarian-style festival hosted the first weekend in November in New Braunfels, Texas. The festival is organized and hosted by the The Wurstfest Association of New Braunfels, a non-profit corporation whose purpose is to promote the economy through tourism and promote and preserve the community’s rich German heritage.