Girl's Guide to Wurstfest
"Sprechen sie fun?" If you’re not familiar with Wurstfest, it is an epic German Festival in New Braunfels, Texas and absolutely worth a visit. Now I must admit… I have not had the pleasure of attending, so I asked two of my great friends who have been multiple times for their advice on this gem of a festival. Here is Jennifer and Jessica's Guide to Wurstfest!
The Basics: The 2019 Wurstfest starts November 1st and runs until November 10th and is located near the headwaters of the beautiful Comal River in New Braunfels, Texas. This 10 day festival is such an extraordinary sight and people start lining up early to get tickets! Some folks even camp along the riverside just to be close to the festival and listen to the bands play all day long. Early in the morning you can hear the bouncing of the empty kegs as they get ready for the new day! It's pretty extraordinary.
Also, Thursday night is college night! (Thirsty Thursday 😉) So take a break from your studies and put on your crazy hats or purchase some of the wacky light up hats at the fest and come sing a few songs with the bands!
photo courtesy of Jennifer and Jessica
The Food & Drink: At Wurstfest, most food is served on a stick, including their pork wings. OMG... the pork wings!!! That beautifully seasoned porky goodness that falls right off the bone... it's a must try! Bloomin’ onions, wurst (kind of a must have, don't you think) and fresh potato chips also are favorites. Wash it all down with a classic German beer (or domestic if you want). In the evening, it tends to get crowded and lines for beer can get pretty long. They try to move them as fast as they can... but hey, if you have to wait for a good German beer, it's worth it!
Walking into the fest you are greeted by the Omas and the Opas that run the festival. You then walk through all of the shops and food vendors. Note, for beverages, you MUST PURCHASE TICKETS at a booth. Make sure you get them early and enough for a few rounds as the lines for these tickets can become quite long as the night progresses.
The Music: 4 stages host some very talented bands gathered from all corners of the country, playing both German hits and American classics. Alex Meixner, Jimmy Sturr and die Schlauberger (our personal favorite)... just to name a few. There's actually a schedule on the Wurstfest website where you can see who is playing where and when.
The Clothing: Everything is better in a dirndl! Fest goers are welcome to dress up in traditional German attire and partake in all that the festival has to offer. While you can get some items there to wear, we do recommend coming prepared and our Rare Dirndls are perfect for this fest! The fest grounds are paved and good comfortable shoes are a must, especially if you plan on going for the entire day or a weekend. If you plan on sitting in one spot for most of the day, good to get there before 5-6pm to get a spot to park yourself. In November, the weather can be up or down. Lately it has been cooler in the evenings, so even though it's Texas, bring a sweater (ranges between 50-60 degrees some years). During the day though, sunscreen is a must to prevent the dreaded dirndl blouse burn!
The Gemütlichkeit: People flood into the fest all day/night long, enjoying the bands and refreshments. One of our favorite things to do is hop on the Ferris wheel for an awesome birds-eye view of the entire venue. If you are interested in a little competition, sign up for the stein holding contest. This is no longer just a guys thing... they have a beer stein holding contest for us ladies too! Another unique and fun "event" is to take part in the multiple pitcher/cup stacking attempts that occur throughout the day and night. It takes real skill to master an 8-10 foot tower! Walking into the ginormous dance hall you can see the Germany colors line the ceiling with giant streamers of gold, red and black and an entire hall filled with folks full of Gemütlichkeit.
Overall, this is a really well put together and friendly event that is enjoyed by thousands daily and as girls who attend many a German Festival from St. Louis to California, we highly recommend Wurstfest in New Braunfels!
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