NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — Bring on the bratwurst, polka and good times. Wurstfest is back in New Braunfels.
This 60-year tradition is expected to attract 200,000 people within a 10-day span. On opening day, it’s also a celebration of resilience.
Wurstfest is often referred to as "...the best 10 days in sausage history."
"We started as a sausage festival. It originally was called Sausage Week,” said Dan Tharp, chairman of Wurstfest’s Marketing Committee and member of the festival’s Board of Directors.
The first weekend in November celebrates the rich German culture with the famous 10-day festival.
"We've been doing the buttons and sausages since 1979,” said Stephen Brockman, of the Noon Lions Club. "We're just excited to be back out here with the crowds and be a part of this brand new, beautiful facility."
Two years ago, a fire destroyed the Marketplatz, which houses all 20 nonprofits who sell food to benefit charities.
"Us, here in New Braunfels, we knew we were gonna come back. We can't have a first weekend in November and not have Wurstfest,” Brockman said.
The community rallied and rebuilt Marketplatz, along with the roof of Wursthalle.
"We started to rebuild that building. We thought we'd have one year, but we had two years because of the pandemic."
Local nonprofits took a big financial hit when Wurstfest was canceled for the first time ever in 2020. Their food booths rely on the festival to raise enough money to keep them running and funding community projects for a year.
In 2021, Wurstfest returns with a new look, but the same mission: preserving the community's heritage while giving back.
"Without this fundraiser, we would probably cease to exist as a nonprofit,” said John Coker of the New Braunfels Jaycees. "The investment that it takes to build a booth like this and buy new equipment, we're really hoping it pays off and we're confident that it will."
Wurstfest continues through Sunday, Nov. 14. For more information about the festival, visit Wurstfest.com.