NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — The Wurstfest Association of New Braunfels announced the cancelation of the 2020 festival Thursday, citing "considerations related to the COVD-19 pandemic."
Wurstfest 2020 was slated to take place during November 6-15; event Board of Directors met Tuesday with a committee formed to monitor coronavirus information and made the decition to cancel, according to a release.
2020 Wurstfest president Randy Rust said this was the first time in the event's 60-year history that organizers have had to cancel.
"We have had our challenges in the past, including flood events and most recently a fire that destroyed the Marktplatz building," Rust said. "We have always overcome our challenges while making the festival better each year. We made this decision knowing what a difficult year 2020 has been and that our guests were looking forward to Wurstfest more than ever.
"We also realize how important the festival is to the community non-profit organizations that participate," Rust continued. "Many of them make their fundraising goals for the year during the ten days of Wurstfest and go on to use those funds to do good work that benefits our community throughout the year. That made this decision even more difficult. When we looked at how festival operations would have to change to prioritize safety, plus the related operational restrictions, we just didn’t feel we would be able to provide the Wurstfest experience we are known for.”
For a list of non-profit organizations affected by Wurstfest's cancellation, click here. Wurstfest said they will announce plans for fundraising efforts for organizations in the coming weeks.
Wurstfest 2021 will mark the 60th festival, and organizers promise "a historic celebration," including the unveiling of the new Markplatz building.