Wurstfest 2026 in New Braunfels: Your Guide to Free Nights

"The overall thing that I enjoy the most is just celebrating our deep-rooted German heritage with all of New Braunfels and all the people around the world that come and visit us," Wurstfest President Marc Allen told Community Impact ahead of the 65th festival.

The festival runs Nov. 6 through Nov. 15 at Landa Park. Its schedule seems built for both of the groups Allen named. The weekends bring in visitors with full-price gates and long hours. In the middle of the festival, Monday through Thursday, admission is free and the gates close at 10 or 11 p.m. That middle stretch is the one locals can reach after work, and the festival's shuttle system means you can get there without driving to Landa Park.

The price of each day, side by side

All ten days come from Community Impact's 2026 guide, published Sept. 23 and updated Sept. 28. Discounted online tickets went on sale Sept. 1.

Children 12 and under get in free every day. For two adults, a Saturday at the gate costs $60 before anyone buys a sausage. Any evening from Nov. 9 through Nov. 12 costs nothing to walk in, and so does the last Sunday after 3 p.m., when seven hours of festival are still left.

Note the opening times. The Friday dates aren't identical: Nov. 6 opens at 4 p.m. and Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. The three free nights from Monday through Wednesday end at 10 p.m., an hour before Thursday's.

What a free weeknight gets you this year

The free nights run the same festival as the weekends, and the 65th year has added a few things worth planning a short evening around.

The biggest addition is a Weingarten in the historic Hydroplant next to the mill pond. The Visit New Braunfels announcement describes an expanded German wine offering there, with cheeses from Otto's to pair with the wine. Community Impact places it near Gate 1 and reports, from Allen, that the wine list will also carry premium selections from the United States. The Weingarten's sausage-making demonstrations are a weekend feature, held Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., so a free weeknight won't include them.

Other additions Allen listed for Community Impact:

• Three new beers on tap: Modelo, Paulaner Pils and Weihenstephan
• Rocky Mountain Crepes as a new food vendor
• Expanded Fun Biz concessions
• A new trailer in the carnival section serving items such as nachos and street tacos

The music schedule spreads more than 250 sets by 40-plus bands across five stages. The lineup includes Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, Alex Meixner, Munchholzhauser Blaskapella and Die Schlauberger. The day-by-day stage schedule is posted on wurstfest.com, so you can check who plays on the free nights before choosing one.

One change affects every visit. All admissions and bar purchases this year are cashless, taking only tap-to-pay or credit and debit cards. Allen said the other small-business vendors on the grounds will take both cash and card.

Getting there without parking at Landa Park

The City of New Braunfels says parking in Landa Park and the surrounding areas is limited. If you live in town, you have more options than a visitor does, and they cost different amounts depending on who's going.

1. Comal County Fairgrounds, 701 E. Common St. Parking is free, and the shuttle costs $10 and drops you off at the festival gate. Kids 12 and under ride free. The fare doesn't include festival admission, but on a free night the $10 fare is the only cost of getting in.
2. Pickup at your own home. Wurstfest runs a shuttle for private residences inside the New Braunfels city limits for $25 per person round trip. It isn't a private ride, so your group may be combined with others, and festival admission isn't included. Requests go through [email protected] or 830-627-1441. The same page offers this option to neighborhood groups.
3. Rideshare. Uber, Lyft and other services have a designated pickup and drop-off area on Mill Race Run in Landa Park.
4. Accessible parking. Wurstfest's ADA transportation page lists handicap parking and bus service at the Comal County Senior Citizens Center for $15 for nonmembers and $10 for members. It also lists handicap parking at the Knights of Columbus and the Lions Club, and notes that Gate 2 is for drop-off only.

Here's how the math works for two adults on a free Tuesday. The fairgrounds shuttle costs $20 in total, and the home pickup costs $50. On a Saturday, the gate adds $60 for two adults to either option. A family with children 12 and under pays nothing for the kids' admission or their fairgrounds shuttle seats.

The lane that closes, and when

If you use Landa Street to get across town, the festival changes your route for ten days. The westbound lane will be closed to vehicles from Zink Street to Landa Park Drive and will stay open to pedestrians. The City's posted hours:

• Fri., Nov. 6: 2 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Sat., Nov. 7: 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
• Sun., Nov. 8: 9 a.m. to midnight
• Mon., Nov. 9 through Fri., Nov. 13: 3 p.m. to midnight
• Sat., Nov. 14: 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
• Sun., Nov. 15: 9 a.m. to midnight

On weekdays the lane stays open in the morning and early afternoon, so school drop-offs and errands before 3 p.m. aren't affected. On weekends it closes at 9 a.m.

Large vehicles have their own route through town. Charter buses, motorcoaches, party buses and limos are directed from Loop 337 onto Common Street, then to Union Street, W. Torrey Street and Elizabeth Avenue, with drop-off and pickup on Hinman Island. The City says the route avoids low-clearance bridges and other traffic hazards. If you live along those streets, expect more large vehicles than usual during festival hours.

Common Street does a lot of work during festival week

Look at the logistics on a map and East Common Street keeps showing up. The charter-bus route starts on it, the fairgrounds shuttle lot sits at 701 E. Common St., and since Sept. 15 the street has a new neighbor. Austin-based Terry Black's Barbecue opened at 1310 E. Common St., selling ribs, brisket and sausage along with larger quantities of chilled meats and family packs. If you're parking at the fairgrounds, the new barbecue spot is a few blocks down the same road.

October fills the weeks before

The month before Wurstfest has its own calendar, and most of it lands closer to home. The Herald-Zeitung's October events listing includes:

• Gruene Music & Wine Festival, Oct. 8–11 in the Gruene Historic District. It started as a one-day event in 1987 and raises money for the United Way of Comal County.
• 40th Annual Friends of the Library Book Sale, Oct. 9–10 at the New Braunfels Civic and Convention Center, 375 S. Castell Ave., with a $5 bag sale on Saturday.
• Pickleball Jam, Oct. 11 at Lost and Found, 207 E. San Antonio St. It benefits the Humane Society of the New Braunfels Area, with music from Randy Rogers and Friends.
• Dia De Los Muertos Festival, Oct. 17, a free festival downtown from noon to 10 p.m.
• Downtown Spooktacular, Oct. 29, from 5 to 7 p.m., with trick-or-treat stops at downtown businesses and City departments.

Event details can change, so check with each organizer before you go. Wurstfest's hours, prices and shuttle details are on the official festival site, and the City keeps its traffic and parking notice for the closure dates.

If November also has you thinking about your house, whether you're getting it ready for guests or deciding whether next year means a move, JoHelen Clark is happy to talk through what's happening in New Braunfels and what it could mean for your plans. Let's Connect.