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Did you know? New Braunfels’ most famous festival was recently ranked 2nd on USA Today’s 10 Best Oktoberfest celebrations in the United States! If this is your first time heading to Wurstfest, you'll need to know what to expect! Look no further: here is our Rookie’s Guide to Wurstfest.
Are you ready to Sprechen Sie Fun?!
Image courtesy of usatoday.com
The Music
Who can ignore the sweet sounds of the polka calling your bones to the dance floor? Although most popular music lovers may refer to polka as one of the more unfavorable genres in music, Wurstfest curates some unbelievable acts to perform on their two stages: Das Grosse Zelt (The Big Tent) and Das Kleine Zelt (The Little Tent).
Image courtesy of Mikie Farias
You won't want to miss a set by the legendary Alex Meixner Band. He is an incredibly versatile musician who was featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and whose album “Polka Freak Out” was Grammy nominated. You may recognize him as Hormel Pepperoni’s One Man Band in their latest commercials.
Another band that will be hard to miss is Spitze!, the Florida-based Oktoberfest band whose horn section and energetic presence are impossible to walk away from.
The Beer
Oktoberfest might not have always been about the beer, but a stein of ale clutched in the fist has become an anchor for patrons to weigh themselves down during this lighthearted and joy-filled festival. Wurstfest features 55 of the Opas’ favorite beers on tap for you to enjoy in your souvenir Wurst cup that you will be pulling out of the cupboard for years to come.
Image courtesy of wurstfest.com
Craft beers come in from breweries in the Hill Country, including our own Guadalupe Brewing Company, and imported beers from Germany like the Ayinger Brauweisse, Krombacker, and Warsteiner Dunkel (a crowd favorite) can be found throughout. Of course, breweries make their special salute to the great festival by brewing an Oktoberfest special, and brews from Munchen, Karbach, Paulaner, Shiner, and many more will be flowing all week long. As always, drink responsibly, and know that the festival is going on for ten whole days, so you can come back and roam the biergarten to see what else there is to taste!
The Food
We know we are edging out of 2016 in a few weeks, but if you made a New Year’s resolution to health and fitness, make your trip to Wurstfest a special day pass because this food. is. unstoppable. Sausage handmade and prepared right in front of you, sauerkraut that will convert even the pickiest of eaters, strudel that will make you feel eight years old again, and the amazing kartoffelpuffer (German potato pancakes) that are made by the best Omas and Opas in the business.
Image courtesy of wurstfest.com
Traditional German food isn’t the only thing they’ll be serving up. True to Texas, everything under the sun will be fried and consumed (and yes, we're talking about fried Oreos).
The Tradition
Throughout this article, you may see some words and names you don’t understand. Many folks still have a hard time telling their schnitzels and spätzles apart! Here in New Braunfels, it is pretty normal vernacular. But to all you rookies visiting, a quick touch on tradition would only help leading up to the fest!
Image courtesy of wurstfest.com
Omas and Opas (literally Grandmas and Grandpas) are the captains of this ship because, at Wurstfest, older is better. With age comes respect, and most of the people you will see leading this festival have traditions and recipes handed to them directly from their families who lived on German soil. Led by Grosse Opa Bruce Boyer, these people are legends at the festival, and no matter what they are wearing, they will be treated with great honor. Speaking of which, it is completely normal (and encouraged) for patrons and vendors to be wearing the famously traditional attire of lederhosen with a little grace and a lot of pride.
Image courtesy of wurstfest.com
To top it off, you can be a part of the fun by partaking in the Bavarian Masskrugstemmen, a contest where participants hold a full liter beer stein outstretched in one hand for as long as they can.
Who is KW New Braunfels?
KW New Braunfels, an extension of KW San Antonio, is home to nearly 150 of the New Braunfels area’s most renowned real estate agents. As one of Texas’s fastest growing cities, New Braunfels real estate is in demand. With that in mind, the real estate experts that work at the KW New Braunfels location understand the nuances of buying and selling properties in this type of market.
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