Events in New Braunfels

Spring, summer, fall, or winter, New Braunfels is your destination for year-round adventure and fun! There’s always something happening in New Braunfels. Annual festivals and events show off the community’s culture, fabulous food and drink, and of course its German heritage. Combine that with live music, and you have the makings of an exceptionally good time!  

February 

Guadalupe River Troutfest 
The enduring magic of fly fishing comes alive at Troutfest, a three-day fly-fishing and conservation event featuring fly-tying, specialty retail, ecology lectures, and, of course, fishing! Set on the beautiful Guadalupe River, one of the top 100 trout fishing spots in the country, the event is pure heaven for fans of the sport. Plenty of kids’ activities make it a perfect family event.  

March 

Tubing Season Officially Opens
Tubing season officially begins during Spring Break! New Braunfels is the perfect getaway to have fun on the water, enjoy award-winning restaurants, boutique shopping and spectacular places to stay!

April 

Folkfest 
Throw it back a couple centuries at Folkfest where you can relive the ingenuity of New Braunfels’ German settlers. See living history reenactments, milking, and cannon demonstrations, take pictures in front of the maypole, enjoy German dance performances and savor sumptuous German fare. Free tours of the onsite Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture top off a celebration of the area’s heritage. 

Hill Country Craft Beer Festival 
It’s a craft beer lover’s dream come true: more than 150 craft beers from more than 30 Texas breweries, all in one location. The festival includes well-established local favorites as well as up-and-coming breweries. Organizers launched the event in 2019 as a "festival known for quality beer in a city known for quality fun," with the inaugural event hosting 20+ breweries and more than 100 beers. The event is held at the Historic Stelzenplatze at Wurstfest.

Thru the Chute Boat Race 
Watch the brave competitors think outside of the box and navigate cardboard boat races on the Comal River. The 2024 Texas Travel Award Winning Under the Radar and Community Event Thru the Chute Boat Race & River Expo is a cardboard boat race held annually at the New Braunfels City Tube Chute. Competitors launch their handmade vessels through the Chute as spectators cheer them on. Between races, guests are encouraged to participate in educational and imaginative activities hosted by event partners on the banks of the Comal River at Prince Solms Park.

May 

Saengerfest 
It's all about wines and steins a this beloved event in the heart of downtown New Braunfels.  This free festival features live music, family activities, downtown shopping, and food vendors, plus sampling and sales of wine and craft beer!

July 

Fourth of July Parade & Patriotic Program 
Downtown New Braunfels is festooned in red, white, and blue bunting as flag waving folks gather to say Happy Birthday, America! The fun starts with an old fashioned, small town Fourth of July parade complete with bands, vintage cars, and more. Enjoy live music, delicious food, and, when the sun goes down, fireworks in the night sky.   

September 

Comal County Fair & Rodeo
For more than 130 years, the Comal County Fair & Rodeo has been a New Braunfels tradition. The event is spread over two weekends and includes a rodeo, livestock show, carnival rides, barbecue cook-off, washer pitchin’ tournament, and more. Sink your teeth into a funnel cake or corn dog, attempt to wrangle a pig, and wave to the festival queen during the parade. This fair has it all.  

October 

Gruene Music & Wine Festival 
The Hill Country is known for high quality wines, beer, and music, and there’s no better place to celebrate all three than the Gruene Music & Wine Festival. The four-day event features live music, wine and beer tastings, and food pairings with Texas cuisine. 

Dia de los Muertos 
This community festival is held in Downtown New Braunfels and features kids activities, live music, dancing, food trucks, arts & crafts, face painters, vendors, shopping and more. Join us in celebrating Hispanic culture in New Braunfels, all while enjoying a free family friendly, community event.

Texas Clay Festival
Featuring the work of over 80 Texas potters and clay artists, the festival offers the opportunity to view and purchase a wide variety of pottery, from traditional to sculptural by the top clay artists in the state. Come out and enjoy the beauty of what Texas clay artists how to offer in Gruene Historic District.

November 

Wurstfest 
Join us for a unique annual celebration rich in German culture and full of Texas fun! Located near the headwaters of the beautiful Comal River in New Braunfels, Texas! Here you’ll enjoy good food, music, dancing, exciting carnival rides and games, German, Texan and domestic beer, special events and the finest in Alpine and Bavarian Style Entertainment. It all happens at Wurstfest! The best ten days in sausage history.

Weihnachtsmarkt 
Translated as “Christmas market,” New Braunfels’ premiere Christmas shopping event is your chance to find one-of-a-kind holiday decorations, exquisite antiques, art, gifts, and gourmet treats. Taking place over three days at the New Braunfels Civic Center, the ticketed event raises funds for the Sophienburg Museum & Archives. Enjoy a breakfast with Santa and snap a photo to go.  

December 

Wassailfest 
Stroll along the streets of downtown New Braunfels for Wassailfest, a holiday gathering featuring vendor stalls, delicious food, retail items and plenty of chances to sip the hot mulled Christmas punch known as wassail. This modern take on a medieval German tradition comes with its own collector’s mug.  

Gruene Christmas Market Days 
Talk about making Christmas shopping easy! Gruene Christmas Market Days assembles nearly 100 vendors for two days in early December for your retail pleasure. Stroll from booth to booth in the Gruene Historic District and find eclectic items for everyone on your list. The kids will love snapping a picture with Cowboy Kringle.  

Renaissance Faire
Time travel to the greatest party since Camelot! Take a stroll through the 10-acre Heritage Village where history comes alive with non-stop, day-long, immersive and interactive entertainments like no place else! Shop for an abundance of arts and crafts in the village open-air Marketplatz!