Wurstfest began in 1961 as "Sausage Festival," a one day affair honoring one of New Braunfels favorite foods. The name was later changed to "Wurst Week," and finally to "Wurstfest". Feature stories in newspapers throughout the United States, as well as Canada and Germany, attracted large crowds of sausage-hungry visitors. Visitors watched sausage made using recipes brought to Texas from Germany 116 years earlier.

Local German singing clubs sang, and the Amtliche Stadt Wurst Kapelle (official City Sausage Band) played while visitors viewed exhibits of local sausage makers, in addition to antique meat grinders and sausage-stuffing machines gathered from attics and basements of the community.

In 1963 the event was moved downtown and events were scheduled every night of Wurst Week. The next year attendance tripled, reaching 30,000 with visitors consuming 5,000 pounds of sausage. The new Wursthalle, half the size of the present hall, was the site of the ’67 event. Wurstfest continued to break records every year, adding new foods and new ways of serving sausage. In ’68 the festival had its first bigtime entertainer when Myron Floren of the Lawrence Welk TV show appeared. In ’72 the Chamber introduced the Heritage Exhibit at the new Civic Center, and it has continued as a major attraction. Many other events are held each year in various locations around New Braunfels in conjunction with Wurstfest.

Large entertainment tents are now situated at each end of the Marktplatz with bands and entertainment acts performing continually. Wurstfest has expanded to ten days. Myron Floren continues to appear every year except for ’96 when he was recuperating from surgery.

Wurstfest is a non-profit corporation organized to promote local commerce through tourism, and to preserve the community’s heritage. It provides local civic organizations with a way to raise large amounts of money for a wide variety of community projects. Visitors can enjoy the German heritage and traditions and know that the proceeds from Wurstfest activities will go for worthwhile projects.

Contact: Suzanne Herbelin 800-221-4369 or 830-625-9167.