Wurstfest Waives Admission on Final Sunday
New Braunfels festival drops its $20 ticket price all day to mark its 65th anniversary.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Food and Drink
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Wurstfest will waive its admission fee for the entire final Sunday of its 10-day German-themed festival on November 15, 2026, celebrating the event's 65th anniversary. Admission is normally free only after 3 p.m. that day.
Why it matters
The waiver lets residents and visitors attend Wurstfest without buying a standard $20 ticket, which is especially relevant to the New Braunfels community that has supported the festival since it began. The festival president framed the extended offer as a thank-you to that community.
The festival's standard ticket is $20, and visitors in lederhosen or dirndls can still get a pretzel or a 64-ounce beer pitcher without buying one. Attendance for the event's 60th anniversary in 2021 was above 240,000, but no projection for this year was given.
The players
Wurstfest
An annual 10-day German-themed festival held in New Braunfels, Texas, that has become one of the region's best-known cultural events.
Marc Allen
The president of Wurstfest who announced the decision to waive admission for the final Sunday as a thank-you to the community.
The details
Wurstfest President Marc Allen announced that the fee waiver applies to the whole final Sunday, running 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Landa Park along the Comal River. The festival began in 1961, when New Braunfels meat inspector Ed Grist created it to celebrate sausage.
Timeline
1961: Wurstfest began as a sausage-celebrating festival in New Braunfels.
2021: The 60th anniversary drew more than 240,000 visitors.
November 15, 2026: Admission is waived all day on the final Sunday for the 65th anniversary.
Tradition Milestone
Wurstfest began in 1961 as a local celebration of sausage founded by New Braunfels meat inspector Ed Grist, and its 65th anniversary marks six decades of that tradition. The fee waiver follows the festival's longstanding practice of opening its gates to the community, as seen in its free admission after 3 p.m. on the final Sunday.
Visitors can enjoy the festival's pretzels and 64-ounce beer pitchers without paying the usual $20 ticket on that Sunday. Attendees should plan for crowds, since the 2021 anniversary drew more than 240,000 people.
The takeaway
Planning a visit to Wurstfest's final Sunday on November 15, 2026, means arriving early to avoid the crowds that come with a free-admission day. Bringing a pretzel or beer pitcher budget in place of the $20 ticket can stretch a visitor's spending further.
What happens next
The final Sunday of Wurstfest falls on November 15, 2026, when the admission fee will be waived all day.
Further reading
Explore more Food and Drink coverage from New Braunfels to see how local festivals shape the city's dining and drink scene.
Source note: This article includes information reported by San Antonio Express-News.
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