At 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9, the gates at Landa Park open with no admission charge. That night and the next three are free. They have the same five music stages, the same sausage and the same Wursthalle as the weekends, without the $25 to $30 Saturday ticket. Wurstfest's 65th annual "Salute to Sausage" runs Nov. 6 through Nov. 15, and most of this year's changes make those free weeknights the easiest version of the festival for anyone who lives a short drive from the grounds.
The weekends belong to the tour buses, the hotel shuttles and the visitors. The middle of the week is where a resident's Wurstfest happens, and the calendar shows it.
The Four Free Nights Anchor the Calendar
Here is the full ten-day run with hours and admission from Community Impact's Wurstfest 2026 guide. Next to them are the Landa Street lane closure windows from the City of New Braunfels traffic notice, posted Sept. 4, 2026.
| Date | Day | Festival hours | Admission, online / gate | Landa St. westbound lane closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 6 | Friday | 4 to 11 p.m. | $15 / $20 | 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. |
| Nov. 7 | Saturday | 11 a.m. to midnight | $25 / $30 | 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. |
| Nov. 8 | Sunday | 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | $15 / $20 | 9 a.m. to midnight |
| Nov. 9 | Monday | 5 to 10 p.m. | Free | 3 p.m. to midnight |
| Nov. 10 | Tuesday | 5 to 10 p.m. | Free | 3 p.m. to midnight |
| Nov. 11 | Wednesday | 5 to 10 p.m. | Free | 3 p.m. to midnight |
| Nov. 12 | Thursday | 5 to 11 p.m. | Free | 3 p.m. to midnight |
| Nov. 13 | Friday | 5 to 11 p.m. | $15 / $20 | 3 p.m. to midnight |
| Nov. 14 | Saturday | 11 a.m. to midnight | $25 / $30 | 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. |
| Nov. 15 | Sunday | 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | $15 / $20, free after 3 p.m. | 9 a.m. to midnight |
Kids 12 and under get in free every day.
Two columns line up for locals. On the free nights, the lane closure starts at 3 p.m. On weekends it starts at 9 a.m. and runs to 2 a.m. on Saturdays. A weekday errand along Landa Street before mid-afternoon runs on a normal schedule. On Saturdays, that stretch of street is restricted for 17 hours.
Two of the program's set pieces fall on back-to-back free nights. The official Wurstfest events schedule has a St. Martin Lantern Parade from 6:30 to 6:50 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10. On Wednesday, Nov. 11, the guide lists a veterans salute in the Wursthalle at 7 p.m., citing the festival's Facebook page. Neither night charges admission.
What the Card-Only Rule Covers, and What It Doesn't
The biggest change this year is about payment. Community Impact updated its guide to clarify that all Wurstfest admissions and bar purchases are cashless, with tap-to-pay or credit and debit cards only. Wurstfest President Marc Allen told the outlet that other small business vendors will take both cash and card.
On the free nights there's no admission to pay, so the rule mostly applies at the bars. A phone or card handles every beer. Cash still works at vendors who accept it. Anyone who brings bills out of habit will be using them at the booths. The beer line won't take them.
New Taps and a Wine Garden in the Hydro Plant
The beverage changes are the most concrete additions for the 65th year. Allen told Community Impact that a Weingarten is going into the hydro plant near Gate One, pouring German wines alongside premium selections from the United States.
Three draft beers are new on tap:
- Modelo
- Paulaner Pils
- Weihenstephan, which Allen described as coming from one of the oldest breweries in the world
The Weingarten has a second job on weekends. Sausage-making demonstrations run there on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the same guide.
On the food side, Rocky Mountain Crepes, the Colorado-style crepe shop already operating in Gruene, is one of the new vendors. Fun Biz concessions are expanding, and a new trailer in the carnival section will serve nachos and street tacos.
"In honor of our 65th anniversary, we are pulling out all the stops to ensure our patrons have the best of the wurst' times." Marc Allen, 2026 Wurstfest President, speaking to Community Impact
Where the Booth Money Goes
This is why a free Tuesday still matters to the festival. Allen told Community Impact that 26 local nonprofits benefit from Wurstfest through the sale of food, drink and goods, and that a majority of them make their annual budget from the event. Admission may be free, but every potato pancake and souvenir pin sold on a weeknight goes to one of those budgets.
The festival's food vendor roster and goods vendor roster list several familiar New Braunfels names along with what they sell:
- Rotary Club of New Braunfels: potato pancakes, or Kartoffelpuffers
- Downtown Rotary: bratwurst, Reuben pita sandwiches and a "Wurst Dog"
- New Braunfels Conservation Society: pretzels
- Canyon High School Music Boosters: made-to-order funnel cakes
- Long Creek High School Dance Boosters: sausage boil, soda, water and glow-in-the-dark dragon pins
- Sophienburg Museum: German steins, hats, handicrafts, ornaments, nutcrackers, smokers, pyramids and the annual Opa Mug
- New Braunfels High School Band Boosters: Wurstfest pins, koozies, T-shirts, ornaments and bottle openers
The same rosters also list the New Braunfels Fire Fighters Association, New Braunfels Little League, the New Braunfels Youth Soccer Association, the Comal County Senior Citizens Center, the Children's Advocacy Center of Comal County, the Comal County Jr Livestock Association, the New Braunfels Jaycees, both the Noon and Evening Lions Clubs, Canyon Lake Masonic Lodge, SJRC Texas, New Braunfels Performing Arts, the New Braunfels Elks Lodge and the German American Society. These are the festival's own listings, not a confirmed list of all 26 beneficiaries.
The support starts before the gates open. Organizers also commit $130,000 in matching funds to local nonprofits through The Big Give, according to Community Impact.
Getting There Without Fighting Landa Street
The City's 2026 notice is the current reference for traffic. The festival's own road-closure and parking-map pages carry 2024 dates. Under the City's plan, the westbound lane of Landa Street from Zink Street to Landa Park Drive is closed to vehicles but open to pedestrians during the windows in the table above. The City also warns that parking in Landa Park and around the grounds is limited.
Locals have three options:
- Park free at the Comal County Fairgrounds, 701 E Common Street. A shuttle drops you at the festival gate for $10 per person age 13 and up. Kids 12 and under ride free. On a free weeknight, that $10 is the only cost of getting in.
- Take a rideshare to Mill Race Run. Uber, Lyft and other services use a designated pickup and drop-off area at the Landa Park Pavilion on Mill Race Run, reached through Gate 2.
- Expect bus traffic downtown, not at the park. Charter buses, motorcoaches, party buses and limos are routed from Loop 337 to Common Street, then Union Street, West Torrey Street and Elizabeth Avenue, with drop-off and pickup on Hinman Island. The route avoids low-clearance bridges, according to the City.
Hotel shuttles run only on Fridays and Saturdays at $25 per person round trip, paid at Gate 3. They're another reason weekend crowds are built around out-of-town guests.
The Final Sunday Afternoon Is Also Free
On Sunday, Nov. 15, admission is free after 3 p.m. The polka contest starts in the Wursthalle at 3:30 p.m., so it falls inside the free window. The USSA Texas Steinholding State Championship Tournament Finals start earlier, at 2 p.m., so watching from the start means paying the $15 online or $20 gate price.
Families with younger kids may want opening day. On Friday, Nov. 6, the Kinderhalle schedule includes a Bubble Show, a Library Reading and Ballet Texas. That evening, the opening ceremonies and the annual biting of the sausage start at 5:30 p.m. in the Wursthalle.
Living close enough to make the free Monday-to-Thursday stretch a habit is a perk you can include when you price a home. If you're thinking about selling, buying or moving within New Braunfels, Marti Realty Group can show you what our flat-fee listings and buyer rebates would save you before the next festival season. Get a free quote and see how much you can save.
