Whether donning your favorite lederhosen or dirndl for New Braunfels’ epic 10-day Bavarian bash or dabbling in the holiday magic twinkling throughout the Hill Country, November’s lineup of Texas festivals brings a bounty of fun. Here are our top 10 Texas festival picks for November.
The Alex Meixner Band is a highlight at Wurstfest each November. Photo by Jim Flynn
New Braunfels
Nov. 3-12: Sprechen sie fun? Make a beeline to New Braunfels for Wurstfest –– the German town’s annual 10-day celebration of German culture, sausage, bier, and polka. New Braunfels’ version of Oktoberfest brings the finest in Alpine and Bavarian style entertainment to the Wurstfest Grounds in Landa Park. Feast on sausage-on-a-stick, wurst-n-taschen (grilled bratwurst and sauerkraut in a pita), kartoffelpuffers (potato pancakes) and more while enjoying German music, bier, dancing and contests. There’s carnival rides and games for the kids, and dirndls, lederhosen and silly hats are always encouraged. Admission is $20 on Friday and Sunday, $25 on Saturday, and free Monday through Thursday and every day for children 12 and under. More at wurstfest.com.
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Fill up on your favorite Greek eats at Corpus Christi Greek Festival. Contributed
Corpus Christi
Nov. 3-5: Get your fill of baklava, gyros and more at the 60th annual Corpus Christi Greek Festival. Immerse yourself in the food, dancing, and culture of Greece at this longstanding free festival. The festival takes place from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (502 S. Chaparral Street). More at https://www.facebook.com/greekfestivalcc.
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Austin
Nov. 4-5: The Austin Celtic Festival is the largest annual gathering of Celts in Central Texas. The family-friendly festival takes place from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday at Pioneer Farms in North Austin. Internationally acclaimed as one of the few remaining festivals that celebrates the authentic music honed by the Celtic people, expect a weekend full of Celtic music, dance, workshops, storytelling and more. Find out more and purchase daily tickets ($25 for adults, $12 for kids and free for 5 and under) online at https://www.austincelticfestival.com/.
Nov. 11-12: The 28th annual Texas Book Festival Weekend will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday in and around the State Capitol in downtown Austin. The Festival Weekend is free and open to all, featuring more than 300 authors of the year’s best books across all ages and genres. There are three ticketed sessions for authors Michael Cunningham, Roxane Gay, and Stacey Abrams, and ticket holders receive session and signing line access as well as a copy of the featured author’s book at their ticketed session. More at https://www.texasbookfestival.org/.
Lockhart
Nov. 4-5: Bring your appetite to Lockhart for the Texas Monthly Barbecue Fest benefiting Feeding Texas. Lockhart, the barbecue capital of Texas, welcomes some of the top 50 barbecue joints in the state for Texas Monthly’s Barbecue Fest. The historical downtown of Lockhart will serve as the backdrop for the second annual BBQ World’s Fair on Saturday, and the Top 50 Picnic will return to Lockhart City Park on Sunday. Attendees can expect barbecue samples, an artisan market, live music, cooking demonstrations and more. More at https://www.texasmonthly.com/event/2023-tm-bbq-fest-lockhart/.
Round Rock
Nov. 4-5: The Paleontological Society of Austin’s 32nd annual Fossil Fest invites attendees to discover the prehistoric wonders existing in their own backyard. Bring the whole family to Fossil Fest to meet scientists, dig for fossils, check out specimens from around the world, and participate in family-friendly workshops. This year’s show spotlight is Prehistoric Life Underwater. Fossil Fest takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days at Old Settler’s Heritage Association next to the Dell Diamond. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for children (6-12) and free for children under 6. More at https://austinpaleo.org/fest.html.
Rockport
Nov. 9-12: Rockport Film Festival marries the power of storytelling with the best in independent cinema and brings it to the Texas Coast. The festival kicks off on Thursday evening with a Red Carpet Event followed by all-day film screenings at the Rockport Conference Center (106 S. Austin Street). A joint venture of Rockport Center for the Arts and the Rotary Club of Rockport, the festival features special events and more than 40 independent films. Single film block tickets are $10 each, and a VIP pass, which guarantees you own personal seat at the theater for the entirety of the festival, is $125. More at www.rockportfilmfestival.org.
Calling all car-lovers to the 17th Annual Heroes and Hot Rod’s Veterans Day Car Show this November. Contributed
Bastrop
Nov. 10-11: Book it to Bastrop for the Bastrop Area Cruisers’ 17th Annual “Heroes & Hotrods” Veterans Weekend Car Show to see classic street rods and flashy muscle cars, a Veterans march and tribute ceremony, awards, live entertainment, kids’ activities and more. The cruise-in starts at 5 p.m. Friday, the car show takes place from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. All military are welcome to join in the Veteran’s Tribute March taking place at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday on Main Street. More at www.bastropareacruisers.com.
Boerne’s Dickens on Main takes place on the last weekend of November. Contributed
Boerne
Nov. 24-25: Dickens on Main transforms Boerne’s historic Hill County Mile into a vintage holiday wonderland complete with live music and performers, holiday lights, food, kids’ activities, and snow along Main Street. Taking place over Thanksgiving weekend, the festival features two days of free holiday fun including ice carving shows, a tree lighting ceremony, Christmas carol sing-alongs, street entertainers, Dickens characters, holiday shopping and more. More at https://www.adickenscelebration.com/dickens-on-main.
The Friday after Thanksgiving marks the start of the Johnson City Lights Spectacular. Contributed
Johnson City
Nov. 24-25: The Lights Kickoff opening weekend for Johnson City’s annual Lights Spectacular Hill Country Style kicks off the holiday happenings in “The Twinkliest Town in Texas.” This free holiday lights display, taking place Nov. 24 through Jan. 7 from dusk to midnight, features over 2 million Christmas lights in a display so significant that NASA has reported seeing it from space. Opening weekend events include the lighting of the Blanco Courthouse, a lighted parade, a fireworks display, hay and carriage rides, Santa and Mrs. Claus, kids’ activities, an expansive holiday market, and more. More at https://www.lightsspectacular.com/.
