November brings a bounty of festivals celebrating everything from sausage and wine to holidays and hot rods. Here’s our pick of this month’s top 10 Texas festivals brimming with fun for the whole family.
During the 10-day festival, you’ll find a variety of entertainment, food and fun on the Wurstfest Grounds in Landa Park. Contributed by Wurstfest
New Braunfels
Nov. 4-13: Sprechen sie fun? Head to Wurstfest for the annual “10-day Salute to Sausage” where you can fill up on all of the German food, beer, music and dancing you can handle. The festive celebration brings the finest in Alpine and Bavarian style entertainment to the Wurstfest Grounds in Landa Park –– and dirndls, lederhosen and silly hats are encouraged. Feast on sausage on a stick, wurst-n-taschen (grilled bratwurst and sauerkraut in a pita), kartoffelpuffers (potato pancakes) and more while enjoying more than 40 national and international music acts on five stages and thrilling the kids with carnival rides and games. Tickets are $18 online, $20 at the gate and free for children 12 and under. Admission is free Monday through Thursday and Sunday, November 13, after 3 p.m. More at wurstfest.com.
Alex Meixner Band is one of the most popular performers each year at Wurstfest. Contributed by Wurstfest
RELATED: Wurstfest: New Braunfels’ Epic Bavarian Bash is Back
Austin
Nov. 5-6: The largest gathering of Celts in Central Texas returns this November for the 27th annual Celtic Festival at Pioneer Farms in North Austin from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. 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/.
The Austin Celtic Festival offers the highest quality regional and international Celtic artists with an extraordinary lineup of talent. Contributed by Austin Celt Festival
Nov. 5-6: The 27th annual Texas Book Festival, which has evolved into one of the premier literary events in the country, takes place in and around the State Capitol in downtown Austin from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The Texas Book Festival is free and open to the public and features nearly 300 authors of the year’s best books across all ages and genres. Join fellow bookworms for readings, panel discussions, signings, cooking demonstrations, live music, local food, young adult authors, children’s activities and fun literary-related happenings. More at https://www.texasbookfestival.org/.
Round Rock
Nov. 5-6: The Paleontological Society of Austin’s 30th annual Fossil Fest invites attendees to discover the prehistoric wonders in your own backyard this November. 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. Located at Old Settler’s Heritage Association next to the Dell Diamond, the fest takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days and 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. 10-13: Since 2007, The Rockport Film Festival has brought the best of independent cinema to the Texas Coast while giving back, with 100 percent of proceeds funding the humanitarian efforts and scholarships of the Rotary Club of Rockport and the cultural programming of the Rockport Center for the Arts. The festival kicks off on Thursday, November 10, evening with a red carpet party followed by more than 40 films over four days. Single film block tickets are $10 each. More at www.rockportfilmfestival.org.
Bastrop
Nov. 11-12: Make a beeline to the Bastrop Area Cruisers’ 16th 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 4 p.m. Friday, the car show takes place from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday with the Veterans March and Tribute taking place from 10:30 a.m. to noon. More at www.bastropareacruisers.com.
The Walkway of Lights, celebrating its 32nd year, and the family favorite Winter Ice Skating Rink will be open to the public from Nov. 18 through Dec. 31st. Contributed by Visit Marble Falls
Marble Falls
Nov. 18-Dec. 31: The 32nd annual Walkway of Lights, hosted by the Marble Falls Chamber of Commerce, is one of the biggest holiday events in the Highland Lakes each year. Open nightly from 6 to 10 p.m., the Walkway of Lights displays 2 million lights in Lakeside Park and more than 350 lighted sculptures. Experience the lights reflecting off Lake Marble Falls for 44 nights this holiday season –– it’s free to the public and funded entirely by donations. Bring the whole family out for this festive tradition and don’t miss the chance to whirl around the Winter Ice Skating Rink. Find out about special nights and Santa’s schedule throughout November and December at https://visitmarblefalls.org/event/walkway2022.
Enjoy pours from Texas wineries and beyond in addition to food trucks, craft beer, live music and local vendors and artists. Contributed by Visit Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi
Nov. 19: The Corpus Christi Wine Festival bursts with Texas wines, goat yoga, a beer garden, local artists, scrumptious eats, live music and more, providing the perfect excuse for a fall getaway to the Texas Coast. The 5th annual festival unfolds in Heritage Park and features music by Stoney LaRue, Triston Marez and Mobley. General admission is $25 and includes access to festival grounds for concerts, shopping, food trucks, grape stomping and art demos. More at https://corpuschristiwinefestival.com.
Spend the day on the Hill Country Mile shopping, dining and visiting Santa. Contributed by Dickens on Main
Boerne
Nov. 25-26: Dickens on Main transforms Boerne’s historic Hill Country Mile into a vintage holiday wonderland complete with four villages, holiday lights, snow along Main Street and an entertainment lineup sure to get the whole family into the spirit of the season. Taking place over Thanksgiving weekend, the festival features two fantastic nights of free holiday fun including ice carving battles, street entertainers and vendors, Dickens characters, children’s activities and crafts, visits with Santa, holiday photo ops, live performances, food merchants, roving musicians and carolers, holiday shopping and more. More at https://www.adickenscelebration.com/dickens-on-main.
Johnson City is known as the Twinkliest Town in Texas. Contributed
Johnson City
Nov. 25-26: The opening weekend of the 33rd season of Lights Spectacular kicks off the holiday happenings for “The Twinkliest Town in Texas.” This free holiday lights display, taking place Nov. 25 through Jan. 8 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 fireworks display, a street dance on the courthouse square, a food court provided by local nonprofits, wine and beer at Rudolph’s Cantina, ornament sales, kids activities, an expansive holiday market, Lighted Hooves and Wheels Parade, tractor-pulled hayrides, Santa and Mrs. Claus and more. More at https://www.lightsspectacular.com/.
