2008 Wurstfest Opening

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact C. Herb Skoog


48th ANNUAL WURSTFEST OPENS WITH FAMILY FUN

NEW BRAUNFELS, TX – The 48th Annual Wurstfest opens at 4 p.m. Oct. 31 and continues through Nov. 9 with family fun and the sounds and flavors of Germany along the banks of the Comal River in Landa Park in New Braunfels. The Comal Community Band will kick off the official opening ceremony that begins at 5 p.m. in the Wursthalle. Admission to the grounds will be free before 7 p.m. on opening night.

The band will begin the opening ceremony by playing the “Star-Spangled Banner” and the German national anthem. Hosts for the evening, Wurstfest President Frank Witting, the first-ever Wurstfest President who officially hails from Germany; Wurstfest President-elect and New Braunfels Mayor Bruce Boyer; and Wurstfest Grosse Opa Hal Herbelin will officially begin Wurstfest with the “Das beissen der Wurst” or “the biting of the sausage.”

“This year, we will not only have the Mayor from New Braunfels, but also the Mayor from Braunfels, Germany at the opening ceremony,” Witting said.

The 10-day family festival is a unique celebration of German heritage. In addition to raising funds for the community, the event spreads “gemuetlichkeit” – a German word that can’t really be translated, but conveys a meaning of togetherness or being together with good friends.

After opening ceremonies, the Cloverleaf Orchestra, also in its 48th year, will play beginning at 6 p.m. in the Wursthalle. The Litt’l Fishermen Orchestra will begin playing at 8:30 p.m. in the Wursthalle. In Das Grosse Zelt (The Big Tent), the seven-piece Austrian band, Höhberg-Buam, known for playing all the old Bavarian and Tyrolian-style Oktoberfest songs, will take the stage at 6 p.m. The Alex Meixner Band, which returns
for its 10th appearance at Wurstfest, follows at 7:30 p.m. In Das Kleine Zelt (The Little Tent), Kerry Christenson, master yodeler, begins performing at 6 p.m., followed by Alpenfest at 7 p.m. and Catie Offerman and Terry Cavanaugh at 8:15 p.m.

Kartoffel puffers still rule as a Wurstfest favorite when it comes to food at the sausage festival. But the booth will not be the only busy booth in town. Other crowd favorites include bread pudding, sausage-on-a-stick, funnel cake, fried pickles, turkey legs, corn-on-the-cob, chicken-on-a-stick, strudel and more.

Kinderahlle, which made its debut at the ’07 Wurstfest, will return with plenty of activities for children. Located at the Landa Recreation Center adjacent to the Wurstfest grounds, the Kinderhalle offers entertainment and activities for families. The line-up begins on Sunday, November 2, with Trout Fishing in America and continues with Mr. Puppett on Monday, Ventriloquist Ian Varella on Tuesday and ends with Magician John Maverick on Wednesday. There is no charge for these shows. On both Saturdays of the
festival, parents can make arrangements to enjoy an evening at Wurstfest while their children enjoy special games and activities from 7:30 to 10 pm at Kinderhalle. To reserve space for your children for the Saturday Parent’s Night Out program, call 830-221-4370. Cost for the Saturday Parent’s Night Out program is $12 per child.

The Wurstfest carnival, which was added to the event several years ago, was another way organizers have crafted the festival into a more family-friendly celebration, includes a Ferris wheel, giant slide and carousel.

The Wurstfest Association of New Braunfels is a non-profit corporation whose purpose is to promote the local economy through tourism and promote and preserve the community’s rich German heritage. Proceeds from the event benefit a wide variety of projects.

Admission to the Wurstfest grounds will be free from 4 to 7 p.m. on opening night, Oct. 31. After that, admission to the festival is $8 at the gate; and children ages 12 and younger will be admitted free at all times. Group rates, advance discounts and special weekday promotions are available. For information about Wurstfest, call 830/625-9167 or 1-800-221-4369, or visit the Web site at www.wurstfest.com.