Events
FARMERS MARKET
Every Saturday year-round.
FIRST FRIDAY
First Friday of the month year-round.
Wurstfest
Join us for a unique annual celebration rich in German culture and full of Texas fun! Located near the headwaters of the beautiful Comal River in New Braunfels, Texas!
Photo Credit: New Braunfels Camber
Downtown Tree Lighting
things to do in new braunfels
Fall in Love with New Braunfels
Fall in New Braunfels is… different. Sure, we’re famous for summer things like floating, shopping, live music, and floating. Did we mention floating? When fall rolls in, the weather cools off, the crowds shrink, and the pace slows.
This is festival season. The headliner is Wurstfest – a 10-day salute to sausage that runs, this year, from November 7th to the 16th. Sure, there’s plenty of beer, Alpine music, and dancing, but sausage is why this festival has been rollicking since 1961. We guarantee you’ll end up chicken dancing with some new friends.
The Comal County Fair is celebrating its 131st year of parades, rodeos, and classic carnival fare from September 24th to the 28th. The fair is a great place to ride rides, of course, but don’t miss the animals, live music, and mutton bustin’. We’re partial to the Kiddie Tractor Pull.
For a true slice of Americana, make plans to be at Wassailfest on December 4th. Downtown New Braunfels shuts down the streets and local businesses serve up Wassail – a warm drink made of cider, spices, and possibly something “leaded.” There’ll also be plenty of caroling, snacks, and twinkling lights.
If you’re bringing kids with you, the Sundrop Springs Fall Festival is famous for its pumpkin patch, hayrides, petting zoo, pig races (yeah, really), and live music. Fall Festival weekends begin September 27th. For history buffs, we recommend the Sophienburg Musuem, Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture, and Historic Old Town.
With this much to do, you’ll obviously need to stay for a week. That obviously should be at Camp Landa. We’re located in Downtown New Braunfels, which makes it easy to get to what you want to do and easy to get back to home base for some relaxation in the Oasis Pool (with swim-up bar), or grabbing lunch or dinner in the Yum Yum Cafe. Be sure to ask us about our upcoming Football Weekends and how fun Halloween is here.
5 Fun, Hidden Gems in New Braunfels
Think you’ve done it all in New Braunfels? Here are 5 things you may not know about, curated by the locals at Camp Landa.
Circle Arts Theatre
Circle Arts Theatre is a cute community theatre located in Landa Park basically on the Wurstfest Grounds, so it’s very close to Camp Landa. Since its founding in 1968, the theatre has staged over 190 major productions, 15 children’s theatre shows, and over 45 melodramas. They’re famous for their melodramas performed during Wurstfest, featuring titles like StarWurst, The Prince-Wurst Bride, and Willy Wonkwurst and the Sausage Factory. At these shows, the audience gets to be noisy and throw popcorn at the performers. Circle Arts Theatre puts on productions all year.
New Braunfels Fire Museum
The first fire station in New Braunfels was constructed in 1918, in downtown of course. Luckily, before that time, there were no fires in the community founded in 1845. Kidding. The original fire station, thankfully, has been preserved and today houses the New Braunfels Fire Museum. It’s filled with some of the actual firefighting equipment the founders of New Braunfels used in the 1800s and early 1900s, including the buckets used by the “bucket brigade,” hooks and ladders, and even cool old fire trucks. Plus, tours are given by real firefighters!
Historic Old Town
You probably know New Braunfels has been around a while – since 1845 to be exact. And since it was founded by Germans, you can know that very little has been thrown away. 18 of the community’s 19th-century structures have been preserved in Historic Old Town. You can belly up to the bar of an 1850 saloon, tour the 1858 music studio where Stefan Haelbig taught music to generations of New Braunfelsers, sit in a desk in their 1870 one-room limestone schoolhouse, and plenty more. Be sure to ask to see the different examples of Fachwerk (and what Fachwerk is). Self-guided and guided tours are available.
Hollow Tree Ranch
Just outside of town is an adventure you and your family won’t forget. Hollow Tree Ranch is “a God-inspired slice of Hill Country heaven” and offers all kinds of horse-riding options, but we suggest a Canyon Lake Trail Ride, an hour-and-a-half of Hill Country riding and memory making. The ranch is known for kind people, kind horses, and our kind of fun – outdoor, laid back, and family friendly. It’s worth noting that the trail ride is for ages 12+.
Canyon Lake Gorge
2002 was a rough year for the New Braunfels area. In one week that summer, more than 34 inches of rain fell above Canyon Lake. The water filled up Canyon Lake and eventually went over the lake’s spillway, carving the huge 64-acre Canyon Lake Gorge, exposing ancient, cretaceous limestone, fossils, and even 110-million year old dinosaur footprints! In fact, the water created such a surreal, other-worldly landscape that part of the movie “Predators” was filmed there. We’re pretty sure you won’t find any aliens on your tour, but you WILL find a great time.
Park at Camp Landa, maybe take a swim, and then head out on an adventure or five!
5 Things to Do Within One Mile of Camp Landa
Here are five reasons Camp Landa is located where it is.
Downtown New Braunfels
Since its founding in 1845, Downtown New Braunfels has been where locals and people who wish they were locals have gathered. Spend a day shopping, dining, and playing before an evening listening to live music with a cold drink. Be sure to visit the New Braunfels Farmers Market if you’re in town on a Saturday.
Landa Park
This beautiful, 51-acre park features the headwaters of the Comal River, a lake with lots and lots of ducks, several playgrounds, walking and hiking trails, and a miniature train that’s really fun to ride. While you’re in Landa Park, don’t miss a visit to Founders Oak – a huge live oak tree over 300 years old that has hosted dozens of New Braunfels celebrations.
Comal River
The shortest navigable river in Texas is long on fun. The Comal River is 72 degrees all year due to being spring fed, which is also why it’s crystal clear. Grab a tube from your Camp Landa hosts and jump in! Floating the river is a fun, relaxing way for the whole family to spend a few hours together.
Schlitterbahn
The perennial “Best Waterpark in the World” is just down the road from the best family RV resort. Schlitterbahn’s 51 rivers, rides, and chutes ranging from relaxing to anything but relaxing make for a great day or two. Brave the Master Blaster, a water coaster that really goes uphill, and then cool off in The Falls, the world’s longest waterpark ride with 3,600 feet of rapids, waterfalls, and waves.
Kid-Friendly Museums (that adults will like, too)
If you’ve got small-ish kids along, the McKenna Children’s Museum is a world-class place to play. The museum is huge and features tons of hands-on exhibits. The New Braunfels Fire Museum is in the city’s first fire station. Kids love the cool old fire trucks and equipment. Across the street is the New Braunfels Railroad Museum which boasts a real locomotive and train cars along with model trains in a historic rail depot. Downtown is also inked up with building-sized murals, and be sure to visit the Sophienburg to learn about the amazing history of New Braunfels.
Need more ideas? Got questions? Just ask!
Guadalupe River
The Guadalupe River, known for its scenic views, is ideal for tubing and relaxation in New Braunfels. Adventure seekers can enjoy rafting, canoeing, and paddle boarding, while the river is a top destination for year-round fly fishing, with thousands of rainbow trout released each winter.
Photo Credit: City of New Braunfels
Comal River
The Comal River, a spring-fed waterway with a year-round temperature of 70-72 degrees, is ideal for floating in New Braunfels. Tubing begins near the Wurstfest grounds and flows through downtown and Schlitterbahn Waterpark, covering just 2.5 miles within the city limits, making it one of the shortest navigable rivers in the U.S.
