November 5-8, 2026
Wurstfest opens its 65th run on Friday, there is a dance lesson two hours before the band in Blanco, and Spring Branch honors its veterans with Quilts of Valor on Saturday. A handful of ideas for your weekend.
Live music and nightlife
Max's Roadhouse, Spring Branch
Spring Branch: Max's Roadhouse has a band both weekend nights at 5375 US Highway 281 North. Dirty White Horse plays Friday, November 6, and John Christopher Way takes Saturday, November 7 starting at 8:30 PM.
Insider tip: happy hour runs 4:00 to 7:00 PM every day except Saturday, so Friday is the night you can get there early and still drink cheap before the music. If you want a table, they ask you to call ahead at (210) 352-0820.
Twin Sisters Dance Hall, Blanco
Blanco: Twin Sisters Dance Hall brings in Whiskey 2 Step on Saturday, November 7 from 8:00 PM to midnight at 6720 Highway 281 South. Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for kids 11 and under, and Old 300 BBQ is serving the food.
Insider tip: Cowboy Boots & Boogie teaches two-step from 6:00 to 7:00 PM for $5 a person, cash preferred. Show up for that and you will know what you are doing two hours before the band starts. Limited reserved tables and presale tickets are sold online.
The Redbird Listening Room, New Braunfels
New Braunfels: The Redbird Listening Room has something all four nights at 1260 South Business IH 35. Songwriter's Night goes Thursday, November 5 at 6:00 PM, Courtney Patton plays Friday at 7:30 PM, Brandon Ford takes Saturday at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, November 8 brings Zach Aaron, Matt Heckler and Molly Ruth at 4:00 PM.
Insider tip: Sunday's three-act bill starts at 4:00 PM, which gets you home early and clear of the Wurstfest traffic. It is a listening room in the old sense, so the talking stops when the music starts.
Local eats and drinks
BlueBird Bread Co., Spring Branch
Spring Branch: BlueBird Bread Co. has the storefront open Thursday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at 25191 TX-46 West.
Insider tip: the preorder menu closes Wednesday at 4:00 PM for Friday and Saturday pickup, so reading this Thursday morning means you have already missed that window. They bake extras for walk-ins, so going without one works, it just means going early.
Real Ale Brewing, Blanco
Blanco: Real Ale Brewing runs Music Bingo: Pop Till You Drop on Friday, November 6 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at 2250 North US Highway 281. Free to play, with prizes for the winners.
Insider tip: it is two hours and finished by 7:00, so it works as the first stop of an evening rather than the whole thing. The taproom runs Wednesday through Sunday, with a Real Spirits cocktail list if beer is not your thing.
Community and events
Wurstfest, New Braunfels
New Braunfels: Wurstfest opens its 65th year on Friday, November 6 at the grounds in Landa Park and runs through November 15. Gates are 4:00 to 11:00 PM Friday, 11:00 AM to midnight Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM Sunday, with more than 250 sets across five stages.
Insider tip: buying online saves $5 a ticket. Friday and Sunday are $15 online and $20 at the gate, Saturday is $25 and $30, and kids 12 and under are free every day. If opening weekend sounds like too much, the gate is free Monday through Thursday next week, opening at 5:00 PM. Landa Street's westbound lane closes to cars between Zink and Landa Park Drive, so the park and ride from the Comal County Fairgrounds earns its keep: free parking, $10 a person, and 12 and under ride free.
Spring Branch: Quilts of Valor holds a veterans ceremony Saturday, November 7 from 2:00 to 3:00 PM at Home Church, 7100 US 281 North. Bulverde and Spring Branch veterans will be presented with Quilts of Valor.
Insider tip: the chamber's listing gives the time and place and not much else, so if you know a veteran who belongs in that room, call the chamber at (830) 438-4285 before Saturday and ask how to get them there.
Bulverde: Bingo in Bulverde runs Friday, November 6 at the Bulverde Community Center, 1747 East Ammann Road. Doors at 5:00 PM, early bird at 5:30, regular games at 6:30, done by 9:00.
Insider tip: cash only, and the chamber means it. Early bird is $5 for three games, the basic pack is $18 for nine, the blackout card is $2, and prizes run $50 to $300. They are asking for volunteers too, if you would rather work it than play it.
The goal
Four days, a festival in its 65th year, and a dance hall that teaches you the steps before the band plays them. Pick one, go, and tell somebody where you found it.
New on the site: our local guides to Bulverde and Spring Branch.
Alex / Hill Country Hot Ticket
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P.O. Box 4, Spring Branch, TX 78070