5 New Braunfels secrets guarantee a fantastic fall vacation

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas, Oct. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- New Braunfels, the heart of the Texas Hill Country, offers mild weather and a "horn of plenty" for a fun fall trip. The top five "secret" reasons to visit New Braunfels in the fall are:

1)    Wurstfest, recognized as one of the nation's best "Octoberfest" celebrations by USA Today  readers in October 2015;

In November, Wurstfest, an Octoberfest-styled German cultural celebration, is a "10-day celebration of sausage" just voted one of the top "Octoberfest" celebrations in the nation by USA Today's readers so it's not much of a secret anymore.  The celebration includes a full schedule of music, German food – especially sausage – and craft beer.  Wursthalle, the "Gross Zelt," and the "Klein Zelt" – big and small tents – a craft biergarten and the Marktplatz fill the grounds with music, food and dancing. A carnival and lots more local events along the banks of the Comal River make the celebration a countywide affair.  Check out these helpful videos to really enjoy the fun:  How to speak, dance and dress Wurstfest!

2)    the winery and craft brewery autumn vintages;  

Wineries and craft beer brewers in the Texas Hill Country are a little less well-known but bringing more visitors every year. A good opportunity to explore this new wine scene happens in New Braunfels' Gruene Historic District.  In October, the Gruene Music & Wine Fest starts on Thursday with a tasting of "not from Texas" wines and door prizes including vacation packages to Napa Valley, Jackson Hole Orlando, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Santa Fe. Saturday offers more wine tasting – nearly 100 Texas wines - with live music on two stages plus Texas foods and a handmade wine accessories and gift market. The festival concludes Sunday with a "Texas Music Fest"  a specialty beer tasting and lots more.

There's also a Hill Country Craft Beer Trail , several New Braunfels Wine tour venues and the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail.  This viticulture area of Texas attracts five million annual visitors with 46 unique and stunning wineries scattered from Austin to Fredericksburg and Lampasas and back to New Braunfels.  Cheers!

3)    the southernmost trout fly-fishing destination in the United States – one of the top 100 trout streams in America;

The Texas Hill Country rivers in the fall, winter and early spring offer picturesque rides by canoe, kayak or raft and something extra special for fishermen.  The Guadalupe River is the southernmost trout fly-fishing destination in the United States – one of the top 100 trout streams in America.  Few fisherman think of Texas for rainbow trout fly-fishing, but the secret is that the Guadalupe River tailwater released from the bottom of the Canyon Lake dam is cold enough to allow trout to survive year round. A section of the Guadalupe River is managed as a trophy trout fishery and its quality improves every year. Stocked each winter by Texas Parks and Wildlife as well as Trout Unlimited, the average Guadalupe trout will be in the 12" to 14" range. Fish over 20" are not uncommon and there have been a few trout in the 5lb to 8lb range over the years. Fishing is just one of the many outdoor activities that nature lovers enjoy in fall and winter in the Texas Hill Country.  There's also boating, horseback riding and camping under the mild sunny Texas sky.

4)    the best live music venues in Texas;

If you love live music in some intimate settings, there's no place better than the Texas Hill Country in the fall – every dance hall and honky tonk has an outdoor dance floor and/or beer garden.  It's a secret that Texans have had to themselves much too long. Lining up to entertain through October and November in New Braunfels – The Marshall Tucker Band, Aaron Neville, Boz Skaggs, the Toadies: Heretics Tour, Todd Snider, Los Lonely Boys, Reckless Kelly, JD McPherson, Hayes Carll and Mel Tillis. 

5)    the Texas Hill Country, mild weather and the very best secret – great shoulder season values.

Campgrounds, B&Bs, resorts, hotels, and motels abound at shoulder season prices and all the attractions that supplement summer time spent on the rivers and lakes are still there – including a brand new Stars & Stripes Drive-In Theater with three screens and two first run movies to enjoy just like way back then.

Add to that the best in live music  and events that celebrate the cooler outdoors for the perfect fall recipe for fun. For more information on what to do and where to go for a fall and winter holiday in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, check out In New Braunfels. To see what's coming up over the holidays, check out the calendar of events.

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SOURCE New Braunfels Convention & Visitors Bureau