New Braunfels celebrates the holidays

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas, Nov. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In New Braunfels, Texas, evergreen Live Oaks rather than pines cover the surrounding Texas Hill Country, but "O Tannenbaum," a German Christmas Carol, is still a favorite holiday song along with many other German traditions. New Braunfels' Sophienburg Museum and Archives will have "feather trees," advent wreaths, and Inge-Glas® Christmas ornaments representing German legends, folklore and traditions.

Wassailfest on Thursday evening, December 5, will get you in the spirit with a downtown celebration – shop till you drop as merchants offer wassail to drink, special treats to munch and lots of holiday cheer. Talented musical groups perform throughout the lit-up downtown area and merchants vie for people's choice awards that go to the top three "wassail-meisters."  

Pat Green does two shows, too, to help kick off the holiday season at the iconic Gruene Hall, "the oldest continually run dance hall in Texas." Its old floor echoes the sounds of Willie Nelson, George Strait, Townes Van Zandt, Jerry Jeff Walker, Lyle Lovett, Hal Ketchum, Gregg Allman and many more great musicians.

Don't miss Cowboy Kringle and Old Gruene Christmas Market Days, the Christmas Gospel Brunch with a Texas Twist and lots more holiday fun, including Pam Tillis with an Intimate Evening of Holiday Tunes & Hits December 19 at the Brauntex Theater downtown. The music keeps going throughout the holiday season at Gruene Hall, too, with Jerry Jeff Walker, December 13 and 14; The Mavericks, Kelli Willis and Bruce Robison and Reckless Kelly December 17 – 21; and Cory Morrow, Roger Creager, The Casey Donahew Band, and Kevin Fowler closing up the year at Gruene Hall, December 27 – 31.

Start 2014 off with a little adventure in New Braunfels: Explore the biggest and most spectacular show cave in Texas which also allows you the unique experience of caving the way the original discoverers did. Natural Bridge Caverns has a variety of caves to explore in a variety of ways and the temperature is always in the 70s no matter what's happening outside. Take a safari at the Wildlife Ranch and see the baby Reticulated Giraffes, the second reported set of living twins born in United States. There are more than 50 species of animals from all over the world you can see roaming freely, or on a "walkabout" tour or the petting zoo.  

New Braunfels is known for its water recreation opportunities in the summertime – great rivers that thousands enjoy "tubing" every year, Canyon Lake and some other smaller lakes popular for boating, fishing and skiing. But in winter, the magnificent Guadalupe River offers a scenic rafting, canoeing and kayaking opportunity and the amazing chance to fish for rainbow trout in the southern United States.  These year-around adventures keep people coming back to New Braunfels no matter the season.

January's temperatures average about 63°F for the high and that's considered a little cool for local residents, but you can warm up by catching Bill Haley Jr. and The Comets January 11 to relive the dawn of rock & roll with music from the 1950's by the legendary Bill Haley & the Comets. His son, Bill Haley Jr. emphasizes authenticity and includes inside stories and history on the songs. At Gruene Hall get your tickets for The Gourds, Kyle Park, Max Stalling and Jonathan Tyler and The Northern Lights.

Great food in New Braunfels includes traditional German fare like Naegelin's turn of the century recipe apple strudel and German style cookies – Iced Molasses, Springele, Pfefernuesse and Lebkuchen. Naegelin's is the oldest bakery in Texas – in business since 1868. And there's German sausage, of course, from the New Braunfels sausage makers that created the city's 10-day salute to sausage. Wurstfest is November 2-11 next year!

There's Texas barbecue, authentic German and Mexican food, and all manner of other great cuisines from sushi to Cajun Redfish Pontchartrain. There's a local winery, Dry Comal Creek, with its award-winning Texas-style wines – part of the surrounding Texas Hill Country wine region. It's a great place to start your tour of one of the most popular wine regions in the U.S. today. If you'd prefer a fine beer, there are two microbreweries, the Faust Brewing Company and the New Braunfels Brewing Company.

There's a lot to toast during the holiday season in New Braunfels!

For more information on visiting New Braunfels during the holidays or anytime, check out www.innewbraunfels.com

Video with caption: "December in New Braunfels, Texas, means holiday traditions like Wassailfest on Thursday evening, December 5, to get you in the spirit. The downtown celebration is a shop till you drop special event as merchants offer wassail to drink, special treats to munch and lots of holiday cheer. Talented musical groups perform throughout the lit-up downtown area and merchants vie for people's choice awards that go to the top three "wassail-meisters." Great food and live music make it all merry and bright." Video available at: http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/PRNA/ENR/FX-DA25372-20131129-1.mp4

Image with caption: "In addition to holiday fun, New Braunfels, Texas, offers warm winter adventures. Natural Bridge Caverns has spectacular caves to explore – where the temperature is always 70 no matter what's happening outside. Go on safari at the Wildlife Ranch – see Reticulated Giraffe babies, only the second set of twins born in the U.S. New Braunfels is known for water recreation in summer with great rivers and lakes thousands enjoy "tubing," boating, fishing and skiing. In the winter there's scenic rafting, canoeing and the chance to catch rainbow trout where the average daily temperature in December and January is a mild 65." Image available at: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131129/DA25372-a 

Image with caption: "New Braunfels, Texas, cherishes German Christmas traditions like feather trees, advent wreaths, and blown-glass ornaments and celebrates with Wassailfest, music and great food. There's turn of the century apple strudel from Texas' oldest bakery, Naegelin's. There's locally-made German sausage, Texas barbecue – even sushi and Cajun Redfish Pontchartrain. You can visit the Texas Hill Country wineries – one of the most popular wine regions in the U.S. today – and there are microbreweries for beer lovers. There's a lot to toast during the holiday season in New Braunfels! For more information on visiting New Braunfels during the holidays or anytime, check out www.innewbraunfels.com." Image available at: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131129/DA25372LOGO-b

SOURCE New Braunfels Convention & Visitors Bureau