As the city of New Braunfels turns 175 years young in 2020, we’ve got several ways to celebrate.
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NOTE: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these events may have been cancelled. As always, please check with the links provided for more information – especially before traveling long distances.
In March 1845 – a few months before Texas joined the United States, Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, Germany purchased 1,265 acres in the heart of the Lone Star State for $1,112.
Quite the bargain, right?
Before you know it, a group of settlers were on their way to what would be called New Braunfels.
Founding of New Braunfels
According to The Handbook of Texas Online:
“[New Braunfels] was founded on March 21, 1845, when, under the auspices of the Adelsverein, Nicolaus Zink led a German immigrant wagontrain up the Guadalupe River to the ford of the San Antonio-Nacogdoches road. They made camp at a site on Comal Creek (now Dry Comal Creek) chosen by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, the first commissioner general of the Adelsverein, and promptly organized to receive later arrivals. Zink platted preliminary town and farm lots and supervised construction of a primitive stockade, the Zinkenburg, to protect the immigrants against allegedly cannibalistic Indians. Within weeks Prince Solms had laid the cornerstone for a more permanent fort and headquarters for the immigrant association, the Sophienburg (now the Sophienburg Museum ), made provision for supplying the burgeoning settlement through its first summer on the frontier, and handed leadership of the colony over to John O. Meusebach. By summer the settlers numbered between 300 and 400, and the community had been incorporated under the name of Prince Solms’s estate on the Lahn River in western Germany, Braunfels . . . . It is reported that in 1850 New Braunfels was the fourth largest town in Texas.”
Now, 175 years later, the city is experiencing rapid growth in what many consider a sweet spot along the Austin – San Antonio IH-10 corridor.
New Braunfels Today
Long a tourism destination – thanks in largely to the nearby rivers, legendary Schlitterbahn waterpark and the annual Wurstfest event, the town is sprouting new homes and subdivisions daily, balancing a storied past with a promising future.
What better time than early spring – just as the storied bluebonnets begin to blossom – for residents to toast city founders?
This March there’s a number of upcoming events of note, any (or all) of which make for an excellent reason to see what keeps luring people from around the world to the confluence of the Comal and Guadalupe rivers.
How to Celebrate New Braunfels’ 175th Birthday
March 14
9:30 a.m.
On the town’s 125th anniversary in 1970, city leaders put together a time capsule – with pieces of it intended to be picked up by local families by their ancestors. It’s an opportunity to see how past and present continue to converge. Free.
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Did you know that the home of the “Father of Texas botany,” Ferdinand Lindheimer, still stands in New Braunfels? Take an early morning tour of this property and others with well-informed docents. They’ll fill you in on stories about the town’s early domestic life. Tickets: $20 each.
March 19
Unveiling of the Anniversary Mural
4:30 p.m.
In a city known for its mural tradition, visit a beloved performing arts space, the Brauntex, to see the unveiling of a new city mural honoring the town’s founding. Free.
March 20
What was life like in that first European ride from the Texas Gulf Coast to New Braunfels? It’s hard to know for sure, but sturdy modern trail riders will be heading out of Indianola on March 14, bound for New Braunfels.
They’ll arrive on March 20 and set up camp in the Comal County Fairgrounds – and join in on the fun at the parade the following morning. Free.
March 21
174th Annual Kindermasken Parade and Ball
10 a.m.
Leading the parade are the aforementioned trail riders newly arrived from Indianola and the Kindermasken Parade, the world’s oldest children’s parade which is celebrating its own 174th anniversary this year. (The Kindermasken Ball begins at 11 a.m.) Free.
April 4 – 5
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Day 1); 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Day 2)
Chuck wagons, candle making, laundry chores and historic nine-pin bowling – all these old-school activities will take place in a family-friendly environment complete with costumed interpreters. Tickets: $5 each for adults; $2 each for children under 12.
Explore More
Looking for more ways to celebrate New Braunfels, we suggest a visit to Naegelin’s Bakery or the Sophienburg Museum and Archives. Or go a little creepy and see if you can score tickets later in the year to one of the city’s ghost tours.
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