SATX-NBF: Impact 9/30/2025

Central Texas’ most popular 10-day celebration of German heritage and culture is right around the corner.

On Nov. 7-16, Wurstfest will attract 240,000 people from across the country and around the globe. The festival—founded in 1961—not only showcases the area's rich German history, but also focuses on charity and scholarship, Wurstfest President Keith Westerfer said.

Digging deeper: Wurstfest has about 20 to 24 nonprofit organizations attend the festival.

“It’s incredible, the amount of support they receive just within 10 days,” Wersterfer said.

What’s new: This year, the festival will feature a new pavilion for live German music and food—called the Wasserplatz—which will replace a tent that is normally situated in front of Bar 5, near Landa Park Drive.

“We want to improve the grounds as much as we can, but we also want to preserve its mystique,” he said.

• Wurstfest Grounds, 178 Landa Park Drive, New Braunfels

A local brewery and biergarten is planning to shut its doors on Halloween in New Braunfels.

The details: Faust Brewing Company announced its upcoming closure on Oct. 31 at 499 S. Castell Ave. in New Braunfels, according to a Facebook post. 

“For 16 wonderful years, we have had the privilege of serving our community, sharing laughter, celebrations, and creating unforgettable memories,” the post states. 

What they offer: Faust Brewing Company—which opened in 2009—sells lagers, IPAs and mixed drinks, according to previous reporting by Community Impact. The brewery also has live music and a food trailer that sells American pub fare food items with a German twist.

• 499 S. Castell Ave., New Braunfels

A hotel that opened over 115 years ago in San Antonio has recently completed a multi-million dollar renovation project.

The details: The Gunter Hotel, situated at 205 E. Houston St., announced its grand opening on Sept. 22 in a news release, showcasing the upgrades.

Renovations totaled approximately $57 million, adding 20,000 new square feet of meeting spaces, 311 reimagined guest rooms and a new digital recording studio.

Additionally, the news release outlined the launch of four new bars and eateries on the hotel’s property, two of which are already open to the public—Jot’s, a new restaurant and The Keystone Club, a new brass bar.

Bar 414, a speakeasy, and Paris Baguette, the new cafe and bakery, currently have no opening dates but will be announced “soon,” according to the news release.

The local impact: “We are confident that The Gunter will offer an unforgettable stay for both locals and travelers from around the world,” Jiwon Choi, the owner and managing director of the property, said in the release.

• 205 East Houston St., San Antonio

A new destination is now available at San Antonio’s international airport, offering area travelers more direct destinations around the globe.

In case you missed it: City officials from the airport announced the launch of a new direct flight from San Antonio to Toronto, Canada, beginning on May 2, 2026, in a news release.

Flights to and from Toronto Pearson International Airport will be serviced by Air Canada, marking the first such direct flight to the country from the airport in its history.
The new flight is also San Antonio's 10th international destination, according to the news release.

“With this new nonstop connection, we look forward to continuing to foster relationships between our two communities and throughout Canada,” Erik Walsh, the city manager of San Antonio, said in the release.

What are the options? Aside from travel to the Maple Leaf Country, connections to Toronto with Air Canada will offer locals easier access to direct flights headed to London, Barcelona, Madrid and other locations across Europe.

• 9800 Airport Blvd., San Antonio