Half a century after Deutschen Pfest first brought Pflugerville together to celebrate its German roots, the event is marking 50 years with a weekend of music, food, carnival rides and Texas-German culture.

The background: Pflugerville’s longest-running community tradition started in 1976 to honor the German immigrants who settled in Pflugerville.

For a long time, it was a citizen-run event, said Jonathan Hanson, recreation superintendent of the Pflugerville Parks and Recreation Department. Six years ago, the city took over the event to put additional resources behind it.

The tagline of the festival is “Guten tag, y'all,” as it aims to celebrate both Texas and German culture.

“You may be a cowboy-type person; you're welcome at Deutschfest,” Hanson said. “You may be someone who is of German heritage; you're welcome at Deutschfest. You could be someone who is neither of those and just wants to celebrate what Texan culture and German culture looks like.”

The event: Deutschen Pfest will take place Oct. 16 from 5-11 p.m. and Oct. 17 from 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Hutto has several new businesses now open or coming soon, including a puppy wellness and yoga studio as well as an Olive Garden. Read about these businesses and more below.

Puppy Paws Studio
The studio is owned by 15-year-old Regina Rico Schnell and managed by her mother Amanda Schnell. They partner with local shelters and ethical breeders to socialize puppies before they go to their forever homes.

• Opened Aug. 15
• 128 Little Elm Way, Hutto

Soul Strong Yoga
The studio offers several classes, including morning and afternoon yoga, prenatal yoga, meditation, Pilates, power yoga and more.

• Opened Sept. 1
• 531 Ed Schmidt Blvd., Ste. 120, Hutto

Olive Garden
The location will be in the Sprouts-anchored development off Hwy. 79 and SH 130, according to the city and real estate company Endeavor. The nationwide Italian restaurant chain serves appetizers, pasta entrees, soups, salads, breadsticks and desserts.

• Opening TBD
• Northeast corner of Hwy. 79 and SH 130

Williamson County commissioners adopted the fiscal year 2026-27 budget and tax rate at the Commissioners Court meeting Sept. 1.

The $712.94 million budget is supported by a tax rate of $0.421547 per $100 valuation, the no-new-revenue tax rate.

Explained: The no-new-revenue rate calculates the property tax rate that would generate the exact same amount of revenue as last year from existing properties. Williamson County’s current tax rate is $0.413776 per $100.

Under the newly adopted rate, which goes into effect Oct. 1, Williamson County property owners will likely see a decrease on their county tax line, officials said. The average homestead will pay about $28, or 1.49%, less per year than in the current fiscal year, according to a county news release.

Digging deeper: The county budget consists of the general fund, road and bridge fund, and debt service. Commissioners approved a general fund budget of $405.65 million, $75 million for the road and bridge fund, and $232.3 million for debt service.

Check out stories trending in the Austin area Aug. 31-Sept. 3. 

1. Georgetown to reduce speed limit on Ronald Reagan Boulevard

2. Rooftop padel club planned at downtown Austin Convention Center garage

3. New East Austin supportive housing offers exit from homelessness

4. Round Rock residents to see higher water, wastewater, sewer bills

5. Bee Cave rejects permit for VVater research lab

6. Hays County secures over $39 million for railroad overpass at Centerpoint Road

Republican incumbent August Pfluger will face off against Democratic candidate Claire Reynolds in November.

On Sept. 1, the State Board of Education moved forward with an overhaul of what Texas high schoolers will learn in four social studies courses: U.S. History, U.S. Government, World History and World Geography.

What's happening: Roughly 100 Texans testified about the high school curriculum rewrite at an Aug. 31 meeting, with the debate revolving around how students would learn about the two largest world religions, Christianity and Islam.

Dozens of Muslim Texans asked that students learn about the religion’s core principles and how Muslims have contributed to advancements in math, science and medicine throughout history.

Some testifiers said the social studies curriculum should highlight the role of Christianity in the founding of Texas and the U.S., praising the board for prioritizing “American exceptionalism” and topics that they said would teach students to love the country.

The context: The discussion comes as the Republican-led board nears the finish line on its new K-12 social studies curriculum standards.

If approved, the new requirements will be rolled out to public school classrooms in the 2030-31 school year.