Taking Off

Turkish Airlines already adding more Houston flights: Mayor Parker praises . . . Omer Asik?

Turkish Airlines has arrived in a big way in Houston, celebrating its inaugural flight — which took off from George Bush Intercontinental Airport's Terminal D on Monday evening — with two days of festivities and an NBA outing.

(At a luncheon on Tuesday, Mayor Annise Parker boasted about how Omer Asik, the tall Turkish-born center for the Houston Rockets, performed well for his out-of-town fans and helped his team to an important win over the Orlando Magic the night before.)

Initial once-daily flights will depart from Houston at 7:50 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, but as Houston Airport System executive director Mario Diaz pointed out at the luncheon, the ambitious carrier added two additional weekly flights before service out of IAH even commenced.

"Texas' future, Houston's future, involves opening ourselves up to business with the rest of the world."

Beginning July 3, service will also take place on Wednesdays and Sundays, and Hamdi Topçu, chairman of Turkish Airlines, foresees that the frequency to Istanbul's Ataturk Airport will soon be increased to multiple daily departures.

The carrier, which also flies from New York, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, has grown from just more than 50 aircraft a decade ago to its position today as the third largest in Europe in terms of passenger numbers.

Parker noted that Houston has a longstanding relationship with Istanbul and a thriving Turkish community. She anticipates that the city will benefit economically and tourism-wise from the new flights, which links travelers to Turkish Airlines' 220 destinations (and counting).

"Texas' future, Houston's future, involves opening ourselves up to business with the rest of the world," said Parker, who will lead a Houston delegation on a trade mission to Istanbul and Ankara later this month.

Introductory round-trip fares start at $599.

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The Wurst is Yet to Come

Central Texas town's annual sausage (and beer) party returns for 2024

Photo courtesy of Wurstfest

Wurstfest returns for its 63rd year this November.

German culture is on display in many subtle ways throughout Texas' historic towns; Wurstfest is not one of those ways. This oompah-driven, battered-and-fried, lederhosen-clad beer and sausage festival is coming back to New Braunfels for its annual festivities November 1-10.

This is the 63rd year for the Hill Country festival, which takes place on a German-style compound with an exhibition hall, rows upon rows of fair food stalls, imported beers on tap, sausage making stations, children's carnival rides, traditional costumes, and other artisan goods. (More than 20 nonprofits benefit from theses sales.) Since many revelers stay all day, a robust entertainment lineup keeps things fresh on five stages as the beer continues to flow.

Wustfest New Braunfels aerial The Wurstfest grounds expect to see more than 200,000 visitors over the 10-day festival.Photo courtesy of Wurstfest

More than 40 bands, many of whom are visiting from other cities and countries, will play more than 250 sets. They include:

Grammy-award winning polka musician Jimmy Sturr and his Orchestra
New Braunfels' own Grammy-nominated accordionist Alex Meixner
Germany's Munchholzhauser Blaskapella
New York's Die Schlauberger
International Polka Association's 2019 International Band of the Year, Squeezebox with Mollie B

Although some of these sets do begin to blend together when treated as background music, there is plenty of variety between the bands and genres. The rousing oompah genre is probably what most people think of for a German festival, but there will also be polka (more Czech, while oompah bands are more Bavarian), yodeling, and gentler waltzes.

“Music has been an integral part of the Wurstfest celebration since its inception in 1961,” said 2024 Wurstfest President Sherman Krause. “Whether its oompah, polka, yodeling or a waltz, they are classic German genres that get people out onto the dance floor, swaying in their seats and cheering and singing along with the bands."

Alex Meixner at Wurstfest Alex Meixner is a regular at Wurstfest.Photo courtesy of Wurstfest

A band is scheduled to play every hour of the festival on alternating stages. The full lineup is available at wurstfest.com. Alex Meixner and Mollie B and Squeezebox will get the festival going with the customary “biting of the sausage,” like a ribbon-cutting where people all simultaneously take their first bite of a long string of sausages.

Tickets are available online ($18-20) through October 31. Then they'll be available at the gate ($22.50-25). Admission is free Mondays through Thursdays, and certain other days are free or include a second day using coupons from the official website. Operating hours are Mondays through Thursdays from 5-10 pm, Fridays from 5-11 pm, Saturdays from 11 am to midnight, and Sundays from 11 am to 10 pm.

beer festivals german culture new braunfels