Wurst Year Ever

Beloved New Braunfels festival canceled for first time in 60 years due to COVID-19

Wurstfest will be back in 2021.

One of San Antonio's favorite fall traditions will not happen this year. In a July 23 statement, organizers of New Braunfels' Wurstfest announced this year's event is canceled due to "considerations related to the COVID-19 pandemic."

The Wurstfest Board of Directors met earlier this week to discuss the possibility of hosting the festive fall fête, but ultimately decided against it, they said in a release. This would have been the festival's 60th year.

"We have had our challenges in the past, including flood events and most recently a fire that destroyed the Marktplatz building. We have always overcome our challenges while making the festival better each year," said Randy Rust, 2020 Wurstfest president, in a release. "We made this decision knowing what a difficult year 2020 has been and that our guests were looking forward to Wurstfest more than ever."

Along with being a South Texas tradition, the 10-day festival is also a major fundraiser for area nonprofits, including Communities in Schools, the St. Jude's Ranch for Children, and various local rotary clubs.

"Many of them make their fundraising goals for the year during the ten days of Wurstfest and go on to use those funds to do good work that benefits our community throughout the year. That made this decision even more difficult," Rust continued, adding Wurstfest has new plans to help the nonprofits with fundraising, which will be revealed in the coming weeks.

While this is the wurst news, fans shouldn't despair. The New Braunfels fest will return November 5-14, 2021, for its 60th anniversary extravaganza. Among the highlights already planned for next year is the unveiling of the new-and-improved Marktplatz, the iconic food hall that suffered severe damage after a fire last fall.

“Wurstfest is a community tradition where families reunite, new friends are made, and people from all walks of life come to enjoy the heritage of New Braunfels," said the city's mayor, Rusty Brockman. "This community and the countless volunteers who make Wurstfest happen are resilient and will be back next year stronger than ever.”

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BBQ News

Acclaimed Texas barbecue joint now available on American Airlines

American Airlines

Pecan Lodge sandwich, soon to be served sky high.

Award-winning Dallas barbecue will soon be served in a lofty new location: on an airplane. Pecan Lodge, the acclaimed BBQ restaurant in Deep Ellum, will be featured on select flights aboard American Airlines.

According to a release, the Fort Worth-based airline is adding Pecan Lodge as an option on certain flights out of DFW bound for New York.

Pecan Lodge is the perennial Dallas BBQ favorite that opened in Deep Ellum in 2014, known for its smoked brisket and "Hot Mess" loaded baked sweet potato. The restaurant's nods include being featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. When Tom Cruise came through Dallas in 2025 on a tour through Texas to promote his new film Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning, where did he stop? Pecan Lodge.

The partnership with American begins in February for passengers in first class on flights from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The offering will consist of a barbecue platter with brisket, smoked sausage, mac & cheese, coleslaw, pickles, onions, and BBQ sauce.

They'll replace that with a new item for March consisting of a chopped brisket sandwich with green beans, potato salad, pickles, onions, and BBQ sauce.

The options are available only via preorder, beginning January 11 through aa.com or American’s mobile app.

The Pecan Lodge partnership is the latest in American's commitment to elevating its customer experience. Other recent new menu additions include Champagne Bollinger and Lavazza coffee, both in lounges and in flight.

In a statement, American SVP of Customer Experience Design and Strategy Rhonda Crawford offers high praise for the barbecue brand.

“As we celebrate American’s centennial anniversary in 2026, we’re looking forward to delighting our customers in new ways that honor unique regional tastes, beginning right here in our home state through one of the most beloved barbecue restaurants in Texas,” Crawford says. “Our customers deserve nothing but the best, and Pecan Lodge is certainly that.”

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