Things to Do

Wassailfest in Downtown New Braunfels Will be a Warm and Lit-Up Event

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Tony Maples Photography

 

The 2017 Wassailfest will be held Thursday, December 7 in beautiful and historic downtown New Braunfels. Join the party at 6:00 p.m. for the official toast to kick off this cherished, annual event. It’s an evening of music, fun food, great shopping, thousands of twinkling holiday lights and, of course – lots of free wassail for you to sample.

A Warm, Cozy Evening of Shopping

Wassailfest

Photo: Flickr/Will-travel

Most of historic, downtown New Braunfels shops stay open late, while festival-goers stroll from shop to shop, sampling wassail and picking out holiday gifts. Be sure to vote for the People’s Choice winner and see if your choice is also selected by the Wassail-Meisters for their award. What a wonderful way for the family to enjoy the holiday season! This event runs from 6 – 9 p.m.

The Farmers Market will hold special Wassailfest hours too, so bring your reusable bags and score some produce or handmade gifts at Wassail Markt. Vendors will be selling locally-made unique Christmas gifts and delicious snacks.

What is Wassail?

Wassail

Photo: Facebook/New Braunfels Farmers Market

Wassail is hot, mulled punch often associated with Yuletide, drunk from a ‘wassailing bowl‘. The earliest versions were warmed mead into which roasted crab apples were dropped and burst to create a drink called ‘lambswool‘ drunk on Lammas day, still known in Shakespeare’s time. Later, the drink evolved to become a mulled cider made with sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, topped with slices of toast as sops and drunk from a large communal bowl.

Modern recipes begin with a base of wine, fruit juice or mulled ale, sometimes with brandy or sherry added. Apples or oranges are often added to the mix, and some recipes also call for beaten eggs to be tempered into the drink. At New Braunfels’ Wassailfest, there will be both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of the festive drinks.

To learn more about Wassailfest in Downtown New Braunfels, visit their Facebook page.