Dust Off Your Dancing Shoes for 2013 Gruene Music and Wine Festival

You’ll want to experience the sounds and tastes of Gruene Music and Wine Festival 2013. This fest has longevity as it heads into its 27th year. With that much history, it’s gotta be good!

Located just outside New Braunfels, the historical town of Gruene is one of my favorite day trips from Austin. With lovable shops and good food galore, the town has mastered the art of hosting special events and festivals. This year’s Gruene Music and Wine Festival is four days of live shows and friendly imbibing.

The schedule for October 10-13, 2013 is broken down into four events. Events have already started to sell out, so you definitely don’t want to waste any time making plans to attend. You can buy individual tickets for events or choose from various packages.

That’s Right – It’s Not From Texas

Thursday, October 10th

From 5:30-7:30 PM at The Grapevine Garden, you’ll have the opportunity to sample 30 German and New World Wines, with live music from Acoustic Jungle in the background. Your ticket ($16/advance, $20/door) also entitles you to a souvenir wine glass and a door prize raffle ticket (the vacation package door prizes are pretty amazing).

Souvenir wine glasses and tasting tickets

Rockin’ With Texas Food & Wine

Friday, October 11th

The oldest continuously open dance hall in Texas, Gruene Hall, will host a catered dinner from Gristmill River Restaurant, private music show, wine tasting and guitar auction. Autographed guitars for auction include signatures by Willie Nelson, George Strait, Dwight Yoakum, Los Lonely Boys, and many others. If you need icing on the cake, proceeds benefit United Way of Comal County.

Great Guitar Auction

General admission is sold out, but there is still one VIP table available as of this writing (go in with your friends!).

Texas Tastings & Tunes

Saturday, October 12th

Tickets are still available for this baby, so I recommend that you act fast. From 12-6 PM, festival attendees will have the chance to experience over 80 Texas wines and Texas foods, food trucks, live music on two stages, and a gift market that features handmade wine accessories.

Wine tasting tent

Texas wineries on site will include:

• Bell Springs Winery
• Bending Branch Winery
• Bernhardt Winery
• Blue Lotus Winery
• Fall Creek Vineyards
• Fawncrest Vineyard
• Fiesta Winery
• Georgetown Winery
• Grape Creek Winery
• Haak Vineyards
• Hilmy Cellars
• Inkwood Estates Vineyards
• Kerrville Hills Winery
• Llano Estacado Winery
• Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards
• Maydelle Country Wines
• Pleasant Hill Winery
• Rohan Meadery
• Salado Creek Winery
• Santa Maria Cellars
• Seifert Cellars
• Three Dudes Winery
• Texas Hills Vineyard
• Texas Mead Works
  
• Val Verde Winery
• Wedding Oak Winery
• Woodrose Winery

Tickets are $20/advance and $30/door.

Over 80 Texas wines to choose from at Gruene Music and Wine Festival

Space is also available for Saturday’s night concert at Gruene Hall with singer/songwriter Charlie Robinson. Charlie will be doing a meet and greet at Gruene Hall from 6-7 PM. No tickets are necessary (read: it’s free), but there will probably be a line at the door long before 6 PM.

Live music stage at Gruene Music and Wine Festival

Texas-Style Musicfest

Sunday, October 13th

There are three things you can participate in on Sunday, and tickets are still available for all of them as of this writing. Gospel Brunch with a Texas Twist happens at 10:30 AM at Gruene Hall, with a delicious catered meal from Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar.

Sunday afternoon from 1-6 PM is Brew-N-Que on The Grapevine Grounds. More live music, lots of beer (over 4o types to choose from), BBQ, food trucks, wine tastings, and the comeback of Saturday’s gift market. Admission ($15/advance, $20/door) includes 5 tasting tickets.

Food trucks on site

From 1 PM until the moon is high in the sky, live music will be playing at Gruene Hall. Eight. whole. hours.

The Big Picture

Gruene Music and Wine Festival was originally founded to promote Texas and Americana music and raise funds for United Way of Comal County. Twenty-seven years later, festival organizers are still giving back to the same non-profit, and many new events and features have been added to make the experience even more vibrant for visitors.

I’m excited about checking out Gruene Music and Wine Festival 2013, and I hope to see you there!

@QuasiBrit asks:

Have you ever made a trip to Gruene? What were your favorite parts of the town?

Disclosure: I will receive a press pass to Gruene Music and Wine Festival 2013. All opinions are my own.

Photos courtesy of Gruene Music & Wine Festival.