Hot air balloons getting ready to take off.
As the heat wave of another Texas summer passes into the rear view mirror, fall festivals and events are just over the horizon. The Hill Country area has some unique events happening for Texans to enjoy.
Boerne BierFest set for September.
The fifth annual Boerne BierFest is set for September 24 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the AgriCultural Museum and Arts Center. Each ticket will give guests 10 beer samples to try from over 30 Texas craft breweries. The money raised at the event will benefit the arts.
Entry includes live music, participation in the stein hoist competition and keg toss, and the chance to purchase art from Texas artists.
Cost: $35; under 21 are free with a paid adult
Find it: 102 City Park Road, Boerne, TX 78006
Comal County is set to hold their annual county fair in September.
Time to dust off the ranch boots and grab some fried food in New Braunfels for the Comal County Fair and Rodeo from September 21 to September 25. A carnival will be set up for everyone to enjoy, along with a rodeo set for the weekend. There will be multiple contests like baking, arts, and more. The baby barn yard where kids can interact with animals will be up, H-E-Buddy kid zone will be up
Cost: General admission for adults is $10 and kids tickets $5. Rodeo seating varies from $20 to $25.
Find it: 701 East Common St., New Braunfels, TX 78130
German food and festivities headed to Fredericksburg.
From September 30 through October 2, the Pedernales Creative Arts Alliance is hosting the 42nd annual Oktoberfest. Fredericksburg will celebrate its German heritage with three days of eating, drinking, music, souvenirs, and more. Kids can go to the kinderpark to play, there will be Oktubafest, waltz and yodel contest, keg tapping and brewmeister meetings, stein hoist, and more.
The event starts on September 30 from 6 p.m. to midnight, October 1 from 10 a.m. to midnight, and October 2 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: $10 adults, $1 kids ages 7-12, kids under 6 are free. Adult two-day tickets are $15 and three-day tickets are $20.
Find it: 100 block of West Main, Fredericksburg, TX 78624
One hot air balloon lifts off and flies over another at a Texas balloon festival.
On Saturday, September 3, from noon to 8 p.m., hot air balloons will be filling the Kyle sky in the annual Pie in the Sky event. There will be a vendor market, live music, a kids' play area, and, of course, tethered hot air balloon rides. Kyle is not named the Pie Capital of Texas for nothing, a pie baking and pie eating contest will be happening at the event too.
Parking is free and shuttles will be picking up visitors at St. Anthony's Church. This year, Kyle's Pie in the Sky celebration made a switch to Gregg-Clarke Park due to Lake Kyle Park construction. Music acts Broken Arrow, Jukebox Preachers featuring Art Tigerina, LC Rocks, Kyle Park, and JR Gomez y Los Conjunto Bandits are set to play the festival.
Cost: Free admission for all
Find it: 1231 West Center St., Kyle, TX, 78640
A cowboy riding a bronco in the afternoon dust at a rodeo.
Luckenbach's population of three people is set to grow when it host its inaugural Bull Bash with the Lester Meier Rodeo Company on Sunday, September 4. Live music, professional and amateur bull riding, and mutton busting will be going on. The gates open at 4 p.m. Dale Watson will play from 5 to 7 p.m. Bull riding will start at 7 p.m. and continue until 9 p.m. Joe Stork Concert will run from 9 to 10:30 p.m.
They will be taking 30 open bull riders for the event and mutton busters must pre-enter starting on August 28 at 4 p.m. For more information call 830-997-1864.
Cost: General admission $20, kids under 8 are free
Find it: 412 Luckenbach Town Loop, Fredericksburg, TX 78624
Mermaids will be in the streets of San Marcos in September.
The Mermaid Society SMTX annual San Marcos Mermaid Festival is set for September 24. The festival will have a parade from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The festival celebrates the history of Aquarena Springs Aquamaids and the San Marcos River. The parade will start at the CM Allena and Cheatham Street.
San Marcos was named the Mermaid Capital of Texas in May 2021. There are mermaid sculptures throughout the city and mermaids will flood the town for this event. From 1 to 8 p.m. downtown San Marcos will be turned into Downtown Street Faire with musical acts, an art market, and food trucks.
Find it: 111 East San Antonio St., San Marcos, TX 78666
Here's a map for all the locations hosting events in the Hill Country this September:
Gabriel Romero is the Hill Country reporter for MySA.com. He is a California transplant with a healthy curiosity of the Lone Star State.