Call Center Company in New Braunfels, TX

New Braunfels is a German-rooted town with a Texas-size soul. Located in the Texas Hill Country about one hour from Austin and San Antonio, the suburb is a coveted place to live for groups and individuals from all walks of life, from professionals to young families to empty nesters. Over the past few years, New Braunfels has experienced a population boom, which has propelled growth of the local economy and job market.

In fact, the New Braunfels City Council approved $9.4 million in economic development projects dedicated to supporting job growth, developing a healthy housing market and improving quality of life for residents in 2024. But while the city continues to evolve, residents are also dedicated to honoring its history and German heritage. Read to learn more about New Braunfels and why it’s an excellent place to call home.

Established in 1845 by settlers from Braunfels, Germany, New Braunfels is just a quick drive away from the big-city attractions of Austin and San Antonio, which both have international airports offering nonstop flights to and from dozens of destinations. The tasting rooms, vineyards and wineries of Fredericksburg, the heart of Texas Wine Country, are also just a 90-minute drive from New Braunfels.

While the median home value in New Braunfels is about $329,600 (10% higher than the Texas average of $297,800), the city has lots of community-centric features that contribute to a higher standard of living. There are more than 280 restaurants, including several in charming Downtown New Braunfels, a hub for shopping, dining and entertainment. In the area, visitors and locals can browse for everything from antiques and clothing to groceries. There’s also a bevy of restaurants and cafes serving barbecue, Tex-Mex, German fare, and other types of cuisine, plus bars and pubs slinging cocktails, wine and beer. (Bonus: There’s lots of free parking.)

The Gruene Historic District, a 15-acre neighborhood on the banks of the Guadalupe River, is also worth exploring. There, you can see some of New Braunfels’ original buildings and shop for antiques, hats, boots, toys and other unique finds at locally owned businesses. Plus, Gruene Hall, the oldest continuously operated dance hall in Texas, is a historic hot spot for live music.

Residents can stretch their legs and soak up sunshine at the city’s 16 parks and gardens and let the children burn off energy at 10 playgrounds. Meanwhile, Das Rec—a 77,000-square-foot fitness center, the city’s largest recreation city—offers tons of fitness classes and exercise space. That includes a 25-foot competition pool, a nearly 6,000-square-foot leisure pool and two full-size gyms. It also offers a free child watch program for members who need someone to care for their kids while they work out.

Tucked at the intersection of the Guadalupe and Comal rivers in the Texas Hill Country, New Braunfels offers access to a bounty of splash-worthy activities. Swimming, tubing, stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking are beloved pastimes year-round, but particularly popular activities during the hot summer months. If you’re a fan of angling, the Guadalupe River is one of the Hill Country’s top trout-fishing destinations and Landa Park and Fischer Park also have lakes teeming with trout, bass and other coveted catches.

New Braunfels is also home to Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resort, a 70-acre destination with 45 attractions, including water slides, rides, wave pools, lazy rivers and swim-up bars. The park is open from mid-April through mid-September and season passes start at just $105, making the park a great spot for water-loving crews to beat the heat. It’s the hottest, coolest time in Texas (iykyk)!

While Schlitterbahn is a big draw for families, there are plenty of other things to do for households with kids in tow beyond water activities. Natural Bridge Wildlife Range is an African Safari–themed habitat for more than 500 animals, while Animal World & Snack Farm Zoo offers opportunities to see crocodiles, gators, foxes and other wild creatures. Or venture underground to see otherworldly rock formations at Natural Bridge Caverns, which has the largest explorable caverns in the Lone Star State, as well as ziplining, gem and fossil mining and other grin-inducing fun.

The award-winning New Braunfels Public Library also has many free community events and programs for parents and little ones. Moms and mothers-to-be can attend regular prenatal breastfeeding classes, while kids love Art Afternoons, Curiosity Club and Storytime Yoga. There’s also Chess Club for Teens and Tweens and Sit and Stitch for anyone interested in crafting with needlework and yarn.

New Braunfels has an events calendar packed with festivals and other happenings, so there’s always something to look forward to. Attend Troutfest, a gathering of fly-fishing enthusiasts and advocates for cold water fisheries, in February; Folkfest and Saengerfest, must-have experiences for live music lovers, in April and May, respectively; and Wurstfest, a multi-day celebration of German food and culture, in November. In March, the Fischer Park Dog Rodeo, an afternoon of dog races, costume contests and vendors from local businesses, is popular with pet parents.

Every first Friday of the month (March through October), the town’s creative community sets up shop in Downtown New Braunfels for First Friday. The event boasts late night shopping, opportunities to mingle with local artists, live music and more. Additionally, many venues Downtown such as the Brauntex Theatre and Krause’s Cafe, host live bands throughout the year.

When it comes to Easter, maybe you're being dragged to church with your family or maybe you're focused on painting eggs for the kiddos to hunt in the yard. If you're mischievous, maybe you're sneaking up on people and cracking a cascaron or confetti egg on their heads. San Antonians know all about cascarones (you better check your back right now) but they'd best avoid a certain Texas Hill Country town if they're thinking of bringing the Easter fun on the road.

The New Braunfels Parks and Recreation Department reminded folks via Facebook on Thursday, April 17, that confetti eggs of any type are not permitted at city parks.

"We want to remind visitors to our parks that confetti and confetti eggs have their time and place, but the park is not one of them," the post reads. "Help us keep New Braunfels beautiful (and safe for our wildlife friends) by keeping your messiest fun at home and out of our parks!"

The use of "visitors" has us thinking of the thousands of people who regularly visit New Braunfels throughout the year. The city is known across the state as a tourist destination and times like Easter Sunday, April 20, make it a prime target.

The rule can be found park regulations on the City of New Braunfels' website, which reminds folks to leave places as they found them by not littering. That includes "confetti, candy wrappers, balloons and other party or event-related trash."

Some Facebook users voiced their support for the rule, reminding people to keep confetti out of Landa Lake and to not bring balloons either. While others were confused, saying the confetti eggs are biodegradable.

One user said what we're all thinking, "Good luck with that rule!! Hahahaha."

If you're a rebel and want to visit Landa Park, you can find it at 164 Landa Park Drive, New Braunfels, TX 78130.

There's an ancient alchemy underway in New Braunfels.

Tucked into the corner of a stretch of industrial buildings along Texas 46, Isaac Pruna is transforming honey into gold. And as owner of the fledgling 8-month-old Valkyrie's Kiss Mead, the New Braunfels native and 10-year Army veteran is already winning both loyal fans and awards for his intoxicating elixirs. Not bad for a guy who brewed his first batch of mead just a few years back.

"I got out of the military about three years ago now. And so, getting out, I just realized I loved enjoying the culture of alcohol," Pruna said. "When I got to travel all throughout Europe and different parts of the world, I realized that there's one common thing between each culture. People really love to celebrate and drink alcohol, you know. And so coming back home, I was just fascinated with how I could bring something really old and make it modern and make it appeal to as many people as I can."

Pruna is an enthusiastic champion of mead, an ancient form of alcohol made by fermenting honey with water and yeast. Pruna said mead's history predates wine production by two millennia, dating back to roughly 7,000 BCE — a claim supported by an archaeological record that's found pottery in northern China containing traces consistent with mead production.

Valkyrie's Kiss's flagship traditional wildflower meads are available in sweet and dry versions. It also bottles several fruit-infused versions, which are, technically speaking, called melomel. In this year's TEXSOM Awards, an international beverage competition, Valkyrie's Kiss took a silver medal for its Blackberry Gold mead and a bronze medal for its cherry-flavored Cherry Nice to Mead You.

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It takes literal tons of honey to get to all that hardware. Valkyrie's Kiss bubbles through about seven 55-gallon barrels per quarter — more than 4,500 pounds of the stuff every three months. Pruna works exclusively with Texas-produced honey, primarily sourced from the apiaries Youngblood's Honey in Pearsall and Holdman Honey in Seguin.

Keeping things local comes at a cost. Pruna said each barrel runs around $2,500 — a cost he could cut dramatically if he chose to use imported honey. But it's a price worth paying, he said.

"So, number one, Texans are very proud of the products that are made in Texas," Pruna said. "And another reason why I wanted to use Texas honey is because it's unique to to our area. When mead is made, if it's made with a different honey and it's made with different water, you're never going to get the same results even if you have the same recipe. It's going to be difficult to achieve the same type of complexities that each mead made in its own region has."

And it's not just about the true-to-Texas flavors for Pruna. In the world of alcohol production, mead, he said, is an environmentally friendly beverage.

"Compared to wine, beer and distilled products, for every one gallon that is consumed by the public, it usually takes about seven gallons of water to produce that one gallon of that product. With mead, whatever water we use is water that you're pretty much consuming. We have a very small amount of waste," Pruna said. "With the rising concern of water conservation, especially here in Central Texas, and even in Canyon Lake, and here in New Braunfels, Medina Lake is almost pretty much dried up. Same with Canyon Lake. That was one consideration I took into play when choosing this. Water conservation and then saving the bees, you know. Save the bees drink mead."

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The Valkyrie's Kiss mission is personal to Pruna as well. He named the brand in honor of the Norse goddess Freyja, who is often associated with valkyries and their surrounding lore.

"She was charged to go down to the battlefield and bring those souls that fought valiantly in life and on the battlefield to Valhalla," Pruna said. "I chose the name Valkyrie's Kiss partly because of my service in the military and also an homage to the people that I've lost personally. So anytime I get to drink with friends and family, I can honor them and get to drink and be merry."

In some ways, Valkyrie's Kiss is on the path of most resistance. The U.S. alcohol market is expected to be worth about $318 billion this year, according to statista.com. Mead makes up a microscopic share of that, with a value clocked at roughly $540 million in 2023 as reported by Global Market Insights. Jeff Bezos wouldn't even notice a blip on his bank statement if he bought up the entire industry.

Mead doesn't have much visibility in popular culture, either. You won't see any ads for it during the Super Bowl. Chances are pretty good you won't find any stocked at your favorite restaurant or bar. The customer base who are familiar with mead is comparatively tiny when looked at next to the millions of cool kids cracking open a White Claw.

"So I find the A-type customers right away. People who've gone to renaissance fairs, people who've tried to make it at their house. Those people are usually interested in trying something new, and they'll go for it," Pruna said. "There's not really a B customer developed yet. So we either have the A customer, or we have someone who tried it once before, or never tried it at all. Some people will say, 'Oh, well, yeah, my husband, my son, my brother, or my friend from college brewed it at their house. I tried it. It tastes horrible, and I've never had mead again.' So now we're dealing with the perception that mead is god awful."

But times and tastes, Pruna said, are changing. Mead is projected to hit a market value of $1.4 billion by 2032 according to fortunebusinessinsights.com. Pruna can envision a world where mead follows a path similar to the current popularity of hard ciders — once a niche segment relegated to granddad's rocking chair, but now available in bars across the country thanks to the rise of brands such as Austin Eastciders. Pruna cites Austin-based Meridian Hive, which makes a line of canned beverages it calls "hard honey" as an example of a brand working to popularize honey-based drinks, although he sees a different path for Valkyrie's Kiss.

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"For me, I'm not necessarily going for cans or kegs or any of that. I want to produce a very fine mead for people who want to try to get away from wines or certain beers or stuff like that," Pruna said. "In particular, we're jumping into a very new trend to age mead in bourbon and whiskey barrels, and also to work with distilleries for them to have our barrels that we age mead in so that they can age their whiskey."

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For now, Valkyrie's Kiss doesn't have any advertising campaigns, but it has become a regular fixture at the New Braunfels Farmers Market and Pearl Farmers Market. Getting samples into the hands of potential customers, Pruna said, has been the most effective way to spread awareness of his product. The production facility in New Braunfels also has a tasting room available for reservation. The efforts have been worthwhile. Valkyrie's Kiss meads are now available in a number of New Braunfels restaurants and a handful of other locations around the state.

Raise a glass and say "skol," yall. That's the Viking toast to this sweet thing brewing in New Braunfels.

Valkyrie's Kiss Mead, 6500 Texas 46 West in New Braunfels, 830-481-2101, valkyrieskissmead.com.

April 16, 2025

Food Writer

Check out 12 events happening in New Braunfels this May and June. This list is not comprehensive. Events are subject to change.

Mayfest

This annual family-friendly event will have live music, crafts and tours of Mayfair model homes. Mayfest will also have kids' activities and booths from local vendors and artists.

Freiheit Mother's Day Market

Attendees will be able to shop from various vendors selling clothes, jewelry, food and more. The event is pet friendly.

Building Right in the Hill Country

Banks Chisum with JB Chisum Inc. and Garrett Mechler with ASA Properties will discuss projects Onera Wimberley and Veramendi. Discussions will focus on low-impact development techniques and the mindset required for conservation development. The paneled discussion will also feature a Q&A where attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about how developers can be part of conservation efforts in the Texas Hill Country.

Mythicon

This event hosted by New Braunfels ISD will celebrate graphic novels and manga. There will becosplay costume contest for students from 3 years old to fifth grade at 5 p.m. Participants are encouraged to dress as their favorite superhero, manga, anime or comic book character. A cosplay costume contest for students in sixth grade through 12th grade will begin at 5:30 p.m. Winners will receive a gift card. There will also be a gaming truck, a buy-one-get-one-free book fair and face painting. Mythicon will also have crafts and puzzles.

7th Annual New Braunfels Masonic Golf Classic

Tournament participants will have the opportunity to win cash prizes for first, second and third place along with hole contests. Proceeds from the event will go toward the New Braunfels Food Bank, Operation TRIAGE and Wounded Warrior Project.

9th Annual “Breast In Show” Gala: Pink Prom

Attendees are encouraged to wear pink formal attire. There will also be a concert by The Spazmatics.

ClubCon @ The New Braunfels Youth Collaborative

This event is for youth ages 11-17. ClubCon will feature Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Each game will be capped at 24 players, and players can register for both games.

2025 Gentleman's Ride

The event will showcase vintage and classic styled motorcycle riders. Proceeds raise funds and awareness for men’s mental health and for prostate cancer research.

Historic Preservation Month Family Storytime & Craft

The event will celebrate Historic Preservation Month by providing a special family story time and crafts.

6th Annual Antique Barn Sale and Artisan Show

Attendees will have the opportunity support veteran-owned businesses and artisans. There will also be food trucks and live music. Leashed and well-behaved dogs are also welcome at the event.

Casino Night

There will be casino games, live music and prizes. Proceeds will benefit the New Braunfels Thin Blue Line LEMC Chapter.

ImagineNation Kid Expo

There will be photo opportunities with different superheroes, TV show and video game characters. This family-friendly event will also feature arts and crafts, shopping, and themed foods and drinks from a variety of vendors.

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Thoroughfare Plan

A thoroughfare plan shows existing and proposed roadways that a city intends to be major thoroughfares for traffic to move throughout the city and in the extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) area. These are classified broadly as “collectors,” meant to gather traffic from local roads and move it towards “arterials,” which are meant to allow for traffic to travel at a higher speed over a longer distance. While most roads in a city are considered local, the collectors and arterials play a vital role in getting travelers moving safely and efficiently.

Thoroughfare plans are adopted by City Council to guide growth and meet existing and future transportation needs by preserving corridors for the transportation system network. Cities have legal authority for right-of-way dedication and street construction during platting within the City and ETJ. The plan approves the maximum right-of-way for each road classification.

As development is proposed, the City Council may adjust the amount of right-of-way needed for sections of roadways based on the analysis provided by the City Engineer. The City Engineer can consider changes to the plan upon request. The application for RTP amendment can be found on the City Forms and Applications page. To begin this process, consultation with our Transportation and Capital Improvements Department is encouraged before submitting a request for amendment or right-of-way determination. View Right-of-Way Determinations and Thoroughfare Plan Amendments.

The City is updating the thoroughfare plan, which is essential to reflect growth and account for future needs regularly. A significant component of this plan update is an additional focus on ensuring that our public rights-of-way accommodate multiple modes of travel, including pedestrians and bicyclists. This helps expand these networks and provide travelers with a safe and consistent experience.

The City will hold an outreach meeting on May 1st, 2025, to explain the updated map and gather comments from the public for consideration. Property owners affected by changes made to the existing map will receive a notification in the mail for a property owners meeting. If you would like to make additional comments, please use this survey.

Existing Plan – Regional Transportation Plan (2012)

The City of New Braunfels Regional Transportation Plan (2012) (known as the "Thoroughfare Plan" was coordinated with the City of Seguin, the Counties of Comal and Guadalupe, TxDOT and the Alamo Area MPO between 2011 and 2012. View our online map showing the current 2012 Regional Transportation Plan.

The Regional Transportation Plan approved the maximum right-of-way for each road classification. As development is proposed the City Council may adjust the amount of right-of-way needed for sections of roadways based on the analysis provided by the City Engineer. View Right-of-Way Determinations and Thoroughfare Plan Amendments

Changes to the Regional Transportation Plan can be considered by the City Engineer upon request. The application for RTP amendment can be found on the City Forms and Applications page. To begin this process, consultation with our Transportation and Capital Improvements Department is encouraged before submitting a request for amendment or right-of-way determination.