Gruene Music & Wine Fest returns October 8–11 for its 40th anniversary, spreading four days of tastings, concerts and fundraising across Gruene Hall and The Grapevine in New Braunfels. The festival is presented by Gruene Hall and KNBT 92.1 FM and benefits United Way.
The format makes this more than one ticketed concert. Thursday and Saturday include free-admission tasting events at The Grapevine, while the music calendar moves from Robert Earl Keen to Shane Smith & the Saints, The SteelDrivers and a full Sunday lineup. Some tickets are already gone, so the useful question is not simply who is playing—it is which parts of the weekend still fit your plan.
Guide
Four days, 40 years and one Hill Country fundraiser
- When
- October 8–11, 2026
- Where
- Gruene Historic District · New Braunfels
- Lineup / admission
- Presented by Gruene Hall and KNBT 92.1 FM · benefits United Way
The official festival site dates this year’s celebration to October 8–11 and identifies it as the 40th annual Gruene Music & Wine Fest. The Grapevine’s history of the event traces its beginning to a one-day gathering in 1987 before it expanded into a multi-day fundraiser.
That history still shapes the weekend: Texas wine and beer events sit alongside a concert series, and the fundraising purpose remains part of the festival’s identity. Treat each day as its own event, because admission, location and availability change from one program to the next.
Explore the official festival overview ↗Event
Thursday opens with free tastings, then Robert Earl Keen
- When
- Thursday, October 8 · tastings 5:30–8:30 p.m.
- Where
- The Grapevine, then Gruene Hall
- Lineup / admission
- Kickoff Party: free admission · Robert Earl Keen concert: ticket required
The Kickoff Party at The Grapevine is free to enter and runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The official schedule lists tastings from four Texas wineries and four breweries. Tastings are part of that event’s program; the later concert at Gruene Hall is a separate ticketed show.
For Robert Earl Keen’s Then and Now Tour stop, Gruene Hall’s ticketing page lists doors at 7 p.m., Mason Lively at 8 and Keen at 9. The all-ages ticket was still available when this guide was checked on September 10, with the ticket page showing a $147 total price including its service charge.
Check Robert Earl Keen tickets and current availability ↗Event
Friday’s Shane Smith events are sold out
- When
- Friday, October 9
- Where
- Gruene Hall
- Lineup / admission
- Stars & Guitars and the late show were marked sold out on September 10
Friday begins with Stars & Guitars, a private Gruene Hall concert and meet-and-greet with Shane Smith & the Saints that also includes dinner, a wine tasting and auctions. The festival ticket page marks that experience sold out.
The later all-ages concert is also sold out on the official ticketing page, which lists doors at 9 p.m. and the performance at 9:30. Do not plan a Friday visit on the assumption that tickets will be available at the door; use only an official resale or wait-list process if the organizer announces one.
Verify the current Friday ticket status ↗Event
Saturday combines another free tasting with The SteelDrivers
- When
- Saturday, October 10 · tastings noon–6 p.m.
- Where
- The Grapevine, then Gruene Hall
- Lineup / admission
- Tastings & Tunes: free admission · The SteelDrivers: ticket required
Tastings & Tunes runs from noon to 6 p.m. at The Grapevine with free admission. The official schedule lists eight wineries, five breweries and live music, making Saturday the broadest daytime tasting block of the weekend.
At Gruene Hall that night, Gloria Anderson opens at 9 p.m. and The SteelDrivers follow at 10, after doors at 8. The all-ages ticket page still showed availability on September 10 at a $65 total price including its service charge.
Check The SteelDrivers tickets and current availability ↗Event
Sunday closes with full bands and a songwriter round
- When
- Sunday, October 11 · 1 p.m.
- Where
- Gruene Hall
- Lineup / admission
- Dos Borrachos · Josh Ward · eight-artist acoustic song swap
The Sunday All-Star Playlist starts at 1 p.m. with full-band sets from Dos Borrachos—the Kevin Fowler and Roger Creager collaboration—and Josh Ward. The bill then shifts into an acoustic song swap rather than another standard opening-act sequence.
The official lineup names Tanner Usrey, John Baumann, Kat Hasty, Walker Montgomery, Carson Jeffrey, the Kruse Brothers, Julianna Rankin and Wynn Williams for that round. The festival page provides the current ticket link; confirm availability there before traveling.
See the official Sunday lineup and ticket link ↗Guide
Plan the weekend as separate events
- Planning note
- Availability checked September 10, 2026
- Festival locations
- The Grapevine and Gruene Hall
- Admission model
- Free daytime programs and separately ticketed concerts
Start with the official Tickets page, not a single festival pass assumption. Thursday’s Kickoff Party and Saturday’s Tastings & Tunes are listed as free-admission events; the Gruene Hall concerts use separate tickets, and Friday’s two Shane Smith programs are already marked sold out.
Recheck every listing before departure. Prices, capacity and set times can change, and the ticket-specific pages carry more precise doors and performance times than the broad festival schedule. If you are making a Hill Country day trip, leave enough room between the daytime tasting program and the evening venue line.
Use the official festival ticket guide ↗Quick answers
Gruene Music & Wine Fest 2026: quick answers
When is the 2026 Gruene Music & Wine Fest?
The 40th annual festival runs Thursday, October 8 through Sunday, October 11, 2026, in Gruene in New Braunfels, Texas.
Are any Gruene Music & Wine Fest events free?
Yes. The official schedule lists Thursday’s Kickoff Party and Saturday’s Tastings & Tunes at The Grapevine as free-admission events. The Gruene Hall concerts require separate tickets.
Who is playing the 2026 festival?
The headline concert schedule includes Robert Earl Keen, Shane Smith & the Saints, The SteelDrivers, Dos Borrachos, Josh Ward and an eight-artist Sunday acoustic song swap.
Are Shane Smith & the Saints tickets still available?
As of September 10, both Friday’s Stars & Guitars event and the later Shane Smith & the Saints concert were marked sold out by official festival or venue ticketing.
Where does the festival take place?
Programs are split between The Grapevine and Gruene Hall in the Gruene Historic District of New Braunfels. Check the listing for each event rather than going to one default entrance.
What does the festival support?
The official festival site says the event benefits United Way and is presented by Gruene Hall and KNBT 92.1 FM.
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Information was verified on September 10, 2026. Schedules and ticket availability may change, so confirm details with the venue before attending.