WILLKOMMEN TO FREDERICKSBURG!

THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY TOWN CELEBRATES MORE THAN 175 YEARS OF GERMAN HERITAGE

-  KAITLYN YARBOROUGH

IT DOESN'T ADD UP, LOGISTICALLY SPEAKING. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO DESCRIBE THE QUIRKY EXISTENCE OF A LITTLE GERMAN TOWN IN TEXAS, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR 177 YEARS, JUST A YEAR SHY OF HOW LONG TEXAS HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN A STATE. BUT SURE ENOUGH, THE BIG SIGN LEADING INTO A LONG STRETCH OF BUILT-TO-LAST LIMESTONE STRUCTURES READS, "FREDERICKSBURG WILLKOMMEN." THE WORD "WILLKOMMEN" MEANS "WELCOME," AND THIS PLACE IS NOTHING IF NOT HOSPITABLE. KNOWN FOR ITS BLANKETS OF NATIVE WILDFLOWERS, A FLOURISHING WINE INDUSTRY, AND A PACKED calendar of annual festivals, Fredericksburg has come a long way since its founding in 1846. These days, the once-quiet Hill Country enclave is arguably Texas' hottest small town. "Well, I don't recognize every single person on the street anymore," jokes Cris Crouch Graham, a longtime resident and business owner, "so that has definitely been a funny change."

Each autumn, Fredericksburg honors its German heritage with three days of cultural jubilation that's part small-town homecoming and part international affair. When said with a Texas twang, "welcome" doesn't really sound too different from "willkommen" anyway. Everyone's invited.

HOMETOWN PRIDE

At around two o'clock on a toasty Saturday afternoon, downtown Fredericksburg is buzzing with people strolling up and down historic Main Street. The smells of bratwurst and pretzels fill the air, and polka music rings out as giddy festivalgoers clad in lederhosen and brightly colored dirndl dresses await the stein-hoisting competition. In the sea of Alpine-style felt fedoras, an occasional cowboy hat peeks through.