A New Braunfels festival that left many attendees sour is moving to a larger venue near San Antonio. The organizers of the In a Pickle Festival are moving the event to the Helotes Fairgrounds at 12210 Leslie Rd on September 19 and 20, 2026 — part of an effort to manage the overwhelming demand that marred the festival's Central Texas debut.

JG Events first brought its traveling pickle-themed event to New Braunfels on March 15, hosting at the Comal County Fairgrounds. The highly publicized festival drew enormous crowds, resulting in long lines inside the gates and bumper-to-bumper traffic leading up to the venue.

A Reddit thread described overflowing trash bins, a lack of restrooms, and quick sell-outs, made worse by a windy and dusty day.

“It looked like almost everyone was leaving empty-handed and grumpy,” said a commenter who claimed they waited for over two hours without entry. “There was one couple we had seen go to the festival who were clearly leaving and not speaking to each other.”

In a statement published by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung, JG Events owners Krystal and Tim Wertman apologized for the disappointment, saying that the interest led to an “unexpected frenzy” for door tickets and traffic congestion.

“Our team is committed to learning from this experience and ensuring a more enjoyable, well-organized festival in the future,” read the statement, in part. “We appreciate your understanding and passion for pickles. Your feedback will help us grow and improve. Thank you for being part of this journey with us.”

Aside from moving to a much-bigger venue with ample parking, the organizers lengthened the event to two days in hopes of avoiding a single-day crush. They have also initiated a staggered entry system to ensure there won’t be a rush to the most popular vendors and that lines flow easily.

Otherwise, In a Pickle will be a mulligan on the March New Braunfels event. The festival will still have a variety of themed contests and pet parades, live music, and dozens of tents sampling pickled foods, including beer, cotton candy, pizza, and popcorn. Tickets will go on sale later in 2026.