Maintaining downtown’s culture is the No. 1 job for the New Braunfels Downtown Association, which was founded 55 years ago and has evolved to serve as an advocate for local businesses and promote economic development.

As all the cities along the I-35 corridor grow, downtown New Braunfels is the place that will ideally serve as a constant for the community, past DTA president Nathan Manlove said.

“I tell people all the time that downtown has always been the heart of our city,” he said. “That’s something we’re big on: preserving that legacy and culture that exists here and can’t be duplicated anywhere else. We are the caretakers of the culture and heritage of our town.”

Past to present

When the New Braunfels DTA was founded in 1967, it was originally called the Downtown Merchants Association and was focused on two goals: promoting business for the original 25 members and improving parking downtown. The organization evolved over the decades, including a name change in the ‘70s; bringing a Christmas tree and lights to the area; streetscaping in the ‘80s; and the launch of the Main Street program in the early ‘90s to promote economic development.

Today, economic development remains a top priority for the DTA, along with advocating for the local downtown businesses owners to have a voice. The organization is also focused on helping bring the New Braunfels community downtown, where they are welcomed to a safe and clean environment, said Carol Johnson, vice president of programming for the DTA and daughter of Wallace Johnson, one of the DTA’s founders.

“I would like people to think downtown is an open arm ... You’re welcome here. You’re very much appreciated,” she said. “It’s so encouraging when you do see people out on the streets, all ages, totally multigenerational. It’s so cool to walk through downtown or drive through and see a little slower pace ... It’s something very special.”

In an effort to maintain this special environment, the downtown development board operates off the Main Street Four Point Approach, one of which is historic preservation. Design guidelines were established to help developers with cohesive architecture and ways to improve the functionality of infield development, meaning areas within the downtown district, such as buildings previously taken down, or a vacant lot.

“There are resources that are available for people looking to do something within our downtown district—not to tell them what they can’t do—but to give them some opportunities to think about how to enhance their development plans,” Johnson said.

Numerous projects have encompassed that balance of growth and historic preservation over the years in downtown. The majority of people who have come in with private money to develop downtown have been extremely sensitive to the area’s history and culture.

“That’s what makes Downtown New Braunfels so special,” Johnson said. “Downtown is your heart and soul. No one wants to reproduce something you would see on a major roadway. They are trying to capture the essence of what our identity is here.”

Bringing the community together

In addition to economic development work and guidelines, the DTA also hosts events throughout the year to bring the community downtown, including sidewalk sales and First Friday, during which downtown businesses stay open late on the first Friday of each month with beer and wine tastings and live music.

Other popular events include the Christmas tree lighting to kick off the holiday season, along with Fashion Plate, an annual luncheon featuring a fashion show showcasing the latest trends from the downtown merchants. Another popular past event was a fundraiser called Supper on San Antonio Street, last held in 2019 before the pandemic.

“We closed one of the streets, and dinner was served family-style on this long table,” Manlove said. “There was music, and we just sat in the middle of the street on this beautiful evening and had dinner from different restaurants in the area. That was probably one of my favorite events I’ve been to in our town.”

To celebrate the organization’s 55th anniversary this year, there are plans in the works to honor the long line of people in the DTA who have fought to make downtown successful, Manlove said. For more information on future celebrations and events, stay tuned to the DTA’s website.

At the end of the day, the DTA embraces the mantra of “New Braunfels staying New Braunfels,” regardless of the area’s surrounding growth.

“We’re not anti-growth, but we are pro-culture. That’s a big deal to us,” Manlove said. “I want my kid, who’s 16, when he’s my age, to have downtown be even more special than it is now. That’s what we’re building on, is Carol's dad’s legacy and all the others who passionately supported a thriving downtown. We’re going to make sure that downtown is always so special.”

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