One of Texas’s biggest celebrations of Czech heritage returns to the small town of West for its 50th year, bringing polka music, folk dancing, and enough kolaches to feed the whole state.
West, Texas — September 4-6, 2026
Just off I-35 between Dallas and Austin sits a small town that turns into one of the biggest Czech heritage celebrations in the country every Labor Day weekend. This year is a big one: Westfest marks its 50th anniversary, celebrating half a century of preserving and sharing Czech culture with visitors from across Texas and beyond.
The festival runs Friday, September 4 through Sunday, September 6 at the West Fair and Rodeo Grounds, located one mile south of downtown West on South Main Street. Westfest was founded in 1976 as a way for the West community to raise funds for local projects, including youth athletic facilities, senior citizen programs, a community center, and library services. Over the decades, the festival has raised more than a million dollars for the community it calls home, a legacy that continues to grow with every passing year.
Food is at the heart of the celebration, and nothing represents Westfest quite like the kolache. This soft, fruit-filled Czech pastry has become so central to the festival’s identity that it even gets its own signature event: the Westfest Kolache 5K, presented by Czech Stop, held Sunday morning on the festival grounds. Runners of all ages can join the race, and every participant is rewarded with free kolaches at the finish line, along with awards for top finishers across a wide range of age groups.
Beyond the run, the festival delivers everything you’d expect from a proper Czech celebration. Live polka music and folk dancing keep the energy going throughout the weekend, while cultural exhibits give visitors a chance to learn more about the Czech heritage that shaped this stretch of Central Texas. Family-friendly activities run nonstop across the grounds, alongside additional community favorites like a taroky card tournament, a cornhole tournament, a horseshoe tourney, and of course, a kolache eating contest for anyone brave enough to compete.
Westfest runs entirely on volunteer power, with hundreds of community members donating their time before, during, and after the festival each year to keep the tradition alive. It’s that community spirit, as much as the food and music, that’s helped Westfest grow into one of the state’s most beloved cultural festivals over the last five decades.
Whether you’re coming for the kolaches, the polka music, or simply to experience a genuine piece of Texas’s Czech heritage, Westfest’s 50th anniversary weekend is shaping up to be one of the standout celebrations of the fall season.
Presale tickets and full event details are available at westfest.com.
