GermanFest set for this Sunday
Fresh sauerkraut, homemade desserts, children’s games, bratwurst, shish kabobs, and authentic German folk music are just a few of the things people can look forward to during Gluckstadt’s 35th Annual GermanFest this Sunday.
St. Joseph Catholic Church parishioner and GermanFest Chair Eric Price said GermanFest is a celebration of German heritage and history and is a one-of-a-kind event that offers visitors authentic German Food and live entertainment.
The Gluckstadt community was founded in 1905 by families of German descent. “Many of their descendants still live in the area, attend our church and play an active role in staging the festival every year,” Price said.
GermanFest this year is this Sunday, Sept. 25 on the St. Joseph Catholic Church grounds in Gluckstadt from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
One of the event’s highlights is the food. Participants can enjoy several items, including the bratwurst and sauerkraut, sizzling shish kabobs and rippchenkraut, which are pork chops smothered in sauerkraut.
St. Joe parishioners began preparing and packing homemade sauerkraut last month.
Church members make hundreds of quarts of sauerkraut, the cabbage delicacy, using a recipe handed down through generations of German descendants living in Gluckstadt.
Quarts and pints of fresh sauerkraut will be available for sale on site.
Drinks such as Pepsi products and bottled water will be available, as well as light and dark beer on tap, along with the return of the German Wine Tasting Booth. A Country Store will sell T-shirts along with homemade breads, jellies, and preserves.
Children will be able to play a wide assortment of games and activities that will keep them busy throughout the event.
Live entertainment includes the Polkmeisters from Tulsa, Okla., who will provide live entertainment, performing authentic German folk music.
“GermanFest is not complete ‘without the famous chicken dance, a favorite of young and old which must be seen and heard to be appreciated,’” Price said. “This band is definitely a crowd-pleaser.”
“This is always a great, family-friendly event that people attend every year,” he said. “If you have never experienced this event, or if you are in the mood for authentic German food, you owe it to yourself to attend. Don’t miss it.”
Admission to GermanFest is free, and coolers and solicitors are not allowed on festival grounds. Attendees are asked to bring chairs and not bring pets.
Advance meal tickets are $7 and available from St. Joseph Catholic parishioners or the church itself by calling (601) 856-2054. Meals on the day of the festival will be $8.
GermanFest will be held on the grounds of St. Joseph Catholic Church at 127 Church Road, just west of the Interstate 55-Gluckstadt exit. For more information, follow Gluckstadt Germanfest on Facebook and @gluckstadt_germanfest on IG for updates and information.