The 31st annual Gluckstadt German Fest is set for Sunday, September 24th, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Gluckstadt.
This family-oriented festival is best known for its food and music. Live music will be provided by The Polka Meisters, an authentic German folk band from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Those who have never experienced a German Polka will love the songs and dance along, and no German Fest is complete without the famous “chicken dance,” a favorite of young and old which truly has to be seen and heard to be fully appreciated.
Shish kabobs, bratwurst and sauerkraut, and authentic German desserts such as pies, cookies, cakes, and other homemade favorites aplenty will be dished out all day. The menu also includes giant, fresh, oven-baked pretzels, hot dogs, and rippchenkraut, which is pork chop with homemade sauerkraut. A variety of beer will be on tap, along with Pepsi products and bottled water. There will also be a German wine tasting booth. Games and other activities will also be set up for kids of all ages to enjoy.
Meal tickets cost $6 in advance or $7 on the day of the event. Advance meal tickets are available from parishioners of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Ticket information is also available by calling the parish office at 601-856-2054.
For those who want to take home something to enjoy, the Country Store will be in business with an assortment of commemorative items, t-shirts, homemade breads, desserts, jellies, and canned goods. Sauerkraut is always the top seller at this event. Church members make hundreds of quarts of the salty cabbage delicacy using a recipe handed down through generations of German descendants living in Gluckstadt. Gifted church folk also have their creative energies in overdrive to produce fun craft items for sale.
The Gluckstadt community was founded in 1905 by families of German descent. Many of the descendants of the original families still attend St. Joseph. Each year St. Joseph Catholic Church hosts the GermanFest the last Sunday in September. GermanFest is the annual fund raising event for the church.
The festival is held on the grounds of St. Joseph Catholic Church, which is located off Interstate 55 north of Madison. Take Exit 112 at Gluckstadt and go west three-tenths of a mile on Gluckstadt Road. Or just follow the crowd from the Interstate.
Admission and parking are free. Festival goers may wish to bring a lawn chair. For more information, call Pam Minninger, St. Joseph Catholic Church, 601.856.2054.