GERMAN FEST
Milwaukee’s original HAUS PARTY July 23-26

GERMAN FEST brings its blend of music, food and gemutlichkeit to the lakefront festival grounds July 23-26 for the 29th year, but this time there will be more than fireworks in the air.

Fireworks will still light up the skies Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, but they will be joined at 7:30 p.m. Saturday for the first night air show in Milwaukee history.

The two-hour air show will feature a variety of planes and a stunning pyrotechnic display with a special light and smoke show. Participating in the German Fest show will be some of the performers in the Milwaukee Air & Water Show, held during daylight hours at nearby Bradford Beach on Saturday and Sunday.

Calling all kids
This family-friendly festival features a passport program for kids, Children’s Fairy Tale Parade, Pretzel Park children’s area, and hands-on activities. Passports picked up at information booths can be filled with stickers collected at stops throughout the grounds and turned in for a prize. The parade at 3 p.m. Sunday will feature dance groups, Kinder Gruppe (children’s groups), costumed characters and bubbles galore. After the parade, children will receive a free treat and Rapunzel coloring book. "Make and Take” activities from Discovery World include Slime and Pop Rocks (Noon-3 p.m. Saturday) and Growing Crystals and Super Balls (12:30-3:30 p.m. Sunday).

Music from pop to polka
Musical groups from Germany, Austria, Canada and the U.S. will offer continuous music throughout the festival. Pop singer Styrina and Munich-based Chikeria will come direct from Germany, with German songs dating to the 1930s as well as contemporary and American country songs. The Widderstein-Buaba Band will bring traditional folk, dance and Oktoberfest music, while fest-favorite Copper Box will keep the crowd on its feet with “squeeze box rock” or “polka-rock-Zydeco.”

The Jerry Schneider Band, Alpensterne, The Freistadt Alte Kameraden Band, Johnny Wagner Band, Johnny Hoffmann & Die Herzbuben, Austrian Express and The Phenix Band also will entertain.

Tantalizing tastes
Food is always a high point of Milwaukee’s ethnic festivals, and German Fest features a mouth-watering list of specialties. During past fests more than 20,000 Usinger’s Famous Bratwursts have been consumed, five tons of potatoes have been transformed into potato pancakes and another 10,000 pounds of sauerkraut have been served.

Other options include bienenstich, a traditional German coffeecake filled with a special custard and topped with almonds and honey; kasseler rippchen (smoked pork chops); sauerbraten (marinated beef); kirschtorte (Black Forest cherry cake) and spanferkel (roasted whole pig).

Culture – fun and fascinating
The Third Annual Dachshund Races and Costume Contest on Saturday are crowd favorites. The 101 competing dogs will be organized according to age, not length. (Pre-registration is required.) The schedule includes: 1-1:30 p.m. costume contest (with audience members voting), 2 p.m. participation in the German Fest Parade through the grounds, 3 p.m. “Blessing of the Doxies,” 3:25 p.m. Wiener Dog Races and 4 p.m. awards presentation.

The Porsche Club of America will make a pit stop at German Fest this year. The German-made luxury vehicles will be on display every day of the festival.

Cultural highlights include displays on genealogy, a sheepshead tournament, and demos by wood and marble carving sensation Bryan Berenson. There will also be a Trabant on display. This vehicle was in production without any significant change for nearly 30 years, starting in 1958, with more than 3 million cars made. A hands-on activity in the Cultural Area coordinates with the quilt display in the Handwerker area – children can create their own family “quilts” by decorating squares of paper and tying them together with yarn.

The German Fest Run at 7 p.m. Thursday benefits the St. Ben’s Community Meal program. The 5k run will be certified and includes age category awards.

Many special admission programs

Advanced tickets to German Fest are $10.
See www.germanfest.com for sales locations.

Admission at the gate is $13/general admission, $7/seniors (60+), and $7/students (with valid school I.D.) and children 12 & under free with an adult.

Free admission:

• Thursday, plus $1 off food and drink at all German Fest operated food booths and bars
• Friday from 3-5 p.m. for disabled and an escort
• Friday, Saturday and Sunday for military personnel with I.D.
• Sunday after the 10:30 a.m. Mass in the Marcus Amphitheater
• Sunday at the North Gate ONLY from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. with the donation of non-perishable food items to benefit the Hunger Task Force of Greater Milwaukee

Hours of the festival are 5-10 p.m. Thursday, 3 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. For more information about German Fest, phone 414-464-9444 or visit www.germanfest.com.