Milwaukee’s original HAUS PARTY, July 22-25

GERMAN FEST brings its blend of music, food and gemutlichkeit to Milwaukee’s beautiful Maier Festival Park (Summerfest grounds) July 22-25 as the festival celebrates 30 years of family fun. And this year, fireworks will light up the skies all four nights of the festival. Warm up for the weekend from 4-9 p.m. on Wednesday, July 21, at German Fest’s new 3rd Street HAUS Party on Milwaukee’s Old World 3rd Street. Sample German Fest entertainment, traditional food and beverages on the street that is home to Mader’s German Restaurant and Usinger’s Famous sausage (also sponsors of the event).

NEW FOR 2010
This year’s German Fest includes the new Saz’s Biergarten and Saz’s famous fish fry, Usinger’s Wurst Garten, a cuckoo-clock-lover’s dream display by the Duplainville Clock Company, Hohner harmonica lessons for kids (pre-registration suggested) and a kid’s carnival. Back by popular demand for the Fest’s 30th anniversary is the live Glockenspiel, a life-sized replica of a cuckoo clock that features five men and an accordion player who dance, drink and engage the audience in their antics.

FEST-FAVORITE RACING WIENERS
These little dogs deliver a lot of laughs in the Dachshund Races and Costume Contest (Sunday from noon-4 p.m.), where dogs compete on speed and looks, not length! (Pre-registration is required.)

CALLING ALL KIDS
In addition to family-friendly activities like the wiener dog races, parade and fireworks, German Fest features the Pretzel Park children’s area with hands-on activities, Children’s Parade; and passport program for kids. Passports can be filled with stickers collected at stops throughout the grounds and turned in for a prize.

30TH ANNIVERSARY SHOWCASE
Highlighting the 2010 entertainment lineup is a showcase featuring six contemporary acts direct from Germany, performing in English and German. Playing every day of the festival, Biba und Die Butzemänner combines wit, charm and natural musicianship for a rollicking German rock ‘n roll show. Other entertainment includes Paloma, Freistadt Alte Kameraden Band, Johnny Hoffmann & Die Herzbuben, Austrian Express and The Phenix Band.

TANTALIZING TASTES
Food is always a high point of Milwaukee’s ethnic festivals, and German Fest features bratwurst; potato pancakes; bienenstich, 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). Schlink Haus Wines offers a wine tasting booth, and a souvenir “Beer Boot” can be purchased then filled with Miller or Sprecher beer.

CULTURE – FUN AND FASCINATING
Cultural highlights include displays on genealogy, a sheepshead tournament and demos by wood and stone carving sensation Bryan Berenson. Local blacksmith Wolfgang Schweizer will demonstrate his craft by actually forging iron on the grounds. Each year, the German Fest Trachtenschau presents ethnic clothing and folk traditions from the German-speaking regions of Europe.

FABULOUS RAFFLE
Prizes for the German Fest raffle include the Grand Prize of a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta donated by Ernie von Schledorn, first and second prizes of handmade cuckoo clocks, roundtrip tickets from AirTran, wine for a year and a vacation package from Greater Lake Geneva – Walworth County. Tickets are available on the grounds and at advanced ticket locations listed on the website. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation, St. Benedict’s of Milwaukee’s Meal Program, the Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties and German Fest.

Hours of the festival are 5-11 p.m. Thursday, 3 p.m.- midnight Friday, noon-midnight Saturday and noon- 10 p.m. Sunday. Admission at the gate is $13/general admission, $7/seniors (60+), and $7/students (with valid school ID). Children 12 & under are free with an adult. For more information on admission specials and directions, or more information on entertainment, food and other fest offerings: 414-464-9444 or www.germanfest.com.

SPECIAL ADMISSION OFFERS:

• Advanced tickets to German Fest are $10. Visit www.germanfest.com for sales locations.
• Family admission ticket: $30 for two adults and up to two children ages 13-18 (children 12 and under are free). Available at the German Fest office, 8229 W. Capitol Dr., before July 16.
• Thursday: FREE admission! • Friday: 4:30-6 p.m. rollback to $3 (1981 admission price) and FREE 3-5 p.m. for handicapped individuals and one escort.
• FREE Friday, Saturday and Sunday for military personnel with I.D.
• FREE Sunday for attendees at 10:30 a.m. Protestant Worship Service in the Marcus Amphitheater.
• FREE 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. 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.