The last weekend of July sees the return of German Fest, Milwaukee’s German culture celebration along the lakefront! There’s a lot more than beer and brats when it comes to this yearly kickoff to the Oktoberfest season. While many will surely rush to the nearest ‘biergarten’ upon entry, you’ll no doubt see and experience a variety of festive sights and sounds that channel all of the rich cultural heritage the country has to offer.
From July 27th through 29th, 2018, Henry Maier Festival Park will continue the tradition of being host to this deep-rooted cultural festival that celebrates all things German. Find yourself among friends as you raise your liter or Saz’s Brat on a Pretzel Bun to plenty of entertainment, arts and crafts and more.
With the return of the annual Dachshund Derby to rouse your spirits and, no doubt, garner plenty of smiles, and the many traditional German dance exhibitions happening all weekend long, you’ll be pooled in every direction with fun to be had at every turn.
Head to the Culture Pavilion or embark on a Heritage Walking Tour if you’re looking for a more authentic German experience. There’s family fun that includes a Children’s Fairy Tale Parade and the always exciting Battle of the Mascots that has all of our favorite local mascots competing in an epic soccer match.
What would any Milwaukee summer festival be without live music? You’ll find this year’s lineup includes everything from polka and yodeling to waltzes and folk music. Also, be sure to check out the Germanfest Stein Challenge, where home-brewers and beer aficionados come together to compete for all the glory. It’s the largest German-style only home-brew competition in the country!
As with all the big Milwaukee summer festivals, we’ll be there among all the fun dishing out an abundance of our festival-famous platters and all the “The Finest” barbecue you know and love. If there’s one thing we enjoy doing, it’s serving up delicious fare and sharing the #SazsLove in any way we can. Prost!