BY DUNCAN DENT Wednesday, September 21, 2016 6:00 PM
GLUCKSTADT — Germanfest hits a landmark 30 years at St. Joesph Catholic Church here as the family-friendly festival held this Sunday is expected to draw thousands to the area. Germanfest is best known for its delicious German food and authentic German Folk music provided by the bands, Die Mitternaechters and MS Schwingen. Die Mitternaechters has entertained at the GermanFest since the first festival 30 years ago. Whit Whitten, this year’s Germanfest chairman, listed the music as a “crowd pleaser.” Whitten, a sales manager for Pfizer, has been a member of the church for 10 years and is looking forward to his second year managing the event. Regular festival-goers look forward to unanimous crowd favorite “The Chicken Dance” every year to complete their Germanfest experience. “It’s one of those things you see children and families get involved in,” Whitten said. Though the music’s appeal is obvious, Whitten said sizzling shish kabobs, bratwurst slathered in sauerkraut, and authentic German desserts, pies, and other homemade favorites are what has made this event so popular. The menu also includes giant fresh oven-baked pretzels, hot dogs, and rippchenkraut (pork chops smothered in homemade sauerkraut). Dark and light beer will be on tap, along with Pepsi products and bottled water. There will be a German Wine Tasting Booth. “I think the best thing is our authentic German food we have on-site. We all chip in to prepare a ton of food and it is really good,” Whitten said. Church members make hundreds of quarts of the cabbage delicacy sauerkraut using a recipe handed down through generations of German descendants living in Gluckstadt. Whitten and other parishioners start the preparing the cabbage in early July. They continue the month-long process until they have gone through nearly 2,500 pounds of cabbage. The cabbage gets separated into quart-sized jars. Whitten said they sell upwards of 1,000 each year at their festival store and use about the same amount on their food plates. The Gluckstadt community was founded in 1905 by families of German descent. Many of their descendants still live in the area and play an active role in putting on this festival. The 30th annual Gluckstadt GermanFest is scheduled for Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, located off Interstate 55 north of Madison. Take Exit 112 at Gluckstadt and go west three-tenths of a mile on Gluckstadt Road to Calhoun Road. Admission and parking are free. Advance meal tickets are $6 and are available from parishioners of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Ticket information is also available by calling the parish office at 601-856-2054. Meals the day of the festival will be $7. Whitten said the expect upwards of 10,000 visitors over the course of the day. No coolers or solicitors will be allowed on the grounds. Festival-goers are also asked to refrain from bringing pets. For more information, call Pam Minninger, St. Joseph Catholic Church at 601-856-2054 or visit www.stjosephgluckstadt.com – See more at: https://madisoncountyeda.com/Germanfest-celebrating-30-years-at-Sunday-event/
