Right in Our Region
Celebrate All Things German at DAS Fest By Stephanie N. Grimoldby
R
aise a stein if you know that Wisconsin has the second-largest percentage of self-identified German-Americans in the U.S. StatisticalAtlas.com, which uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau, puts only North Dakota ahead of Wisconsin, with 44.4 percent of the state’s population identifying as German, compared to Wisconsin’s 42.3 percent. However, Wisconsin’s millions far outweigh the 304,000 German-Americans you’ll find in North Dakota. It would seem the Badger State is an ideal place for a celebration of German heritage, and this year Walworth County is hosting exactly that type of event. DAS Fest USA – a free festival dedicated to German-American history – takes place Aug. 13-15 at the Walworth County Fairgrounds in Elkhorn.
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Smart Living Northwest
“It’s a time for family and friends to get together and celebrate life outside, on what we hope is the heels of this trying pandemic,” says Tammy Dunn, executive director at United Way of Walworth County and the driving force behind the gathering of an impressive lineup of German entertainment and cultural experiences. “We have a lot of exciting acts that will be entertaining for our guests, including educational attributes and a few surprises that will make DAS Fest unique.” In its inaugural season, DAS Fest offers three stages of German entertainment, including Grammy-nominated musician and producer Alex Meixner – performing all three evenings – and plenty of polka. There also will be authentic German cuisine, highlighted by Mader’s Restaurant of Milwaukee, voted the top
July-August 2021
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German restaurant in mid-America by TripAdvisor. “We’re really excited about having Mader’s Restaurant,” says Chris Clapper, a director of the festival and executive director of the Elkhorn Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Center. “As our headlining food vendor on DAS Fest grounds, Mader’s will occupy the Methodist Dining Hall and offer a sitdown dining experience with a menu that includes their famous pork shank dinner. It’s exciting that we have been able to engage someone like Mader’s, and they are behind us 110 percent in kicking off DAS Fest.” German-inspired activities include Dachshund races, Bingo games – patrons have to yell “Volltreffer” to claim their prize – and other German competitions like stein hoisting, plus shopping at the
