Germanfest Picnic turns 43
The Germanfest Picnic, an annual celebration of German culture, returns for its 43rd year this Aug. 14-16. Food, beer, live music and polka dancing, along with a variety of other authentic German entertainment, will be present. The festival, located in historic St. Anne’s Hill, has grown from a small gathering to Dayton’s largest festival celebrating German heritage.
“It started as just a picnic for members of the Liederkranz, held at Carillon Park at the request of some people there, and it just grew and grew. We are now located at our clubhouse at Fifth and Kiwi. It works out really well because that’s one of the earliest German neighborhoods in Dayton. It’s just natural to be there,” says Judy Schneider, publicity chairperson for the Germanfest Picnic.
One of the biggest draws to the Germanfest Picnic is its authentic German food and beer. Highlights include the festival’s signature German Schnitzel dinners, Liederkranz potato salad, sauerkraut, pretzels and more.
“Our bratwursts are made with a special recipe from a company in Cincinnati that has an authentic recipe to work with. Our schnitzel is all hand-cut by the folks at Dot’s and we fry it right there at the Liederkranz. Our potato salad is second to none,” says Schneider.
Another staple of the Germanfest Picnic is beer. A selection of draft German, craft and domestic beers will be available, including Oktoberfest beer. German wines and Jägermeister will also be available at the festival, as well as soft drinks.
“We have a huge selection of German beers on tap and in bottles. You won’t find a better selection of German beer in town. Our recipes are handed down from our members,” says Schneider.
Other vendors at the Germanfest Picnic include those selling German clothing, soap, jewelry and more. The festival has limited the number of specific vendors to one of each type for the festival to limit competition and keep the stalls diverse.
Live music will be played at two venues during the festival. Authentic German music will be playing on the main stage at the Dayton Liederkranz Turner Clubhouse, and local bands will be playing in a tented area. Musical acts like Überland Band, The Klaberheads, The Fries Band and more will be playing.
Madame Gigi’s Outrageous French CanCan Dancers and the Cincinnati Enzian German Folk Dancers will also be performing.
The Germanfest Picnic is a family-friendly event with plenty of activities to celebrate German heritage all weekend. The Polka Mass, a cruise-in and car show, and a German apparel fashion show are some of the activities festivalgoers can attend and participate in over the weekend. There will also be special activities for children such as a play area and a scavenger hunt.
“The parents can enjoy their beer and bratwurst, and kids can have a good time at the same time and still be on the sightline,” says Schneider.
