(New Berlin) — A Labor Day weekend tradition returns to New Berrlin on Sunday. The New Berlin Sausage Festival has been a big community event for decades, dating back to the 1950’s.
Volunteer Rachael Howell says there will be music, fun and — of course — lots of homemade sausage.
“We are one of the only ones that still make our sausage from scratch. It’s all about the German-homestyle sausage that we make. We’ve made that for 72 years. We also have homemade fixings to go along with the sausage plates. That includes applesauce, potato salad, sauerkraut, pickled onions and a slice of bread,” said Howell.
Howell says there will be plenty for folks to enjoy. She says the Sausage Festival offers something for all ages.
“It’s free to come out. If you want to get a drink or have a beer, we will have beer available. Those tickets run about $3 a ticket. The sausage plate is $15, and it is a very large plate of food. We also have sausage-on-a-stick and sausage sandwiches available in the evening — starting around 4:00. There’s other things to buy too. We have cakes and pies and other desserts, and we have things at the Country Store — like homemade items, breads, cakes, jams and jellies. So, it’s free to come walk around the grounds. The games for the kids are all under one dollar,” said Howell.
The money raised stays in the community. Howell says it all supports two important operations there in New Berlin.
“The New Berlin Community Club and the New Berlin Volunteer Fire Department both split the proceeds from this event. The New Berlin Community Club offers scholarships for local students from Marion and La Vernia. They also maintain the historical building, that the Community Club is a part of — with the money that they receive from the event. For the fire department, it’s a large percentage of their budget for the year. As everyone knows, gas, including diesel is going up. Most of our vehicles run on diesel. So gas is one of our largest expenses. And then every so many years, you have to update the equipment for the fire department. Every time you update it, you have to buy a new one, and currently every thing is rising in costs. To replace something that was, like $100 two years ago or three years ago; it now costs $400 to $500. And that’s just basic equipment, like boots or a fire jacket or any of those things,” said Howell.
The New Berlin Sausage Festival opens at 11 a.m. Sunday at the New Berlin Community Center, located at 8815 FM 775. Bingo runs from 12:30 to 4 p.m., the silent auction runs from 11 .m. to 4 p.m., the live auction starts at 5 p.m., and the Country Store, games and raffles will be available throughout the day. The free dance, featuring Clint Taft & The Buckwild Band begins at 7:30 p.m.