Kirchenfest will be three days this year
The 46th annual Kirchenfest will be three days this year.
The festival sponsored by St. Paul Catholic Church in Highland will run Aug. 26-28 on the church grounds, 1412 9th St.
Things kick off on Friday night with beer and food stands opening at 5:30 p.m. The Mega Flea Market will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. for a pre-sale (admission $5), and the band Vote for Pedro will rock the south tent from 7 to 11 p.m.
The grounds will open back up Saturday morning, with the traditional Bavarian skillet breakfast being served from 7:30 to 10 a.m. The Strassenlauf 10K and 5K races will also start on Lemon Street at 7:30 a.m., followed by the 2K Strassenlauf run/walk, which begins at 9 a.m.
The rest of the day Saturday will be filled with all the usual Kirchenfest fun, games, food and live entertainment until the party shuts down at midnight.
On Sunday, the festival will reopen with an outdoor polka Mass, featuring The Good Times Band, from 10 to 11 a.m. The fun keeps coming all day long, until the last note is sounded at 8:30 p.m.
Kirchenfest attractions
Auction
The Kirchenfest Auction is truly unique because of the wide variety of unusual items offered! Look for celebrity sports memorabilia, weekend vacation trips, an eight-foot pizza, dinner parties, professional sporting event tickets, dinners at local and famous restaurants, steaks, antiques and furniture. MasterCard and Visa may be used at the auction, which begins on Saturday, Aug. 27, at 9:30 a.m.
Mega Flea Market
St. Paul School’s gymnasium is the site of the Kirchenfest Flea Market. Fancy yourself a bargain hunter? Well, this is your paradise. You’ll find bargains galore throughout the weekend.
Want to get a head start on your bargain shopping? The Flea Market pre-sale is held Friday, Aug, 26 from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission to the pre-sale is $5.
Flea market hours on Saturday are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Strassenlauf Run
A 10K course has been added to this year’s Strassenlauf run. The 10K and 5K Strassenlauf runs starts at 7:30 a.m., and the 2K walk/run starts at 9 a.m. Runners of all skill levels are welcome to compete. Entry is $30. There are no refunds. Early packet pick-up will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday. Day-of-race packet pick-up begins at 6:30 a.m.
Trophies will be given to first overall male and female finishers in the 5K and 2K. More than 130 custom-cast medallions given to top age group finishers, 5K & 2K. An awards ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m. in south tent.
For further information contact Sharon Schmitz at (618) 792-4577 or Sarah Wiegman (618) 651-0047.
Bike Ride
Enjoy a bike ride on Sunday morning by taking part in the Tour of Brats. The “Tour of Brats” bicycle race is a take on the Tour de France. The 25-mile bike route follows lightly traveled roads around Highland. While eating bratwurst is not necessary, at the end of the race, the rider is awarded a 1-minute time credit for each bratwurst eaten (two brats max). Registration will be on Sunday at 7 a.m., the ride begins at 9 a.m.
Raffles
The Kirchenfest is known for a variety of raffles. Tickets will be available on the grounds all day, Saturday and Sunday. This year, you can buy raffle tickets for a chance to win a:
▪ brand new 2016 Chevy Malibu or $15,000;
▪ vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida, Hawaii, or Rivera Maya;
▪ hand-made quilt;
▪ half a steer; or
▪ whole hog.
Raffle winners will be announced on Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
Kirchen Kraft Korner
Browse for some of the finest crafts around at the Kirchen Kraft Korner. You’ll find unique items and great deals. Be sure to drop by the crafter’s tent on Kirchenfest weekend. Hours are Saturday, 9 a.m. to close and Sunday from 10 a.m. to close.
Bingo
Bingo will be played on both days of the Kirchenfest, Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 7:30 p.m.
Jass Tournament
Don’t forget to bring your game face and check out the annual Jass Festival on Sunday, Aug 28 starting at 11 a.m. The entry fee is $25, with a total of seven games and eight deals per game (twice around the table). Prizes will be determined by the number of participants.
Band Lineup
▪ Vote 4 Pedro (Friday, Aug. 26 from 7 to 11 p.m. in the south tent)
▪ Hair Syndicate (Saturday, Aug. 27 from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the south tent)
▪ Buffalo Road (Saturday, Aug. 27 at 4 to 6:30 p.m. in the north tent)
▪ Dirty Muggs (Saturday, Aug. 27 at 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. in the north tent.
▪ BayWolfe (Saturday, Aug. 27 from 8 p.m. to midnight in the south tent)
▪ The Good Times Band (Sunday, Aug. 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the south tent)
▪ The Jorrells (Sunday, Aug. 28 at 12:30 to 5 p.m. in the north tent)
▪ St. Paul Viking Band and Viking Choir (Sunday, Aug. 28 from 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. in the south tent)
▪ The Fabulous Motown Revue (Sunday, Aug. 28 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. in the south tent)
Games and Rides
Kirchenfest also features games and rides for both children and parents.
The games this year are bingo Frogger, Speed Pitch, a duck pond, 1913 Race Horse, Crazy Ball, The Pig Race, Skeeball, putt-putt golf, Beer Stein Hoopla, and I Dood It.
Rides will include a slide, tub ride, wrecking ball and whirley bird.
Dodgeball
Recess is back! Play your favorite schoolyard sport “pick-up” style for fun and exercise. There’s no need to register or form a team. Kirchenfest Dodgeball will feature a “stingless” foam ball and new game types in addition to traditional rules. Games will be played on the grassy lot east of the Parish Center. Games are for those 13 and up.
Food
Chicken dinner
Enjoy some of the best fried chicken around with all the family-style fixin’s like mashed potatoes, green beans, cole slaw and more. Afterward, care for your sweet tooth with your choice of homemade cakes or pies. The best part? Your meal will be served in the clean, air-conditioned Parish Center by some of the friendliest people around. The chicken dinner runs from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 28. MasterCard and Visa may be used at the chicken dinner.
Bavarian Skillet
Make sure you don’t forget to grab a meal at the Bavarian Skillet stand. Enjoy a traditional German dish consisting of pork sausage, fried red skin potato, green pepper, onion and sweet Bavarian kraut. Kirchenfest is famous for featuring this unique cooking tradition. Your meal will be prepared on two four-foot diameter skillets that were made exclusively for the Kirchenfest. The skillets are one-inch thick and weigh 528 pounds each. Don’t leave our festival without seeing these skillets for yourself.
Other food
At the Kirchenfest, you’ll find different food stands located all over the grounds, which are available all weekend. Bring your appetite! You’ll have the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of foods such as bratwurst, gyros, steakburgers, handmade pizza, pork steaks, German potato salad, potato pancakes, ice cream, funnel cakes, desserts from Cose Dolci Bakery, and more.
Beverages
At the Kirchenfest, you’ll find plenty of cool drinks to quench your thirst, including a variety of sodas and beer — and what’s a German Festival without some beer, right? Looking for something more sophisticated? Join a friend and step into the wine garden to “celebrate the grape.”
This story was originally published August 25, 2016 at 7:17 AM with the headline "Kirchenfest will be three days this year."