After a huge success during its inaugural year of 2014, German Fest on West Seventh Street comes back to the historic Schmidt’s Brewery in Saint Paul for another weekend celebration of Minnesota’s German heritage and traditions.
“We had a fabulous event last year, with more than 20,000 people in attendance over three days,” says Linda DeRoode, director of festivals at FILO Productions Inc., hosts of the event. “German Fest is dedicated to showcasing German culture in the state of Minnesota.” Kevin Weinhandl, FILO president, calls it his mission to give back to the Saint Paul and Minnesota communities with a “cultural event of all things German.”
Returning for the 2015 German Fest is the popular strong man competition, with new perks and challenges for spectators of all ages, as well as the outdoor performance stage, “featuring continuous entertainment, most commonly in the form of traditional German music,” DeRoode says. Also on site will be eight local restaurants serving authentic German cuisine, as well as food trucks from popular non-German establishments.
New events and activities this year include human foosball and the highly anticipated Saint Paul Firefighters’ lederhosen calendar sale, with all proceeds going toward Saint Paul Firefighters’ Operation Warm, bringing warm winter coats to local students in need.
