Heritagefest features mix of old standbys, new attractions

Use of arena buoys

expectations

for organizers

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Like most of the people behind the scenes at Heritagefest, Kathleen Backer is hoping the new ingredients in the annual festival's mix translate into a rebound after two consecutive summers of sagging attendance.

After several steady years of good weather and constant crowds, the annual cultural festival fell flat during its second weekend two years in a row. Staggering heat and equally oppressive humidity kept many would-be festgoers home and caused organizers to loose $62,000 last year and $72,000 in 2001.

Now that the Brown County fairgrounds have paved roads, new light standards, remodeled restrooms and a 205-foot-by-100-foot air conditioned arena, weather worries are causing less stress for organizers like Backer.

The festival, long thought of as a celebration of all things German, made a few modifications to its cultural offerings. Demonstrations on making Norwegian, Native American and Hispanic foods attracted new elements to the usual crowd.

This year's Heritagefest is going to continue down that road, said Backer, director of Heritagefest, Inc. The food demonstrations will return, but Heritagefest is adding new things to the menus at concession stands and new sounds to its lineup of entertainers.

Despite the additions, though, many of the things that make Heritagefest are going to stay. Bratwursts, landjaegers, spaetzle, Schell's beer and musical acts like the Original German Band and the Wendinger Brothers are returning.

Some new touches include a photo stand where visitors can snap a Kodak moment with the narren and the gnomes.

Heritagefest is also going to have a hammer schlagen, a German game where a circle of people compete by taking turns hammering nails into a log, taking one hit at a time. The person who hits the nail into the log wins the game. There's going to be a hammer schlagen for the kids and the grown-ups.

Kinderfest is going to have its first keg tapping with a barrel of 1919 Root Beer this year.

On the subject of food and drink: Schell's and all the perennial German favorites will return as always but the menus will also offer chicken kabobs, tacos in a bag, fresh veggies with dip, a pickle on a stick and the "spiral fry", which is just like french fries only the potato is cut in a swirling fashion, Backer said.

The Concord Singers and favorites like Die Wolpertinger and New Odyssey are on the bill for musical entertainment. Heritagefest is also going to have Powerhouse, which plays music from the 1940s to the 1990s and a Mexican mariachi band from St. Paul featured on the last Sunday of the festival.

The Lin Hansrud Dancers from Hanska, Dakota dancers from Morton and Mexican dancers from Sleepy Eye will be featured on the last Sunday of the festival.

Then there's the new building in town, the New Ulm Civic Center. Heritagefest is going to turn the arena into its indoor Fest Halle, thereby replacing the Edelweiss tent and the gift shop. Backer said the arena will be nearly wall-to-wall curtains, so the plexiglass and the bleachers won't be recognizable. It boasts one thing many are glad to have -- air conditioning.

Heritagefest President Hugh Nierengarten said weather has made the biggest difference in Heritagefest's successes and failures in the 22 years he's been involved with the event.

"We're cautiously optimistic that the addition of the civic center will help," he said.

Like Backer, he pointed out that the improvements to the grounds help give Heritagefest an insulation against the weather. He said last year's construction didn't have an influence on the overall attendance as it did on the festival's parking. A lagging economy and more competition for tourism are additional things that have affected Heritagefest over the years.