New Ulm celebrates its roots

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM--Yes, it's that time of year again.

It's the time of year when buses loaded with tourists head into town.

The hotels fill up.

Cars and trucks line the streets surrounding the Brown County Fairgrounds.

It's Heritagefest, a time of year many in New Ulm anxiously await.

The blare of tubas and flugelhorns echoes throughout town. Just underneath that constant thump are the hearty voices of men and women dressed in traditional German garb singing songs in German about women, beer and life's other pleasures.

They stand gleefully atop the four different tent stages under spotlights, pulling hijinks on each other, cracking jokes and the occasional "Yaaaa-hooo," stopping only to tune their instruments, catch their breath and take big gulps of water in between numbers. During a performance, the musicians will, on several occasions, call on the audience to participate by motioning to them to clap. During the songs, the cues are given to join in the traditional call-and-response.

A woman dressed in a green dirndl--a traditional German dress characterized by its blousy sleeves and long skirt--stands behind a microphone before a crowd of several people. She's leading the crowd in what seems to be a Heritagefest staple. She and a large man in lederhosen and a salt-and-pepper beard sing the call--"Zicke-zacke, zicke-zacke."

The audience responds with a loud "Hoi! Hoi! Hoi!". The song continues again until the chorus comes.

"I think they're nice," said New Ulm Lions Club volunteer Marie Fier from behind the refreshment stand in the Rosen Tent when asked about what she thought of the bands. "Very nice."

Meanwhile, narren, the wooden-faced jesters of this court, wander around, waving hello and stopping to have a picture or two taken with a fairgoer in a feather-topped Tyrolean hat and a T-shirt with 'Deutchland' in bold gold, red and black letters. Heritagefest also provides the crowd with a second set of odd characters in costume, the Heritagefest Heinzelmannchen--garden gnomes adopted by Germany in the 14th century that were originally stone representations of mine slaves in Turkey.

The air smells of dry grass and dirt mixed with beer-soaked bratwurst, spaetzle, potato salad and landjaeger. The heat forces those brave enough to walk around outside the tents to make repeated trips to the coupon booth and then to the refreshment stand.

Roger Myrle of Lester, Iowa, sits at a table near the back of the Rosen Tent, a plastic cup of Schell's in hand, as he talks with his wife and two other friends. It's Myrle's first Heritagefest, and he seems to be enjoying himself on this hot Friday afternoon.

"So far, I like it," he said as the band Slowenische Sterne oompa-oompa'd on in front of him. "Two years ago we went to Germany and we just thought we'd come and hear more (music)."

Around 6 p.m. is when people gather near the Bayerwald Open-Air Tent for the first ceremonial keg tapping, which is the traditional opening of Heritagefest. This year's opening ceremony featured Vice Consul Torsten Schoell of the German Consulate General in Chicago.

Standing before the full house of fairgoers, Schoell said, in perfect English, "Heritagefest is a reminder of the link between Minnesota and Germany...It is an excellent way to remember your roots...I'm glad to see Minnesotans haven't forgotten where their ancestors were from."

New Ulm Burgermeister Arnold Koelpin was beginning his remarks when he was interrupted by a small parade, which included the German band Albtal and a color guard displaying flags from Minnesota, the U.S. and Germany. Albtal led the audience in singing the German and American national anthems. A delegation from New Brownfeldt, Texas, presented Koelpin with a gift from its annual Wurstfest, which celebrates sausages.

Audience members, musicians and officials later jumped as the New Ulm Battery fired three shots from a field cannon in salute of the fair. Once the smoke faded, the audience's attention turned back to the ceremony. The Concord Singers, the narren, Miss New Ulm Amber Rademacher and her two princesses led spectators in more song and dance. The ceremony culminated in the longest line of the fair--the line for the ceremonial keg of beer.

Heritagefest runs from 11 a.m. to midnight until Sunday. Its second weekend is July 20-22.