2001 Heritagefest

concludes with spirit

Event retains

vibrant spirit of

hometown pride

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- The 2001 Heritagefest joins the 26 fests that preceded it in the city's growing history of preserving the community festival spirit.

It will be remembered for the salute to its retiring executive director, Leo Berg, the only director the festival has had.

It also will be remembered for ending the July drought when precipitation was scarcer than in the infamous "dust bowl" days, as each of the three final days saw significant moisture from thunderstorms.

Most of all, it will be remembered for its continued vibrancy in the face of declining interest in numerous hometown festivals elsewhere.

The rain that prefaced Sunday's final performance came early enough in the day, around 5 in the morning, so as not to impact the start of the annual parade. In fact, the thunderstorm actually lessened the humidity and brought with it a cooling breeze, much to the relief of parade watchers.

"I think our first weekend was absolutely fantastic," said Hugh Nierengarten, president of Heritagefest board of directors, "but the second weekend was a challenge. With the warm and humid weather, you couldn't blame people for leaving early or not coming out at all. I believe, though, that we had some of the finest entertainment ever for the second weekend."

Nierengarten estimated attendance for the event would be off 5 to 10 percent from last year.

Spectators who lined the route from the fairgrounds south on State Street to 6th North and over to Franklin and back to 11th North were entertained by 111 units, including floats, marching bands, vehicles from heavy-duty fire trucks to 1928 and '29 Model A Fords, polka bands on flatbed trucks, and Heritagefest gnomes and Narrens.

Surrounding communities sent their royalty, touted their upcoming festivals and their bands. Local and area businesses, radio stations and communications companies showed up with floats and vehicles.

Then there were veterans' groups, a Congressman, Chamber of Commerces, New Ulm city vehicles, "classic" tractors and much, much more.

Street vendors sold toys from wheeled carts; parade participants threw thousands of pieces of candy, gum and what-have-you to the crowds on either side of the parade route.

It was, as one spectator described it, "a simply wonderful parade."

For one of the visiting "polka" bands, the ride in the parade and the daily appearances on various stages during Heritagefest was the "connection" that had brought it back for this year's fest.

Franz Berger of Hofberg Echo, an Austrian band, had performed with another visiting band during the 1997 Heritagefest and was hooked.

"It was the biggest experience I've ever had in 30 years of making music," Berger explained. "It was the people, making contact with people from here that made the experience for me."

So, Berger rejoined band that he had played with in Europe in the past. The band was the Hofberg Echo which had been in existence for the past 25 years. He did solely because he wanted to play at this year's Heritagefest.

In preparing for the band's visit to New Ulm, he went searching for a female vocalist.

"I found Monika (Laine) on the Internet," he explained. "She's from Munich, and we had only two practices together before we left. She's a wonderful singer."

The group is versatile and solely acoustical. Wilhelm Rupp plays accordion and organ, Berger guitar and E-bass, Gustav Huemer clarinet, saxophone and harmonica, Helmut Huemer trumpet and Bernhard Wosz baritone horn and E-bass. Everyone but Wosz do vocals, too.

The band has a performance in Milwaukee before returning to their homeland. There the connection ends. The Hofberg Echo will disband.

"We're only in it for the fun," Berger said. "It is time to end it."

Berger isn't dropping music all together. He plans to be part of a trio, playing for weddings and other events in the Salzburg area.

But, what about the connection that he experienced at Heritagefest?

"Tell them if New Ulm calls, we will come back."