Jefferson Countians will have the chance to enjoy German music, dance, food and drinks this weekend at the German Cultural Society’s Maifest in House Springs.
The annual festival will be held from 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday at the organization’s Donau Park facility, 5020 West Four Ridge Road. Admission is free, but there will be a charge to purchase food and refreshments.
“The Maifest is kind of a celebration of the birth of spring, German style,” said Gerhard Gassl, the society’s vice president. “We’ll have band music Friday and Saturday evenings. We’ll have delicious food and drink. Throughout the weekend, we’ll have our dance groups perform.”
Gassl said hundreds of people attend the festival each year.
“We draw from all over the metro area,” Gassl said. “Typically, we’ll get around 1,500 for the three days. Sunday is the biggest crowd, around 800.”
The Wendl Band will perform Friday, Die Spitzbaum will play on Saturday and the Deutschmeister Brass Band will perform Sunday.
“We have brass band music,” Gassl said. “The Wendl Band and Die Spitzbaum are smaller groups. The Deutschmeister Brass Band is the society’s band, a subgroup of the German Cultural Society. It is a 16-piece band, more or less. It can vary.”
He said the presentation of the Maibaum, or Maypole, is a highlight of the festival. The Maibaum presentation will take place each of the three days.
German cuisine will be sold each day as quantities last. On Friday night, bratwurst will be featured. On Saturday, people may choose from bratwurst or weisswurst (white sausage) on a bun with sauerkraut and served with French fries. German chocolate cake also is available for a separate charge. On Sunday, dinner choices will be fried chicken or one bratwurst and one weisswurst, potato salad, green beans, bread and a choice of apple or cherry fruit strudel.
Kids meals of a hot dog on a bun with chips or fruit cup also will be available throughout the weekend, In addition, pretzels will be sold at the bar.
Donau Park has a large pavilion that allows the society to hold its events at the facility despite the weather conditions, Gassl said.
“It goes off rain or shine,” he said.
For more information about the society’s activities, go to germanstl.org or visit the German Cultural Society of St. Louis Facebook pages, one focused on Donau Park and the other on the organization’s Jefferson Hall facility at 3652 S. Jefferson Ave. in St. Louis.