Credit: LACS
The Luxembourg American Cultural Society (LACS) has confirmed that the 37th annual Luxembourg Fest of America will be celebrated in the village Belgium, Wisconsin, between 11 and 13 August 2023.
This festival, organised by the Luxembourg American Cultural Society (LACS) celebrates with food, beverages, dancing and more and will include their yearly, world’s largest “Träipen”-eating contest, now with a junior division for kids ages twelve to fifteen (Träipen being a Luxembourgish variant of black pudding), a Polka Mass and crowning of the Fest Duke and Duchess but also a cultural Fest Forum on “Luxembourg Ancestral Houses” and an upscale tasting event.
The cultural Forum will be offered virtually and in-person at the Ozaukee Nonprofit Center in Grafton on Friday 11 August 2023 at 10:00. Jean Ensch, a founding member of the Luxembourg Genealogical Society (ALGH) and President of the Institut Grand-Ducal (Section of linguistics, ethnology, and onomastics) is flying in from Luxembourg to present the aforementioned topic. Tickets can be purchased online for the in-person programme until 3 August and for the virtual programme until 9 August 2023.
The event “Luxembourg Under the Stars,” happening Saturday night on 12 August 2023, is sold out. However, tickets remain for “Prost! Luxembourg Tasting Experience,” a new Luxembourg Fest feature launching Friday 11 August from 19:00 to 21:00. “Prost!” is an upscale tasting event, inviting guests to the peaceful Pesche-Leider Gardens behind the LACS, where they will be treated to the Luxembourg imported beers, wines and ciders, and specially-created Luxembourgish hors d'oeuvres, all accompanied by violin music. Limited tickets are available online with proceeds benefitting the LACS.
The remaining Luxembourg Fest events will be free of charge, and will start with a Main Street parade on Saturday 12 August 2023. The parade will be led by the traditional Hammelsmarsch (sheep march), culminating in a final including lively Luxembourg folk dancing demonstration by the Wisconsin Diamond Dancers, to which everyone is welcome to participate.
Luxembourg Fest guests will bear witness to the world’s largest Träipen-eating contest, create a paper rose (Luxembourg’s national flower) for free, from recycled Luxembourgish books, shop Luxembourgish vendors in the Këntschtler Eck (artist corner), pose with the living statue of Luxembourg’s Gelle Frä, or “Golden Lady,” and sip Luxembourgish beers, wines and ciders.
Luxembourg’s Nicky Krueger-Loos and Marc Weydert, known as hosts from LACS’s virtual “Let’s Talk Luxembourg” cooking class programmes, will be serving Luxembourgish street food such as Kniddelen, Gromperekichelcher, and Bamkuch Cake. Mettwurst and Mustreipen (Luxembourg sausages), Belgium waffles, root beer floats, American picnic fare, corn on the cob, ice cream and cotton candy are also on the Fest menu.
Those wanting to bring a taste of the Luxembourg Fest home will be able to purchase frozen Träipen (interested guests should bring coolers).
The band Tonic Roots will entertain the gathering with live music after the parade until 16:00, breaking for the Treipen-eating contest at 13:00.
Free of charge entertainment for children will be available at the Jolly Good Kids’ Zone including a straw bale mountain, Gaga ball games, a Luxembourg folk dancing paper doll craft and Ms Kim’s Amazing Animals.
Buechler Farms will be providing free tractor rides between Fest grounds and the LACS from 12:00 to 14:00 on Saturday. All guests can enjoy free museum entry to the LACS from 10:00 until 15:00 Wednesday through Sunday of Luxembourg Fest week.
The Luxembourg Fest Polka Mass begins Sunday 13 August at 10:00. Following mass will be the Luxembourg Fest pageantries, where the Duke and Duchess of Fest, Denise and Dennis Dimmer, will be crowned and the Medinger and Birnbaum families honoured. Live polka music by the Goodtime Dutchmen will be next on the programme, inviting dancing and merriment during lunch, which includes a menu of American picnic fare as well as mustreipen.
Further information about this year’s Luxembourg Fest is available at: www.lacs.lu
