Say Guten Tag to Guttenberg

Heidi look-alike champions (L-R): 2008 winner Rachel Ryan, 2006 winner Ciaira Grinstead, 2007 winner Chianne Behrend.

October 1, 2008
By Shannon Durbin

Guttenberg celebrated the town's German heritage in grand fashion this weekend with traditional German fare and plenty of music from great local artists including the legendary Guttenberg German Band at the 18th Annual German Fest.

The organizers stepped up the arts and crafts component of the festival. In years past one or two vendors displayed their work. This year Michelle Gueder pulled out the stops and lined up 50 art and craft vendors from all over the Midwest. "It was not a flea market; the festival featured only homemade work of craftsmen from the region." The craft fair began on Friday at 4 p.m. and ran until Saturday at 9 p.m. and drew a large crowd.

Last year the German Fest committee introduced a Beer and Wine making contest to the event. The contest for local beer and wine recipes was so popular the group decided to introduce another recipe contest, a German Potato Salad contest. Guttenberg residents and natives of Germany, Karin Bahls and Anni Meyer will judge the contest.

Kathy Lake said this year was the first year the German Fest hosted a 5K Run/Walk. The race began on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Participants started at the Guttenberg Hospital and run throughout town.

In addition to the abundant supply of brats, kraut and traditional Hog Roast, German Fest also had a wide range of food vendors from fresh roast beef, Italian ice, kettle corn to a meatball seller from Chicago.

The event organizers also commissioned artist, Gordon Glass of Richland Center Wisconsin to do a pen and ink collage of historic Guttenberg sites. The collages were available for purchase for the first time at German Fest.

Live music was performed by "Sounds of Nashville" on Friday night. Saturdays performers included Dubuque Cloggers, Guttenberg Kitchen Band, The Altar Boys, Beau Timmerman, The Love Handles, Silbertaler Trio, tubador Gary McCurdy, Frank Berry, Karate Klub, and Mr. Good Times. Five participants tried out their yodeling skills.

The Heidi look-alike champion was Rachel Ryan. Claira Grinstead and Chianne Behrend also participated in the competition.

Another highlight of the year's event was the opening of Lock and Dam 10. The facility has undergone a three year restoration and upgrade that cost more than $14 million. The Lock and Dam is part of 27 along the Mississippi River.

Kids games, inflatables and a rock wall were available for the young. Guttenberg also paired their garage sales and farmers market with the event. Clayton Ridge High School put on a pancake breakfast and art students completed a chalk mural on the streets to commemorate the event.

Contact

The Clayton County Register
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Elkader, IA 52043
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