The German Heritage Festival is a 28-year-old family affair that started with a woman who was just poking around in her genealogy. She was surprised to discover a significant portion of her family tree on her maternal grandmother's side was German.
"Back then, you didn't talk about your German heritage much," said Melissa Lesniewski, whose mother, Beverly (Jant) Pochatko, started the Erie chapter of DANK, a German historical society, in 1990. We talked with Lesniewski, who has been in charge of the food side of festival for all of those years.
What started as the Bavarian Festival in 1990 has become one of Erie's cherished annual ethnic fests.
"I got sucked in," Lesniewski said with a laugh. "I work kind of behind the scenes. It was important to her, so I do it."
We asked her five questions about the festival. Here's what she had to say.
Question: What are festival goers' favorite German fest foods?
Answer: You'd be surprised, but it's the Limburger cheese sandwiches. I know it's strange because it's so smelly, but that is what everyone asks about. Also, the Braunschweiger and bratwursts fall in there, but Limburger is the big one,. People love it. And of course the Sauerbraten (marinated meat) and Helmut's strudels (pastry, served both savory and sweet).
What are your favorites?
My favorite is bratwurst, but I like it browned and they serve it steamed. I like it browned and plain. Next would be the vegetable strudels. I tend to like the savory more than the sweet.
What kind of beer is served at the German festival?
We order those in January straight from Germany. Hofbrau Oktoberfestbier, also Spaten Oktoberfest and regular Hofbrau, as well as locally made peach blueberry.
How many people visit the German fest ?
We're not entirely sure because the kids get in free and there are free tickets, but we estimate 3,000 to 6,000 people per day. Unlike the other festivals, we have to charge admission because our vendors' profits are all theirs. We don't have a church or volunteers and there are expenses for the tents and set-up and entertainment and other expenses. There's a lot of setup because everything is under a tent so people can come even if it rains.
What else makes this festival unique?
Well, we have vendors' Marktplatz (market) where they sell dirndl (traditional female dresses), steins, T-shirts, hats, amber jewelry, Connie's ice cream and face painting as well as Magic Steve. There's something for everyone. My favorite part is that a lot of people bring their chairs and set up and stay for the day. It's a family-friendly place where a lot of people come in German dress, in their dirndls and lederhosen. I think that makes it special.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: The German Heritage Festival this weekend to feature foods, dance, music and beverages
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