Move over Oktoberfest! Boerne celebrates its German heritage in June over Father’s Day weekend with Boerne Berges Fest. The Fest is a long-standing Boerne summer tradition. A 51-year tradition to be specific. The three-day, family-friendly festival takes over the Kendall County Fair Grounds on June 16-18, 2017 and will attract Texas Hill Country locals and visitors from all over Texas. So, dust off your lederhosen and dirndls, and raise your stein in cheers to a weekend filled with fun, food, and music! Parking and entry to the event is free.
Family Fun
With the event’s relocation from Main Plaza to the Kendall County Fairgrounds last year, Berges Fest has a much larger footprint. The larger space now accommodates an assortment of new activities and a larger carnival to feed everyone’s appetite for thrills and chills. The event lineup for the weekend is full and you won’t want to miss a second of the fun. The best part about the events is that everyone can participate and entry is free! Check out the event website for a full schedule of events and music.
A true festival isn’t complete without a parade! Bring your chairs and line up along Main Street on Saturday morning to catch a glimpse of area courts, musical groups, clowns, and floats entered by local businesses and organizations that are sure to please! Keep an eye out for the Berges Fest float to greet the new Boerne Berges Fest Court which will be selected during the pageant the Thursday prior to the event.
Musical Line Up
If the booming sound of a tuba warms your heart and you have a craving for some German tunes, you will not be disappointed! The Boerne Village Band will play every day during the event, and Oma and the Oompahs will also beckon you and your partner to the dancefloor to waltz and polka on Sunday.
Looking for something a bit more country? There will be a variety of musicians playing all day and night to scoot your boots to.
A Bit of History
Believe it or not, Boerne’s largest (and most anticipated) festival of the year started out as a simple ice-cream social. At the time, the intention was to bring people together to enjoy some good food, fun music, and an art exhibit. Construction of Interstate Highway 10 was almost complete in 1967 and Boerne’s Main Street was bypassed, which had a huge impact on the local economy and local businesses. Boerne Berges Fest was a joint effort between the Chamber of Commerce and the Lions Club to draw attention and generate interest in the city while encouraging commerce for local businesses.
After the inaugural event, the event founders deemed the event a success because they had cleared enough funds to stage the event the following year. The initial event brought in $500, which at that time assured the fest’s future. And the rest, as they say, is history.
To keep tabs on this year’s event, check out bergesfest.com or follow them on Facebook, @bergesfest.
