Milwaukee's German Fest

Chad and Tanya - First Cousins

Another glorious day today and it was started with a nice run through Franklin, Wisconsin.  Actually, both Tanya and I took the time to get out for a run and I know my body wasn't long reminding me that I haven't been doing this that often on the trip.  The last time I ran was almost a week and a half ago when we were in California but it felt good to pound the pavement.  It was quite warm though, I'm sure it must have been around 25C at 7:30 am.

After we got ready for the day we made our way to the library to get some books, do some research and enjoy some family time.  Natalie got herself a stack of books and was very happy that Jenny could borrow some books for her so that she could read some new material while we're here in Franklin.  After the library we went back to Chad and Jenny's place for some lunch and then played oustide for a bit before heading to Germanfest.

David borrowed Mathieu's bike and he and I went for a walk/bike around the block.  He really enjoyed getting on the bike and ripping around as that is one of his favorite activities at home.  All the kids also played some baseball and spent some time hanging out and playing games.

At the Arts adn Craft Station

Mid afternoon we loaded up the van and headed into Milwaukee for the annual German Fest Festival that takes place downtown.  We had read about the festival in one of the brochures and thought it would be something neat to take it.  We arrived just before the grounds opened at 3:00 pm and the line was a few hundred people long.  Those numbers didn't seem to matter because once we got inside the place was so big people just scattered.

Dancing a Waltz

Supper was cooking

There was at least seven main stages that had different entertainment with German bands playing.  There was food and activity tents set up everywhere and there seemed to be a new beer garden every 10 to 15 feet.  They also had a market where vendors were selling various items that were either made in Germany, originated in Germany or included the German colors.  There was some neat stuff there.





Jenny and Tanya with Downtown Milwaukee as their backdrop

Because of the heat, the kids were keen to hit the splash pad and then we took them to the children's park.  To our surprise and delight, they had an arts and craft tent where you could drop off the kids, free of charge, for an hour while they did some activities.  In fact there was a big sign that said, parents are not allowed in this area - please drop them off and then wait outside of the fence.  The kids were eager to participate so we signed them up and then we went and toured the venue.  There were certainly some interesting sites.

David poses with a participant

There were people wearing the traditional German liederhosen (not sure if I spelled that properly but it is the german outfits), there were food vendors selling a variety of pretzels, sausages and meats.  One of the more interesting ones was the full pigs that were on the rotisserie and the sign selling pig heads for either $6 or $8 depending on the size.  We eventually stopped at one of the stages and listened to some music and watched some of the performers dance.  After an hour, we went back and got the kids and bought some food for them to try, took in a concert and then headed back to Franklin for a late supper.

Tanya and the kids dance to a song (didn't know the words but did know the actions)



When at German Fest.... do asthe Germans do!

 Chad and Jenny prepared a lovely barbecue with some corn on the cob which I had been craving since seeing the miles upon miles of corn through Minnesota.  Supper was wonderful as has been our stay in Franklin.  Tomorrow we are heading to Lake Geneva to spend some time at a waterpark and then we will start to make our way to Michigan to meet up with Tanya's good friend Karen and her family on Sunday.

Francois