An aerial view of Bremenfest.
Courtesy photo
By Jacob Clemens
For the Sidney Daily News
NEW BREMEN – The annual Bremenfest celebration brings families from across Auglaize County together along the Erie Canal’s soft shores in New Bremen. Festival President John Parlett likened it to a true community event, where “everything people want in a festival is brought to you by the people of New Bremen.”
The festival starts Friday, Aug. 11, and runs until Sunday, Aug. 13. However, one mustn’t wait to indulge in the local culture until then as the Miss and Little Miss Bremenfest Pageants take place Sunday, Aug. 6 at the James F. Dicke Auditorium. Thursday, Aug. 10, the Kid’s Fishing Derby will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Kuenning-Dicke Park.
Friday’s festivities will begin at 3 p.m. when the beer stands open. Live entertainment will be provided by returning artist Bullet Proof Sounds DJ, performing from 3 to 6 p.m. Remaining food & refreshment tents will open at 5, with all proceeds benefiting New Bremen Athletics. Opening ceremonies will begin at 6 p.m.
Kicking off the local athletic competitions will be the One Mile Fun Run at 7 p.m. and the Bremenfest 5k Run/Walk at 7:30 p.m., both held by the YMCA for the third straight year.
Columbus-based band Rockhouse returns for a performance from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., bringing the audience back to the age of “hairspray and spandex” with hits from Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Ratt, and Kiss among others.
Day one will include activities for all ages, including the Girl Scouts Kids Tent at 6:30 p.m., and Bingo at 7, presented by Cardinal Music Boosters. If old bones don’t suppress the spirit, perhaps seek a thrill at the Cub Scouts Dunk Tank starting at 6:30.
Staples of Bremenfest, the Turtle Races and Games of Chance will return for all three days of the festival, beginning at 7 p.m. Friday evening, 4 p.m. on Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday.
Friday night will end with the conclusion of that evening’s Turtle Races at 11 p.m. Food and refreshment stands close at the same time, and beer sales end soon after at 12:45 a.m.
Saturday morning begins with a feast, featuring the Sons of American Legion Chili Cook-Off at 8 a.m. and Krispy Kreme Donuts served by the Cardinal Music Boosters.
Emanating from a town known for its bicycle museum, the 15 & 25-mile Bremenfest Bike Tours will take riders across the county and along the Miami/Erie Canal, “rain or shine,” starting and ending at Crown Pavilion in New Bremen. The rides will begin at 9 a.m. that morning, and prospective riders are expected to register between 8 and 8:45 a.m. at the pavilion.
Returning for a second year is the 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, being held at 2 p.m. in the New Bremen High School Gymnasium. Basketball coach John Wells and his staff will be overseeing the event once again. Registration for the tournament begins at 1 p.m. in the gym.
Other athletic competitions for the day include the Mud Volleyball Tournament starting at 10 a.m. and the recently refurbished Cornhole Tournament at 3 p.m., both at Jaycee Park.
Parents weary of rough play can steer their children toward the multitude of other options available at Bremenfest Saturday, including the Kids Craft Corner at 10 a.m., and the inflatable slides and castles from 12 to 9 p.m., presented by Lima Bounce House.
Live entertainment during the day will include two comedy, juggling and ventriloquist shows by Springboro native and nationally televised performer Mike Hemmelgarn at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Musical performances on Saturday include Brothers-In-Law from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., and Act 3 from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. who will perform covers from artists such as Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, and Aretha Franklin.
The final day of Bremenfest is Sunday. Opening the conclusive day will be the Romers Chicken Drive-Thru lunch at 11 a.m. on Plum Street. All proceeds will benefit the New Bremen Teacher’s Association. Food and refreshment tents will open at the same time.
The 48th Annual Bremenfest Parade will begin at 1 p.m. at the Amsterdam Center. This year’s theme is listed as “Highway to New Bremen.”
Sunday will hold a few more musical performances including Delaware-based duo, the Sensational Soul Brothers, who will perform from 2 to 5 p.m. Also on the card is tribute band Echoes of Legends, who will perform covers of “passed musicians who influenced us with their music.” They will perform from 6 to 9 p.m.
For children, the inflatables and dunk tank each return by 2:30 p.m. alongside the “Kid’s AGtivities” event at the Jaycee Park Shelter House, sponsored by the New Bremen FFA. The Big Wheel Race also returns to Plum Street at 4 p.m.
Big kids frustrated by the return of back-to-school advertisements and bedtimes may find the Punt, Pass, & Kick event to be a satisfying coping mechanism. The excitement starts at 3 p.m. on the corner of Walnut and Plum Street.
Not for kids will be the Neon Beer Sign Auction at the Crown Pavilion. Benefiting the New Bremen Fire Department, auctions will begin at 5 p.m.
Raffle prizes & 50/50 drawings will finish up at 8, and beer sales will cease at 8:45 p.m, wrapping up another year of Bremenfest.
