FRANKENMUTH Thousands of tourists are expected for the Bavarian Festival. It's traditionally
one of the busiest weekends of the year in Frankenmuth.
The 53rd annual Bavarian Festival is taking over Frankenmuth.
"It's going to be nuts and crazy. We're going to have a lot of people in here
and they're going to just have a lot fun," said Juli Burns, Bavarian Festival
president.
The last couple of years have seen more than 100,000 people turn out for the
three-day event, helping it evolve into one of the highest attended festivals in
the state.
"It started out in a parking lot behind Bavarian Inn restaurant. Tiny Zehnder
created this and it has just grown to a huge event. It's the kickoff to summer,"
said Amanda Cormier, Bavarian Festival vice president.
The Bavarian Festival features a big parade on Sunday, but you can't forget
about Saturday's Princess Coronation. College scholarship money is on the line
and Royal Court members know what it takes to impress the judges.
"You've got to have the right polka moves," said Sarah Hadaway, Princess Court
member.
Besides a whole lot of Polka, there's live music, a carnival, and yes, a ton of
food and beer.
"We're hoping to do over 100 barrels of beer. Last year we did 104 and we hope
to break that number from last year. Food? A couple hundred pounds of brats
easily consumed this weekend," Cormier said.
All of that consumption brings in money, not just for the festival, but around
town as well.
"If they're coming from out of town, they're staying at our hotels and stopping
by our shops," Cormier said.
The Bavarian Festival runs through Sunday.
