Celebrate the country of Luxembourg this August at the Luxembourg American Festival

37^th Annual Luxembourg Fest

Ready to Roll in Belgium

BELGIUM, WISCONSIN, JULY 26, 2023. The 37^th annual Luxembourg Fest, offering a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture of the small European country of Luxembourg through food, beverages, dancing, & fun, will be celebrated in Belgium August 11-13, 2023. The Luxembourg American Cultural Society (LACS) presents this festival, which includes everything from the World’s Largest Treipen-Eating Contest, Polka Mass and crowning of the Fest Duke & Duchess to a cultural Fest Forum and an upscale tasting event. Visit www.lacs.lu [lacs.lu] for the fest schedule and reservations for ticketed events.

While LACS members are invited to the annual LACS member meeting on Thursday, August 10^th, the first event open to the public is the annual Fest Cultural Forum, “Luxembourg Ancestral Houses,” offered virtually and in-person at the Ozaukee Nonprofit Center in Grafton Friday, August 11^th at 10 am. Jean Ensch, a founding member of the Luxembourg Genealogical Society (ALGH) & President of the Institut Grand-Ducal (Section of linguistics, ethnology, and onomastics) is flying in from Luxembourg to present. Tickets can be purchased online for the in-person program until August 3^rd and for the virtual program until August 9^th.

One of the two remaining ticketed events, “Luxembourg Under the Stars,” happening Saturday night, August 12^th, is sold out.

However, tickets remain for “Prost! Luxembourg Tasting Experience,” a new Luxembourg Fest feature launching Friday, August 11^th from 7-9 pm. “Prost!” is an upscale tasting event, inviting guests to the peaceful Pesche-Leider Gardens behind the LACS, where they will be treated to the best in Luxembourg imported beers, wines & ciders, and specially-created Luxembourgish hors d'oeuvres as violin music lulls them into the weekend. Limited tickets are available online with proceeds benefitting the LACS.

There is free entry for all remaining Fest events, which take place at Belgium’s Community Park (106 Beech Street), starting with the Main Street parade Saturday, August 12^th. The parade steps off on the corner of Main and Heritage Streets at 11 am, led by the traditional Hammelsmarsch (sheep march) and culminating at Community Park. The finale of the parade will be a lively Luxembourg folk dancing demonstration by the Wisconsin Diamond Dancers. All are invited to participate in their lesson.

Luxembourg Fest guests will bear witness to the world’s largest Treipen-eating contest (now with a junior division for kids ages 12-15), create their own free paper rose (Luxembourg’s national flower) from recycled Luxembourgish books, shop Luxembourgish vendors in the Këntschtler Eck (artist corner), pose with the living statue of Luxembourg’s Gelle Frä, or “Golden Lady,” and sip Luxembourgish beers, wines and ciders.

Luxembourg’s Nicky Krueger-Loos and Marc Weydert, known as hosts from the LACS’s virtual “Let’s Talk Luxembourg” cooking class programs, will be serving Luxembourgish street food such as Kniddelin, Gromperekichelcher, and Bamkuch Cake. Mettwurst and Mustreipen (Luxembourg sausages), Belgium waffles, root beer floats, American picnic fare, corn on the cob, ice cream and cotton candy are also on the Fest menu.

Those wanting to bring a taste of Fest home will be offered the chance to purchase frozen treipen, so interested guests should bring coolers. Band Tonic Roots will entertain with live music after the parade until 4 pm, breaking for the Treipen-eating contest at 1 pm.

The Jolly Good Kids’ Zone will provide fun for the kids at no charge, including a straw bale mountain, Gaga ball, a Luxembourg folk dancing paper doll craft and Ms. Kim’s Amazing Animals.

Buechler Farms will be providing free tractor rides between Fest grounds and the LACS from 12-2 pm Saturday. All guests can enjoy free museum entry to the LACS from 10 am until 3 pm Wednesday through Sunday of Fest week.

The Luxembourg Fest Polka Mass begins Sunday, August 13^th at 10 am. Following mass will be the Luxembourg Fest pageantries, where the Duke and Duchess of Fest, Denise & Dennis Dimmer, will be crowned and the Medinger and Birnbaum families honored. Live polka music by the Goodtime Dutchmen follows, allowing for dancing and merriment during lunch, which includes a menu of American picnic fare as well as mustreipen.

For details on any Luxembourg Fest events, and to purchase tickets to any of the ticketed events, visit www.lacs.lu [lacs.lu] or call the LACS at 262-476-5086. The Facebook events can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/LuxembourgFest [facebook.com]