Ah, the Wallingford Wurst Festival. What a grand old tradition. It is the best of times, it is the Wurst of times, you could say.
This year, the Festival will be Friday, Sept. 17th, 4 PM – 10 PM and Saturday, Sept. 18th, 10 AM – 10 PM in the playground and building of St. Benedict School. They are in their 28th year of housing Festivals and no Wurst for wear.
What’s the Wurst that can happen?
- Food! Wursts of course! With sauerkraut! If this gives your arteries a turn for the Wurst, you can opt for grilled salmon, pasta or Caesar salad. The basement hosts the mother of all bake sales and outside there’s a Biergarten. As for the danger of overeating, prepare for the Wurst, hope for the best. Or take leftovers home: remember, Wurst not, want not.
- Said Biergarten features live music with dancing from 9 PM onwards. A fun way to Wurst time.
- The kids? They’ll want to come in the Wurst way. There are lots of inflatable rides and games with prizes. When trying to win at the games, remember Haste makes Wurst.
- Craft booths. All kinds of interesting goodies for sale. A good way to distract the kids if the rides and games take a turn for the Wurst.
- Book Sale and Raffle. More distractions in case things go from bad to Wurst.
According to St. Ben’s website, “The Great Wallingford Wurst Festival is the largest yearly gathering in Wallingford” attracting more than 10,000 visitors and is a fund-raiser for the school.
Well, we’ve covered the Wurst of it. Check it out for yourself and have the world’s Wurst day! When it comes to puns, this Festival is its own Wurst enemy!
It would be so much better if they called it what it is, The St. Benedict’s Wurst Festival. They’ve made it sound like it is a community run event that benefited the Wallingford community in some way, but it has been a fundraiser for a private school on their grounds for years.
Now, I’m all for St. Bens in the Wallingford area, it is just the name of the festival or even the page on their website that doesn’t mention that this is a fundraiser for a private school. If other private schools had a fundraiser, they surely would have their name as part of it, wouldn’t they??
Call it whatever you want … It’s always been a GREAT event in my experience. Fun for kids, homemade gifts and never enough wurst!! And historically, some local musical folklore!
Our child just finished middle school at St. Ben’s after an unhappy time in public elementary school. His only regret was having to leave upon graduating. In my opinion, St. Ben’s is a terrific asset to our neighborhood. Although it is private, the tuition is very reasonable and in my son’s class (of 16 students) over half of the kids were non Catholic. Many of the families live in Wallingford and are very much part of the community.
Why would the festival be better if the name changed? That is just silly – this event has been going on for 30 years, it’s always been in the St. Ben’s lot and does anyone really make a decision about going to a fun neighborhood event based on the name of the even describing who it’s benefitting? Bumbershoot? Seafair? Please. Just show up for the great beer (last year it was Maritime Brewing!) and the salmon sandwich (mmmmm) and hang out with your neighbors. Come on Alan, I’ll buy you sausage and make it all better.
St. Ben’s has been a prominent fixture and a supporter of the Wallingford community for over 100 years. I know I’ll be in the biergarten, with a brat and a brew, to toast to 100 more!
Will the beer “garden” be outdoors this year?
Hi Doug –
This year, there will be a Bavarian Café outdoors, serving coffee and pastries early in the day and standard Wurst Fest fare as the event progresses. The beer garden upstairs with the giant TV screen will be open for business as well with Maritime again as the brew of choice. The upstairs room is family-friendly until later in the evening, in case you didn’t know. 🙂 Hope you can make it!
Bill and everyone – I don’t think anyone would make a decision one way or the other whether to go to the festival if is was called St. Ben’s Wurst Festival…I just like things labeled appropriately. St. Ben’s is a great school, and all that.
No need to skew a neighbor’s opinion into wierdness….
we planned our weekend around this fun neighborhood event.
I’ve been attending the Wallingford Wurst Festival for 25 years; my only connection to St. Benedict’s is as a neighbor.
I’m delighted to have them, and the festival, here, and I can’t imagine calling it anything but the Wallingford Wurst Festival.
Frankly, with this yearly event I think Wallingford is riding on St. Benedict’s coat-tails, not the other way around. So, thank you St. Ben’s!
PS Their hamburgers are pretty good too.
I’m with Ffej–love the Wurst and agree Wallingford benefits immensely from this wonderful party no matter what it’s called! Maybe SeattleAlan’s an engineer and can’t help being so rigid?!
I understand totally what SeattleAlan is saying. Based on the name, (and the time of year, etc) I was expecting it to be an Oktoberfest type of thing. Imagine my surprise to find out it was a church fundraiser! The fact that it’s a church fundraiser is not a bad thing – just not at all what the name implies.
One year I got the best little 4 inch hand-made stuffed chenille teady bears. Any luck this year? See you in the beer garden!!
Not a church fundraiser–a SCHOOL fundraiser–there’s a difference. Money raised in no way supports the church–it all goes towards the operating budget of the school. Regardless–have you seen the Sweet Shoppe set up in the basement? You will think you’ve died and gone to heaven–it is so worth the added thigh dimples and extra workouts needed because of all the sweet treats!!
I noticed that the A-frame signs around the neighborhood “do” reference St. Benedict’s.
Steve
There’s a Sweet Shoppe? I’m so there.
Also, I get what SeattleAlan is saying too. I’ve seen the sandwich boards but never noticed St. Benedict’s. It’s no matter — just a new fact for the ole brain.
Perhaps I’m distracted by the huge, happily roasting wurst on the sign, which always makes me think of those creepy human-sized hot dog statues that are pouring ketchup on their own heads and licking their lips.
Hey sunshine … perhaps you can bring some of your namesake with you. And MarleyJ … thanks for correcting the fundraising. Don’t forget to come for all the wonderful music and visit the vendors
My friends band, All Mixed Up, is playing Saturday night so I’ll be there for that.
Don’t forget the annual T-shirts. They’re good quality Port and Company brand with a large bright logo on the back with the small logo on the front left chest. I learned I have to go on Friday afternoon’s in order to get my Big Boy size before they’re sold out.
Steve
hey Mar- looks like my evil twin (the rain) showed up instead. believe me- I wish I could bring the sun 🙂 we will make it rain or shine!