Photo TR: World's Largest Brat Fest 2012

[LoneRider92]

Started in 1983 by a grocery store owner who wanted to give back to the community, the World's Largest Brat Fest has grown into one of the largest festivals in the region. As you may catch in pictures, Brat Fest has raised over $1,000,000 for numerous charities over the years.

 

The festival earns its namesake from the fact that, well, nobody sells more brats over the course of the festival than them. As the website says, "that’s more than Oktoberfest, more than Brat Days, and more than (Milwaukee) County Stadium… we think you’re the World’s Largest Brat Fest”. The result is 3 million brats sold in the event's 28 year history.

 

Last year the event was marred slightly by the political protests occurring in the region. It turns out that the supplier of brats for Brat Fest donated money to Scott Walker's political campaign, so a large population organized 'alternative' brat fests. But I don't want to drag politics into a place they don't belong. Brat Fest is about eating tons of brats and food in return for supporting local charities and having a great time doing it.

 

I love Brat Fest because it's so quirky; they have "Take Your Brat to Work Day" where people can drive through and pick up brats on the way to work (nothing like a juicy Johnsonville on the way to the office). Bosses have people run out and pick up brats in bunches for their employees (Can I get 60 brats to go please?). The wacky and wonderful Mustard Museum is always a big presence (don't let them catch you putting ketchup on a brat. Things will get nasty...). People can walk around in casual clothing or still wearing the suit from the office. There's tons of music and a carnival, among many special events organized over the course of the festival. It's just plain old fun.

 

On to some pictures.

Space Mountain? A UFO? No, the Dane County Coliseum, home of the World's Largest Brat Fest.

At least that's what the sign says. Let's check it out.

Place your orders for brats here. Don't worry, this was during a lull in the crowd. When it gets busy, expect to wait 30-40 minutes to order.

The pricing for Brat Fest, very reasonable considering it's all for charity.

For those of you who aren't from the midwest and don't know what a brat is, a brat is basically sausage, just bigger. They are practically their own food group up here in the Dairyland, along with cheese and beer. On the right, a normal brat with sauerkraut and onions (Mother Dearest's), and on the left is this year's specialty brat; chipotle chicken monterey jack with onions and Dusseldorf mustard (LoneRider's next victim). So good... =D

 

(Darn camera still has some issues with blurriness...)

When you're done stuffing yourself with deliciously charred meat, corn on the cob, and many other things, why not enjoy a little Brat Fest Cookie Dough ice cream? Super good and colored like ketchup and mustard. =D

Accompanying my Brat Fest Cookie Dough is mum's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, also awesome. Today was a good day to get ice cream as the weather was sunny but enjoyable. I figured it was best to get it before Sunday when the temperatures hit the upper 90's. O.o Ice cream soup does not sound very good to me...

More delicious ice cream flavors to wash down your brats with.

Hey, it might be the brat's time to shine, but the Wienermobile is always a welcome sight.

The world record for number of brats sold during the three day event in 2010.

The number of brats sold as of 1 pm on the first day. Yeah, they are on a pretty good pace.

An army of grills constantly pumping out brats for the hungry Sconsinites. Mmm, smells like good eatin'. (I could imagine this being the sight at a small ACEr cookout as well)

Piers and a lot of other TPR members would be found here for a majority of the day.

Just taking a second, this is an awesome charity event. The number of volunteers is gigantic, ranging from (local) celebrity cashiers to normal civilians running the grills, it's a pretty impressive sight.

Brat Fest is held at Willow Island, known for the numerous Weeping Willow trees found on the small land mass behind the Dane County Coliseum. Questionably, they removed a large amount of willow trees a few years back while leaving the island largely unchanged, so now it's kind of more "Flat Open Space with a Few Willows" Island. Doesn't sound as catchy though.

Being a theme park website after all, I had to head down to the carnival and check it out at least.

CREDIT!!!! For some. Not for me. I'm just a little too big.

Ah yes, nothing like the feeling the contents of your stomach [several brats, an ear (or more) of corn on the cob, ice cream, and a beer or two] forcibly moved from the front of your body to the back.

Ah yes, it feels exactly like being at Disney. I'm sure it's liscensed and everything.

 

(I hope I don't get them in trouble somehow)

A few more spinning rides. I am a little bummed that I didn't see the Hi Roller that's been here for the last few years. The one ride I had on it a few years ago was one of the most terrifying, disorienting, and awesome flat ride experiences I've ever had.

I was kind of curious to try out the Force 10 (pretty sure I saw the ride in the IAAPA report), but I didn't feel like spending too much today. Fairly standard carnival stuff. I was enjoying the ferris wheel set up too close to a tree that was whacking people every time it rotated.

Machinery used to help set up? No, actually. There is such a huge number of brats being cooked that they have to unload them from the truck with a Bobcat.

There are several stages set up around Brat Fest as well so you can enjoy music while you eat. There are different types of bands playing all the time, so it often sounds more like a battle of the bands.

Plenty of Brat Fest merchandise to remember your experience.

Eat so many brats that walking normally becomes a laborous activity? Don't worry, transportation is provided to and from the parking lot (again, all volunteers).

As you can see, Brat Fest is a very popular event. This is on a Friday at 1:30. Just wait until the fireworks event or Saturday.

That wraps up this brief report on the World's Largest Brat Fest. Thanks for reading! Remember, if you are ever in the area on Memorial Day weekend, come on up and visit us. Go ahead and try a brat. Even if you don't like it, you're still donating to several worthy charities. =D

 

LoneRider signing out.

[chadster]

Hmmmm. I'm going to be in the Chicago area this weekend...wonder if I can make this work.

[QueerRudie]

Hmmmm. I'm going to be in the Chicago area this weekend...wonder if I can make this work.

 

Whore.

 

As for the Bratfest- YUM. That looks amazing- and for charity, even better.

[Meteornotes]

Never heard of this before, but I highly approve of the theme! Thanks for posting.

 

dt

[gisco]

This looks cool and the prices are cheap!

[LoneRider92]

The final count from Brat Fest this year was 151,216 brats, a little disappointing to me since the opening day total was over 50,000. The weather on Monday definitely did not help, but the rest of the weekend seemed pretty ideal. Still, it was a good turnout and another fun year. I also managed to hit a couple rides down at the midway on a later visit. The Gravitron was fun, of course, but the Force 10 was one heck of an experience. I didn't bring the camera to prove it, but the ride sign claimed it ride pulled 3 g's. I wasn't sure how close that was to the truth, but it looked fast.

 

Holy hell. After the ride, my head felt really funny, as if someone was pressing very hard against the back of it. It was fast, constantly intense, and really fun, but that was one tough ride. If it pops up at a location near you, give it a shot, but hang on for dear life.

 

I look forward to seeing Brat Fest again next Memorial Day and any possible TPR members who mosey on up to the Dairyland.

[Philrad71]

At first I thought this was a TR of one of the science or physics school weeks at one of the Cedar Fair parks!

 

Thanks for sharing though...I love brats & I love the food TR's!

[raptor6]

This looks like a lot of fun! Brats are so good!

 

And I laughed when I saw the Budweiser trailer in Miller Country!

Edited June 6, 2012 by raptor6

[disneyfan1313]

Thats a really unique TR - I love when they involve food! Thanks for sharing! Is there an admission charge to the fair also, or do you just pay for the food and rides that you want?

[alexinla]

Love this tripreport. Great Job. But I doubt they are selling more sausages when compared to the Oktoberfest(considering there are on average 375000 visitors a day in Munich) Heck, I would even argue that any German Fair sells above 200000 Brats...

 

It does not matter as this is for a good cause and the prices are really dirt cheap

[jray21]

Great report! I love all things food, and this definitely qualifies! Looks like my next trip to Chicago will have to be when the Brat Fest is in town.

[slither37]

Yum, looks great.

 

I would hope there is no ketchup to be found on the premises. Please tell me there was not. There should be a law.

 

Brat = kraut, onions, mustard. Period. Anything else is blasphemy.

 

Darn it! Now I gotta go to the store and fire up the grill... .

[LoneRider92]

Is there an admission charge to the fair also, or do you just pay for the food and rides that you want?

 

Admission to the fair is free. You just pay for all the food and rides you care to buy. It's a nice little diversion around Memorial Day; it's cheap, it's fun, and it's unique.