NEW BREMEN – The Bremenfest festival is considered a truly a community event by their leaders. “Everything people want in a festival is brought to you by the people of New Bremen,” said president John Parlett. “Right at the start, I want to thank all the sponsors and volunteers who supported this event!”
As a prequel to Bremenfest, on Sunday, Aug. 14 is the Little Miss Bremenfest Pageant, which starts at 1:30 p.m. At 6 p.m., the Miss Bremenfest Pageant begins. Both are held at the James F. Dicke Auditorium in the high school.
On Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022, the Kid’s Fishing Derby at Kuenning-Dicke Park runs from 6:30 to 8 p.m., with volunteers from the New Bremen Rod & Gun Club.
The Bremenfest main event runs from Friday, Aug. 19 to Sunday, Aug. 21.
There are totally new activities like 3 on 3 basketball tournaments as well as a new twist on the traditional turtle races, all of which are being run by New Bremen residents, Parlett said.
Friday, Aug. 19, Bremenfest kicks off with the beer stands opening at 3, and music by Bullet Proof Sounds DJ. By 5 p.m. the food and refreshments tents open,” he said. “It should be noted,” he added, “the main food tent benefits New Bremen Athletics.
“For the first time last year, the Athletic Booster parents manned that area for a portion of the profits,” he said. In 2021 he reported the group cleared over $5,000.
A new ride company, EGO Amusements, will open up the kid’s rides at noon.
Games of chance are starting at 7 p.m. “The ever-popular turtle races are now run by local guys Ben Thobe and Jordan Barlage, using turtles they caught in local ponds,” said Parlett.
Bingo starts at 7 p.m and is hosted by the Cardinal Music Boosters.
Others who like testing their luck in games of chance will be using the big Chuck-A-Luck wheel from Holy Rosary in St. Marys, he said.
The local YMCA is now managing both the 7 p.m. Fun Run as well as the Bremenfest 5K Run/Walk on Friday.
“This is their second year running the event and they are doing a great job.”
All weekend, the kids will also have fun things to do, with the Girl Scouts kid’s tent and the Cub Scouts dunk tank. The Buckeye Hustlers 4H club is selling Schwann’s ice cream items.
Parlett said one change in the Bremenfest schedule is the car show which runs from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday night.
The band Rockhouse wraps up the night with music from 8:30 p.m.to 12:30 a.m.
Saturday’s events begin with the 8 a.m. Sons of Legion Chili Cook off and the Cardinal Music Boosters doughnut sales.
Possibly those gustatory treats will be fuel for either the YMCA’s 9 a.m. Bremenfest Bike Tour of either 15 or 25 miles or the 10 a.m. Mud Volleyball Tournament at Jaycee Park. “Tony Ritter does a great running the mud volleyball competition,” he said.
Those with a little less ambitious physical goals can try bingo, which runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. or enjoy the comedy, juggling and ventriloquist arts of Mike Hemmelgarn. “Laura and Tara Springer, a mother-daughter duo, run the kid’s events with Hemmelgarn act,” he added.
New this year is the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament, to be held at 2 p.m. at the New Bremen High School gym. “When we approached basketball coach John Wells about he and his athletic staff running this new event, he said ‘sign us up!’”
“Brian Stachler and friends have stepped up this year to run the 3 p.m. Cornhole Tournament, said Parlett. “In preparation, they have completely redone the boards and gotten new resin bags.”
A new musical act Sensational Soul Brothers Band out of Dayton will do a Blues Brothers-style performance from 3:30 – 6:30 PM. “I found them on the internet and thought they would be a great change of pace for the festival,” he said.
Kharma’s Pawn fills the evening with music from 8:30 p.m.to 12:30 a.m. “Fort Loramie native Mike Overholzer is part of this group, so we have the group here every year. His wife Sherri is from New Bremen,” he explained.
Sunday starts with drive-through barbecue chicken dinners at the Plum Street food tent, which will benefit the New Bremen Teacher’s Association.
One of the main features of the Bremenfest celebration is the 47th annual Bremenfest parade. The parade heads out of Amsterdam Plaza south of the village. They head down state Route 66 through town, ending a the ABC Center north of town at First Street.
The band Act Three keeps the festival energy going from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
From 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. the New Bremen does their Kid’s AGtivities at the Jaycee shelter house, while a Big Wheel Race begins at 4 p.m. The older kids have a Punt, Pass & Kick competition at the intersection of Walnut and Plum streets.
At 5 pm, a Bud Light neon sign auction, which benefits the New Bremen Fire Department, will begin at the Crown Pavilion.
Rock band Haywired will wrap up the festival from 6 to 9 p.m..
Parlett said the community runs Bremenfest, and the community projects succeed due to their participation in the Bremenfest.
“Donations in the past allowed Eagle Scout Jordan Weighant to install a bench at St. Paul’s one year and his twin brother Jared to construct the concrete cornhole facility, also at St. Paul’s,” he said.
Besides the earlier-mentioned Athletic Booster share of the food and refreshment tent, Parlett said the Bremenfest committee has committed $10K for three years to Cardinal Rec Club for improvements at the ball diamond at Bremenfest park.
A complete Bremenfest schedule can be found at https://bremenfest.com/schedule-2/.
