Throughout the year New Glarus has many interesting and fun Festivals. Starting with our Winterfest in January going through October with Oktoberfest, you'll enjoy the festivities and activities at our Festivals. Bring the whole family and enjoy New Glarus.
March, 2008 Annual Fire Department Dinner.
April 20, 2008 Maitag Trachten
Sponsored by the New Glarus Maennerchor. A celebration of traditional European dress, food and song. Starting at 3:00 pm with our new children's contest, it will be a fun-filled occasion for the entire family. The cost with tradional Swiss dinner is only $20 per person, $10 for children and $10 for people who just want to watch the fun. If you would like to purchase tickets, applications are available for printout on our website at www.newglarusmaennerchor.org
April 28, 2008 VFW State Loyalty Day Parade
The theme of our Loyalty Day Parade is "Honoring All Veterans." Parade and events will step off at 1:30 pm in downtown New Glarus.
May 23-26, 2008 Community Festival
We celebrate Memorial Day weekend with a traditional, family-oriented gathering. All are invited to participate in baseball and volleyball tournaments, games of euchre, and the local talent show. Children's activities include entertainers and games with lots of prizes. A varied lineup of bands plays Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Food concessions are available all weekend.
June 13-15, 2008 7th Annual Roger Bright Memorial Polkafest Free Music and Dancing the entire weekend!
Polkafest pays tribute to the late Roger Bright, the local musician and bandleader who was well loved in the polka world. Dancing begins on Friday night with a free performance by the Roger Bright Memorial Band in the Polkafest tent (downtown New Glarus).
June 12, 2008 Dairy Queen Crowning at 8:00pm - Ice Cream Social Prior to Crowning- Polkafest Tent Downtown New Glarus
June 27, 2008 Lions Chicken BBQ Village Park
June 27-29, 2008 Heidi Festival/Taste & Treasures
Join us for the 42nd annual Heidi Festival and Taste & Treasure of New Glarus! The last full weekend in June. Heidi Festival weekend is filled with great food, entertainment, music, and fun for the whole family. The Heidi events are complemented by the Taste & Treasures of New Glarus. Downtown streets will be lined with food stands and colorful sidewalk sale displays. Taste & Treasures is your opportunity to sample locally produced foods and beverages. Downtown merchants will feature special bargains for shoppers. Craft fair in the park. Sat. 9:30am - 5:00pm Sun. 9:30am to 4:00pm The weekend highlight is the presentation of Johanna Spyri's classic play, Heidi. It's the heartwarming story of the young girl with braids, Heidi, her gruff grandfather, and their love of the Majestic Alps of Switzerland. Four performances are staged by local actors in a warm presentation that includes live goats and kittens on stage! Spend a weekend enjoying New Glarus. Come experience the ethnic spirit and the European flavor that residents have nurtured-and love to share-for over 150 years.
Ticket Info: Heidi Play 12/over $8.00; 11/under $6.00 Four performances are held in the air-conditioned New Glarus High School. Friday Evening, June 27 - 7:30pm Saturday, June 28 - Two performances 10:00am and 1:30pm Sunday, June 29 - 1:30pm
"Old World Traditions"Swiss Entertainment. New Glarus High School, Saturday evening, 7:00pm. General admission: 12/over $8.00 11/under $6.00
Heidi Festival PO BOX 861 New Glarus, WI 53574
July 11 - 13, 2008 Old Fashioned Maxwell Street Days.
Bargain hunters won't want to miss this event! Downtown shops will fill the sidewalks with a wide range of merchandise at special prices. Garage sales throughout the community will offer treasures needing a new home.
August 2, 2008 Fire Department 106th Anniversary - Festival and Dance.
August 3, 2008 Swiss Volksfest (Swiss Independence Day).
We celebrate Swiss Independence Day with a program of traditional Swiss entertainment. The celebration is held at the Tell Shooting Park, 1/2 mile north of New Glarus on County Hwy O. The entertainment includes choral folklore music, yodeling, flag throwing, thalerschwingen, alphorn playing, and accordion music. The Volksfest program runs from 1:00pm to 4:00pm, followed be dancing from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. A modest admission fee is charged at the door.
Aug 29-31, 2008 Wilhelm Tell Festival
Flyer and application for Wilhelm Tell Art Festival - Click Here - for .pdf document
Come and enjoy this unique ethnic presentation! Share with your family the story of Swiss independence , written by German playwright Friedrich Schiller. It's a live theater presentation with intricate costumes and a lively cast that includes goats, cows and horses. More than 200 local volunteers join to make each colorful performance come to life. Performances are staged in a beautiful outdoor setting, just a short distance from downtown New Glarus. Visit http://www.wilhelmtell.org/
Wilhelm Tell Drama - at the Tell Grounds on Hwy. W, east of New Glarus. Saturday - German presentation at 10:00 a.m., English presentation at 2:00 p.m. Sunday's English presentation begins at 1:00p.m. Tent Camping - Tell Grounds Saturday, 5pm until Sunday 10am. No pets, please. $15 / person camping fee is charged to cover costs. Family rates are available. Children's Laternenzug - Friday evening at 8:00pm in Fest tent. Concert in Fest tent - Sat. at 7:30pm., downtown New Glarus. Yodel Contest - Fest Tent - Sunday at 6:30pm. downtown New Glarus. Interfaith Worship at the Ruetli - Sun. 9:15am. Tell Grounds Book Sale - Friends of New Glarus Library - Sun. 9am -5pm., Village Hall Ethnic Fashion Show - Fest Tent - Downtown New Glarus, Sun. at 10:30am. Outdoor Art Fair - 48th annual Wilhelm Tell Festival Art in the Park, Sunday, 9:00am. to 4pm. in Village Park.
Ticket Info. Advanced Sale Reserved Seats All ages ...................$10.00
Day of the Performance (General Admission only) Adults......................$10.00 Students (K-12).........$5.00
To order tickets for Tell Drama or to reserve a campsite, please send a check or money order to: Wilhelm Tell Community Guild, Box 456, New Glarus, WI 53574. Please specify the performance day, and the performance for which you wish to have tickets. Free parking and shuttle service are provided for your convenience at the Tell Grounds. No pets, please.
Sept. 6, 2008 Schuetzen Fest
Schuetzen Fest is back!! The traditional Swiss Schuetzen Fest is revived this year with small-bore (.22) shooting competition open to the public. The event begins at 7:30am on Sat., Sept. 6th at the Wilhelm Tell Grounds. A picnic and prize ceremony will follow the competition at the Wilhelm Tell Shooting Park Barn. Three position shooting - standing, kneeling, and prone will be the main event with trophies and prizes. Men, women and children are encouraged to compete. Both individual and team scores will be used so recruit your team and start practicing! For more details check out the website. http://www.ngschuetzenfest.com/
September 27, 2008 Kilby Supper (Swiss United Church) offers visitors a taste of community life. The church Kilby Supper has roots in the traditional Swiss celebration of Kirchweihe. This church gathering, an annual event in Switzerland, presents a special meal to welcome church members back from their summer of farming in the high mountain meadows of the Alps.
September 26-28, 2008 Oktoberfest is a multi-event weekend in New Glarus. Oktoberfest presents many activities in Downtown New Glarus throughout the weekend including live music in the festival tent, kids games, rides, and great food. Other events customarily include tractor-drawn wagon rides, Swiss Historical Village events with local historical displays and craft demonstrations and plenty of other family fun.
September 28, 2008 Swiss Historical Village Events The Swiss Historical Village will present a live cheese making demonstration Sunday, Sept. 28, beginning at 9 a.m., in the Historical Village cheese factory. Cheese Masters from around Wisconsin will make Swiss and other favorites in the antique copper cheese vats using production methods dating to the 1800's.
For details of these events, call New Glarus Visitor Information at (800) 527-6838 or (608) 527-2095.
November 21, 2008 Lighting of the Community Christmas Tree.
December 6 , 2008 St. Nicholas Day
8:00-1:00Christmas Cookie Walk - At the Swiss Church. Includes bratzeli, cookies, and candy. These delicious treats go fast, so shop early.
11:30-1:30Lunch with Santa - At the High School Commons Area. Lunch, kids crafts, and a visit with Santa.
January 16 through January 18, 2009 Winterfest All Veterans 22nd Anniversary Reunion. (Events and celebrations open to the public.)
Veterans and their families and friends gather for a weekend of socializing and remembrance. Events include the Burning of Winter Ceremony, a nighttime parade, the Fireman's dance, a village-wide poker run, the famous Winterfest Auction and a buffet banquet and dance.
