The public is invited to celebrate German-style at the 25th annual Roberts Cove Germanfest on Saturday and Sunday.
The festival will be held on the grounds of St. Leo IV Catholic Church in Roberts Cove, located off Interstate 10 Exit 87 (Rayne Exit) in Acadia Parish. Activities will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Germanfest features traditional Roberts Cove German foods such as wurst (sausage), kartoffel (potatoes), sauerkraut, zucker platzchen (sugar cookies) and desserts; and also highlights German cultural activities, folklore, music, dancing, and other great food and drinks.
Music from the German bands Alpenmusikanten and Auf Geht’s Band invites festival-goers to participate in their entertainment along with the Germanfest Folk Singers and German dancers.
Festival goers will enjoy the Roberts Cove German Heritage Museum which exhibits artifacts from many ancestors. Exhibits change from year to year so that you can experience the different items, traditions and crafts handed down from generation to generation.
The folklore tent offers a little about the history and customs of Roberts Cove; and demonstrations of crafts handed down from generation to generation will be available. A favorite attraction at the festival is the rice threshing demonstrations, which show a re-enactment of the threshing, sack sewing and shock assembly.
Other attractions include an antique tractor club displaying antique tractors, the Blacksmith Association demonstrating old-time blacksmith skills, and Kinder Land, a “kid friendly” festival area with free games and activities.
Festival goers are also invited to visit the Gift Shop with available items such as hand-crafted gifts, German hats, pins, T-shirts, German cookbooks, aprons, steins, canned fruits and vegetables, and much more.
Germanfest allows the community of Roberts Cove to showcase its German culture and raise awareness of a German community in Louisiana that has maintained its heritage for over a century in this predominately French area.
