NEWS

Sheboygan Brat Days history: 7,000 pounds of brats, a Bratwurst Queen and drunken, rowdy crowds

Sheboygan Press

SHEBOYGAN - The very first Bratwurst Day came out of the 1953 Sheboygan centennial celebration.

To mark that milestone, a week-long festival ran from Sunday, Aug. 9, to Saturday, Aug. 15.

Each day of that week had a different theme. Thursday was known as Bratwurst Day.

That first Bratwurst Day started out with a bratwurst breakfast at 8 a.m., according to the book "The Sausage that made Sheboygan Famous," published by the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center.

Then, if you yearned for more, a bratwurst lunch started at 11 a.m. featuring brats from many vendors of the time. Those firms included Wagner's Sausage, Sheboygan Sausage, Thielmann Sausage, Hertziger Sausage, Johnsonville Meats and Rammer Sausage. Each had a stand selling bratwurst.

A single brat at that time was 25 cents, a double was 35 cents and a bottle of beer was 15 cents, according to the SCHRC.

Later, a community bratwurst supper was held at all those stands.

On that first Bratwurst Day, afternoon entertainment included the first brat-eating contest. The event was held at Fountain Park. Roger Theobald was declared the winner, eating nine single brat sandwiches within a 15-minute time limit. Nine-year-old Dennis Leffin took second, downing eight single brat sandwiches. Leffin has plans to participate in the 2022 brat-eating contest.

The first Bratwurst Day was a huge success — 7,000 pounds of bratwurst, 96 gallons of dill pickles, 288 bottles of catsup, 288 jars of mustard and 350 pounds of onions were used. Local bakeries were busy with thousands of hard rolls being delivered to stands.

There was also a Bratwurst Queen selected and crowned for the event. Miss Delores Stoelb, daughter of Norbert and Gertrude Entringer Stoelb, sponsored by the J.C. Penney Company, was selected as “Bratwurst Queen of 1953.” Honored centennial guest actor Charles Coburn crowned the queen. Second place went to Miss Pat Kroos, Alfred Jung Company, and in third place was Miss Corliss Lannoye, Fanny Farmer Candy Store.

Over the years, as many as 100,000 people have come to celebrate the event. Huge, rowdy crowds with vandalism and drunkenness were common.

But, as is usual with things that are too good to be true, the event had worn out its welcome after 13 years.

According to the SCHRC, Bratwurst Day had become a day to drink beer, eat a few brats and cause trouble.

In a 1966 advisory referendum, the citizens said no more — and the annual event was canceled.

The Jaycees by the late 1960s would propose a German Days to celebrate its heritage and held the event at Kiwanis Park. The first German Days was more like a beauty pageant to move away from the alcohol-infused mayhem.

In 1978, the event was once again named Bratwurst Days. The crowds were smaller and more from the surrounding areas.

After many years of Bratwurst Days, the Jaycees announced in 2022 that the event will no longer be a two-day event and will morph into an event with a structure yet to be determined.

Just remember to have one with the works this weekend.

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