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GEDENKE! FESTIVAL
from Weimar, Texas
CELEBRATING THE PAST
Left to right, spectators enjoy taking a trip down memory lane at the Gedenke! car show, music is a big part of the annual parade, the popular barbecue cookoff brings out the best of the best. L oosely translated from German, the word gedenke means think of or remember; thus the festival is held in hopes local residents will remember their hometown and attend the festival. The festival includes games for all ages, a biergarden, several live bands, a parade, arts and crafts, a barbecue cook-off, and a 5k fun run/walk. There is no charge for admission or parking.
Our beloved festival grew from the combination of several local festivals and is now the city’s main celebration each year on Mother’s Day weekend.
One of the first annual celebrations in Weimar was the Cucumber Carnival, held in 1940 and 1941. The Texas Pickle Company operated in Weimar for over 30 years and, at one time, over 300 acres of cucumbers were planted in the immediate area. The Cucumber Carnival was an all-day celebration that featured a parade, bathing beauty contest and queen coronation, among other activities. The festival was cancelled in 1942 due to the outbreak of World War II and was never held again.
In 1973, Mrs. Betty Seifert chaired a committee that planned and successfully celebrated the city’s centennial. While the festival was a great
CELEBRATING THE PAST
success, it was not continued in future years. However, for several years in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Lions Club held a celebration on Post Office Street complete with carnival rides and games.
In addition to the Lions Club, the Weimar Garden Club began the Jackson Square Festival as a means to raise money for landscaping around the new Gazebo. The ladies invited various local organizations to sell everything from homemade ice cream to sausage-on-astick. Although it was a successful fundraiser, the festival lacked a proper carnival. The answer was to combine the Lions Club carnival with the Garden Club’s festival and christen it Gedenke!
Always MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND
