Brat Fest: Labor Day 2004
Our local paper yesterday carried the news that because Hurricane Frances was swirling away off the coast of Florida, the ozone layer was causing haze and pollutants all the way up here, in Wisconsin. The reporter should have done his research. That wasn’t hurricane-induced haze on the horizon. What the reporter was catching drift of was the aromatic, thick, smoky haze of…. ready for this?….
BRAT FEST 2004: The Labor Day Edition!
Don’t believe me? See for yourself:
And what, pray tell, is Brat Fest, the unfortunate may ask? No, it’s not an event where one drops of their nasty children before fleeing. It’s a bratwurst fundraising event that is held twice a year in Madison, on Memorial Day and on Labor Day weekends. It has become a tradition that heralds in the summer, then escorts it right back out. The feeding frenzy over Memorial Day broke a World Record with 189,432 Bratwurst consumed. Sauerkraut is also a hot commodity at this event, with over 4,000 pounds consumed! That’s a lot of kraut!
We headed to Brat Fest on Saturday at around 9:30 AM, on our way to the first UW Badger Football game. Realizing that I had left my camera at home, it was determined that we’d just have to go back again the next morning for breakfast so that we could take photos. Mmmmm, brats for breakfast.
While at the Badger game, I mentioned to the guy to my right (who just happens to be my Cuisine Capers Cohort, Vic), that we needed pictures of Brat Fest. So he also made the ultimate sacrifice and forced himself to take his family there for dinner on Saturday night.
Between all of the Cuisine Capers entourage, we did our Madisonian duty and consumed about 20 tubular meats (so far, anyway - the tally may rise. After all there’s 1 1/2 days left!). The fest goal this weekend: 200,000 brats! We may need to step up to the plate (heh, heh, heh) and give additional assistance towards meeting that goal before the weekend is done.
Finally, here’s Brat Fest, in all its glory!
The Grill
On hand was the Johnsonville Brat Grilling Truck. For those of you that have never seen this wonder of the modern world, the Johsonville Brat Grilling Truck is the world’s largest grill. (I can see some of my fellow foodie bloggers drooling already!). It’s a semi truck which hauls around a trailer that converts into a grill for major bratwurst events, like UW Badger football games, Packer games, and, of course Brat Fest. This truck has a top speed of 9,000 BPH (brats per hour). Take a look at this, guys, and imagine it at your next backyard barbecue:
The Oscar Meyer Weinermobile
Oscar Meyers is headquartered in Madison, and they show up in full force to deliver hot dogs and to give kids a closeup of the Weinermobile. Growing up in Madison, this was a common sight as a kid:
The Tents
There are a number of tents. The main tent serves up the brats, of course. There’s also a condiment tent (run by people in “Condiment Commander” t-shirts… don’t mess with them!), and a Brat Gear tent, featuring shirts to dress your brat (as in, child) in, as well as jars of the official Brat Fest Mustards.
And speaking of condiments…
And finally, THE HAUL:
Two brats and two hot dogs, with 4 sodas, costing a total of $3.00.
For entertaining Brat Fest statistics, click below:
Entertaining Brat Fest Facts, according to the Official Brat Fest website:
- Johnsonville Brats Consumed in 4 days: 189,432
- Johnsonville Brats Consumed in lbs.: 37,886 lbs.
- Brats Consumed stacked end-to-end: 17.94 miles
- Brat Consumed per minute: 98.7 BPM(Brats Per Minute)
- Average Brats per person: Not Sure, But It’s A Lot
- Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs Consumed: 32,160
- Village Hearth Buns Consumed: 221,592 Pre Sliced
- Pepsi Consumed: 14,672 2 Liters
- Cups of Pepsi: 118,000 7 oz. cups
- Onions Consumed: 1,960 lbs.
- Mustard Consumed: 161 Gallons
- Ketchup Consumed: 130 Gallons
- Relish Consumed: 192 Gallons
- Sauerkraut Consumed: 4,082 Lbs.
- Napkins Used: 102,000
- Latex Gloves: 14,000
- 5′ Gas Grills: 16 Grills
- Grilling Capacity: 9,000 bph (brats per hour)
- Propane Gas: 785 Gallons
- Volunteer Hours Donated: 7,667
- Volunteer Groups Participating: 53
- Dollars Raised For Groups: $53,673
- Bathrooms: 5 Unisex
- Madison WI Population: 203,211
- Brats eaten per Madisonian: 0.93 per person
- Brat Man: 1
- Money Raised Since 1983: $363,616
- Total Brats Sold Since 1983: 1,546,562
- Brats Sold Since 1983 in Tons: Over 773 Tons
- The Largest Elephant ever recorded: 7.25 Tons
- Total Brats Consumed if stacked end to end: 146.45 Miles
- Miles to Sheboygan, WI.: 141.70 Miles
- Cost in 1983-$1: Cost Today-$1
- Celebrity Cashiers: 63 Public Servants
- Marriage Proposals: 1 Accepted
That’s a heck of a lot of encased meat product!
WAUWW!! I’ve never commented before, but I’ve been tagging along for a while - congrats on the marriage proposal - it is you, right??
Ups, that’s one for stupidity… Just checked the official site! Darn it!
Hi Zarah!
Don’t worry about it - that wasn’t stupid at all! I reread the entry and can completely understand why you thought what you did!
No marriage proposals here! ;->