Sat 6/14 @ 6PM
Oh sure, we know some of you are going to snicker when you hear that someone has just started a Sausage Festival in Cleveland. But really, it’s probably overdue with the number of Eastern European immigrant descendents in Cleveland, each with their own distinctive take on kielbasa or klobasa, bratwurst or kishka (the latter made famous by a Frankie Yankovic recording of the polka tune “Who Stole the Kishka?”).
So the creative mind of Thomas Fox, whose organization Greyt Culture created the Greyt Big Breakfast Talks and Golden Hour Rooftop Parties, decided that in this town of rib cook-offs, a Sausage Fest is overdue. So he’s starting one.
“I believe, Cleveland deserves a sausage festival of legendary proportions—where the air smells like smoke and spice, where grandmothers square off against punk rock pitmasters, and where toddlers proudly brandish bratwurst like medieval scrolls,” he says.
He’s starting small and hoping it grows into something big. The first one will take place at the west side German pub Der Braumeister, which is known for its beer and hearty German food. The first one will feature only Der Braumeister’s sausages and admit only people 21 and over, but Fox is hoping to expand in future years to “home chefs, backyard legends, regional butchers, DIY kielbasa kings” with competitions and all-day music. There will be music at this one, with performances by Quick Mystery, False Teeth, Blanket Party and Fruit Fly.
You can help make that happen by snagging tickets to what he’s calling Another Cleveland Sausage Fest. They’re $10 in advance, $15 at the door if there’s still space. Go to thatsgreyt.com/sausagefestcle for tickets and info.