Memorial Day Weekend: Madison Johnsonville Brat Fest

Coming sooner than you think will be the annual brat festival sponsored by Metcalfe's Sentry here in Madison. It will not compare with the Sheboygan Brat Festival of the 1950's and 60's, but this tamer family event will serve Johnsonville Brats to benefit close to 40 area charities.

Unlike the Sheboygan event, this one will have the "A' list of Wisconsin celebrities, particularly those politically connected to serve up the sausages. If First Lady Jessica Doyle is not to your taste, there is always City of Madison Fire Chief Debra Amesqua. Brad Clark the city of Madison manager of Madison Channel 12 will be preceded by State Senator Fred Risser.

This is a solid community event sponsored by the local Sentry store since 1983 in the parking lot of the Hilldale Mall by popular store owner, Tom Metcalfe. Now his sons, Tim and Kevin continue the tradition.

It looks like this is a great collection of wonderful people all pulling together.

For more information be sure to check out the festival home page, Johnsonville World's Largest Brat Fest.

This year's event runs from May 23 thru May 26th, rain or shine.

Comments

[nonheroicvet]

Wouldn't it be better if William Morgan, President of Johnsonille Sausage and WMC Board Member would donate directly to charities rather than me donating to Mr Morgan? I see nothing in the press release that Johnsonville is providing the brats free, so I will stay with eating Brand X brats and donating directly to the charities.

[jimbo]

Too bad they're serving Johnsonville brats. I don't buy them anymore.

[Brad Clark]

Aw shucks. Hope to see everyone there! I am also glad to note, as someone who has JUST ABOUT completed the transition to becoming vegetarian, that Brat Fest also offers Boca (non-meat) brats. Load up on the yellow mustard and you're good to go!

[Barry Orton]

Like everything else, the Bratfest was better in the good old days, when it was small, in the Hilldale parking lot and Usinger's coarse ground was the brat of choice.

(Also, it wasn't so big that they had to resort to D-list local officials like Brad Clark. What happened? Was Ben Masel unavailable?)

[Bri]

Due to Morgan's association with WMC, I'm off the Johnsonville Brats.

[Gary Storck]

I'm off the Johnsonvilles too. Until they cut ties to WMC and apologize for their interference, I'll confine my already limited brat consumption to non-WMC providers.

[Michael Basford]

Well, if I'm about to be strapped into the chair and had to pick a last meal, it would be Bavaria Sausage Weisswurst. But I will be shunting aside my WMC-hate and serving up brats this weekend in support of the North/EastSide Senior Coalition. Hold your nose this weekend, WMC haters and buy brats! After this, you can go with Bavaria and Usinger. Yum!

[Expat John]

Don't know whether or not you ever found this link to the Krassner piece, so here goes:

"Don't Mention My Name In Sheboygan"

http://www.ep.tc/realist/64/27.html

[Steve Vokers]

We are usually out of town for Brat Fest, so I won't have decide whether it is worth it to support a firm with a director on WMC's board in order to support local charities. I think I'd rather just give them the money directly and cut out the WMC middleman.

[NO MORE WMC PRODUCTS]

Yep, I am off the Johnsonville products as well. Have been since the Gableman/Butler debacle. BOYCOTT BRATFEST!! I am wondering if someone who has the info can post here a list of all the other companies that are WMC members? The WMC's website only lists the Board members affiliations, and not the total membership (obviously a lot of their members don't want the little people to know). After reading the Isthmus article this week that pointed out that TDS is a member (or was and still is depending on who you talk to over there at TDS), I will without a doubt cancel my service with them if indeed they still are part of the organization. But I also want to know who else is a member? Charter? Copps? Just want to spend my money where I know the profits won't be used against me and other citizens in the form of large wealthy corporations dodging their fair share of the tax burden and having influence over elections that they should have no business involving themselves in(other than casting their single vote like everyone else).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

As well, big thanks to Mr. Soglin for his efforts on behalf of the little people in this great State.