The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
FEST PLEASES FAMILIES
German Festival brings visitors from as far away as Tokyo
An annual German Fest inspired dancing and daring August 12 at Sandstone Village in Amherst.
“We have a good crowd and beautiful weather,” said Sandy Kaiser, a member of the Amherst Historical Society Board at 763 Milan Ave. in Amherst.
“It’s going well,” said Martha Pallante, who with Donna Rumpler co-chaired the event. “We’ve had a nice turnout.”
Families arrived from Cleveland, Parma, North Ridgeville, “and Amherst of course,” Kaiser said.
A display of a 1916 train wreck was available for
“..because I never rode a horse before. I thought it was bad, but it turned out to be fun.”
— Khloe Kozdron, 6
viewing in the Grange Hall, and a quilt display was hung in St. George Chapel.
And for those over age 21, refreshments could include beer.
Under the tent, 16-month-old Merryl Roseman and three-year-old Zora Roseman danced to tunes of the Cleveland Donauschwäbische Blaskapelle, or German Brass Band.
“We come out every year,” said Katie Roseman, of Amherst, their mother. “The girls like to dance to Polka. They will dance to anything, really.”
And 14-month-old Leila Fenner danced with her mother, Brooke Fenner. The family moved in November from Cincinnati to Lorain.
“We were going to go to BrewFest, and we got tickets, but then we saw it was for ages 21 and up,” Fenner said.
“Then we found this event on The Morning Journal app. We’ve been here for three hours now and she’s having a blast.”
A Boy Scouts of America project of experiencing different cultures for a merit badge brought Robbie Clark, 13, his mother, Tonya Clark, 36, of Amherst Township, father, Aaron Kozdron, and sisters Abby Kozdron, 4, and Khloe Kozdron,
6. The girls rode ponies provided by Shane Charny and M&S Equine Services.
“It was good,” Khloe said, “because I never rode a horse before. I thought it was bad, but it turned out to be fun.”
Robbie was interested in raffles of Cleveland Indians baseballs, he said.
“This was our first time here,” Clark said. “It’s not bad. It’s a nice little festival they have.”
A family with small children playing a fishing game may have arrived from the furthest distance.
Akiko Canalos, the mother, and her children Louis, 5, and Oliver, 3, were visiting Ohio for a month from Tokyo, Japan, and stopped by the German Festival.
“It’s really cool,” Canalos said. “We really enjoyed it. It’s nice for the kids, too.”
Michelle and the Rev. Joe Smith from Cornerstone Community Church in Amherst volunteered to help with games, along with their youth.
As the German Brass Band finished a performance and the Hank Haller Ensemble set up the stage for his final performance at the fest, Maryanne Haller said she met her husband at a dance hall in Parma, and the building is still there.
“We’ve been married for 65 years,” Haller said. “He was already playing in a band for his uncle.”
Mrs. Haller was born in Germany, though her husband was born in America of German descent.
She could not pick a favorite of his songs, she said, although she prefers the German style.
“I like them all, and that’s really true,” Haller said.
Marilyn Jenne, a lifelong Amherst resident, paid for the performance of the band, which includes members with nationalities such as German, Czechoslovakian, Polish, and Kroatian.
“My husband has five jobs left of returning shows,” Haller said. “He’s finishing those jobs then he’s done. He’s ready. This is his last year. We go to Florida and have a good time for about three months and my daughter and granddaughter live in Florida in Naples. It’s nice. He used to have 80 jobs a year or more. I think he has five jobs left.”
Beside the Amherst Fire Museum, to squeals of delight, Outback Ray lifted a snake out of a carrier and handled it close to a group of children, who then took turns holding a lizard.
He touched above the eye and showed them the lizard has eyelids.
Nearby, Pig In A Dirndl sold food such as bratwurst and sauerkraut, cabbage and noodles, and chicken paprikash.
Other ladies sold German pastries and drinks.