Revelers in the beer garden toasted the tapping of the keg and the opening of the 2021 Jasper Strassenfest Thursday evening after the parade from the Heritage Stage. Photos by Matthew Crane.
Birnie and Margie Jeffries danced after the traditional keg tapping in the bier garten Thursday evening at the opening ceremony of the 2021 Jasper Strassenfest.
Ed Eckert, Jasper’s 12th fire chief, spoke briefly about the history of the Jasper Volunteer Fire Department during the opening ceremony of the 2021 Jasper Strassenfest. This year is the 125th anniversary of the department. Jasper was one of the first cities in the country to use beepers to notify volunteer firefighters of emergencies and one of the first cities in Southern Indiana to purchase a platform truck, Eckert recalled during his address to the crowd. He then tearfully commended all of the volunteers that have been a part of the department over the years borrowing a phrase from a ballad quoted by General Douglas MacArthur when he addressed Congress in 1951. “Old firefighters never die–they just fade away,” Eckert said.
Children performed the Mai Pole Dance during the German Heritage Night celebration at the 2021 Jasper Strassenfest after the opening ceremony Thursday evening.
Ryann Belcher, 7, unwrapped a special plastic-wrapped ball during the Schokospiel with the help of her cousin, Carys Voegerl, 7, while Lyla Knies, 8, reaches to take her turn. Schokospiel is a game in which as the ball is slowly unwrapped, special coins can be uncovered and claimed. The ball is passed along when the next person rolls a six on a special wooden dice.
Adonica Meyer, 13, of Jasper, concentrates on holding mug during the Dad’s Root Beer Mug Holding Contest held on the Heritage Stage Thursday evening during the German Heritage Night celebration.
Musical bells sit at the ready on the stage as the Kinderchor sang at the direction of Mary Burke during the German Heritage Night celebration Thursday evening.
Kent Reyling led a group of volunteers through the Schnitzelbank song. The group held signs with the list of German words the song slowly works through as it builds to a crescendo. Nora Goins, 9, held the final sign in the song and became shy when it was her turn to hold it up to the crowd.
Jayla Lugo, 2, shot a stream of bubbles from her special bubble gun as they waited to ride on the festival rides Thursday evening.
Olivia Crays, 4, and her friend, Grace Jara, 4, (right) raise their hands excitedly on a small dragon roller coaster at the Jasper Strassenfest Thursday evening.
Lena Schwartz and MacKenzie Schwartz compete in the log sawing contest on the Heritage Stage Thursday evening during the Jasper Strassenfest. The pair prevailed in the first round.
Nathan Block grinned as he and his partner, Mark Hoffman, prepared for the first round of the log-sawing contest Thursday evening. The pair have been competing in the annual contest for 22 years.
Leo Eckerle gave a thumbs up to the winning team during the log-sawing contest held Thursday evening on the Heritage Stage at the Jasper Strassenfest.
