The 56th annual Dainty Fest, a celebration of a longstanding, quirky game introduced in Louisville by German immigrants, is almost here. The festival will take over the Schnitzelburg neighborhood this weekend.
The Dainty Game
Anyone 45 years or older can sign up to participate in the World Championship Dainty Contest. Contestants will compete in dainty, a game that has been in Louisville’s Germantown since the 1800s. Players use a stick, called the bat, to hit a smaller piece of wood, called the dainty. Whoever can hit the dainty the furthest wins. The person who hits the dainty the shortest distance gets a basket of lemons.
Players can only use one arm in the game. Contestants have three strikes until they are out. A strike is when the bat comes in contact with the dainty. The game begins every year at 5 p.m. on George Hauck Way on the last Monday in July. Sign ups begin at 4:30 p.m. that day.
What’s New This Year
While lots of Dainty Fest are longstanding traditions, there is something new this year just for the Schnitzelburg Area Community Council. The Anchor Club at Franny’s will be an exclusive spot just for SACC members. Franny’s has donated its bar and dining area for SACC members, who can enjoy food and drinks inside during Dainty Fest. Members can check in at the SACC booth to get a wristband. That wristband is their access card to the Anchor Club.
The food during the festival will include cold beer and a traditional Dainty Fest meal, which is a bologna sandwich on white bread, a bag of plain potato chips. Food will also be available from local hangs like The Merryweather, Con Aji y Cafe and S.O.B. The Post, a local pizza joint on Goss Avenue, will be serving Dainty Pie and cold beer during the contest. The Dainty Pie is a pizza with everything that makes up a traditional Dainty Fest meal: bologna, potato chips and pickles.
Pre-Game Carnival and FUNdraiser
On Saturday, Schnitzelburg will light up as it celebrates a neighborhood tradition for the 56th year in a row. The pre-game carnival kicks off at Monnik Beer Co. with a parade at 4 p.m. The parade will march towards the Merryweather. There, the pre-game carnival will kick off at 5 p.m. with games, competitions, merch booths and more.
During the carnival, guests can take a turn at the Dainty Batting Cage to prepare for the World Championship on Monday. Competitions, including the Pickle Juice Chug and Bologna Sandwich Eating Contest, will take place on Saturday. The Pickle Juice Chugging competition kicks off at 7 p.m. and the Bologna Sandwich Eating Contest starts at 7:15 p.m. Sign-ups for both competitions are already open.
Original reporting: WLKY Louisville — read the source article.
