`Drink and play” is the loose translation from German of saufen und spiel, and there was plenty of both recently at Johnsburg’s 25th annual Saufen und Spiel festival.
Johnsburg Police Chief Ken Rydberg estimated a crowd of about 6,000 lining Johnsburg roads for a parade replete with marching bands, clowns and firetrucks and visiting the 75-year-old Johnsburg Community Club grounds. That’s where the local Knights of Columbus, Scout troops and restaurants set up booths to sell hamburgers, bratwursts, ribs and other foods.
In keeping with Johnsburg’s strong German heritage, there was plenty of beer to wash down all that food.
“Getting to see old friends and drink cheap beer” were the reasons Kelly Moran of Johnsburg gave for attending nearly every Saufen und Spiel the last 15 years.
“I’ve been coming since I was in high school,” she said. “It’s a great time.”
Her friend Julie Brenner, originally from Johnsburg but now a resident of McHenry, came with her new daughter, 10-day-old Lindsay Jane, who slept through much of the festival.
“What better way to show her off than by coming to a festival where most of Johnsburg will be?” Brenner said.
Before the parade, the 5th annual Johnsburg Challenge was held. The event featured 5- and 10-kilometer foot and bicycle races, a 2.5-mile walk and a half-mile fun run to raise money for Knights of Columbus college scholarships and for Home of the Sparrow, a McHenry County organization that runs shelters for women and children. Dart games, ring tosses, face painting, wall climbing and other activities were also available at the clubhouse grounds throughout the day.
For Karen Osborn of Franklin Park, her son Stephen, 11, and daughter Elizabeth, 10, attending Saufen und Spiel has become a tradition.
“My father lives in Dutch Creek (a Johnsburg subdivision), so we come up here, stop at his house, go to the parade and come down to the little carnival for a couple of hours,” Osborn said. “It’s a nice time. Everyone is friendly and having fun.”
