Festival Review: The Johnsonville World's Largest Brat Fest in Madison, Wisconsin

Back in 1983, Tom Metcalfe, the owner of Metcalfe Sentry Foods at Hilldale Mall in Madison, Wisconsin, decided to do a customer appreciation event over the Memorial Day weekend. Using his grocery store's parking lot, Tom had his employees grill up Johnsonville brats for customers all throughout the holiday weekend. The customers responded to this wonderful idea, prompting it to be held the following year, and then the year after that. The event, which came to be called The Johnsonville World's Largest Brat Fest, had been born.

While Brat Fest was held at the Metcalfe Sentry location, it actually occurred twice a year: once on Memorial Day weekend, and then on Labor Day weekend. After Brat Fest was moved to its present location at Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center in 2005, it became a Memorial Day event only (to reduce expenses).

This year's Brat Fest, which is even bigger and better than the one held last year, will feature 4 days of brat grilling and eating. Last year, a total of 191,712 brats were sold. The goal of this year's fest: to reach 200,000 brats sold.

What happens to all the money that is raised from the brat selling? It is used to fund a number of local charities, based on the charity volunteers that decide to work at this event. This year, over 4,000 volunteers are expected to show up, representing organizations such as the Boys/Girls Club, Cornucopia, Inc, HeadStart, Hope United, Stoughton St. Vincent De Paul, Young Shakespeare Players, as well as several Boy Scout packs.

So far, I have been to the 2009 Brat Fest twice: once over my Friday lunch (I found a shortcut from my workplace), and once this Saturday. On Friday when I arrived, the Brat Fest had just started two hours ago. The place was freshly laid out and there were few visitors. Over 17,000 brats had already been sold, thanks in part to the "Take Your Brat to Work Day" opportunity, wherein brats are sold from 6-9 AM to people going to work. This happens before the official opening of the Brat Fest at 10 AM.

I got in "line" (there really wasn't any) at the large white tent and asked for a brat, which totaled $1.50 (brats and Boca brats were $1.50/each, Oscar Mayer hot dogs were $1.50/each, and the "Double Johnny", consisting of 2 brats, was $3.00/each). After paying, I quickly unrolled my brat from its Johnsonville logo paper wrapper to find a really well-done brat inside, along with a bun. Some folks may not like brats as well done as my first brat was, but I say the more charred the better.

I walked over to the condiments tent and started loading my brat. First came the mustard: I had a choice of official Brat Fest mustards like Dusseldorf Brown, Italian Herb, Honey, World Record, Garlic and Horseradish, and Chipotle. I went after the Chipotle. Then it was time for the chopped onions and loads of sauerkraut. Once could also take relish and ketchup.

I grabbed a seat at one of the performance stages, where a band had already started playing, and bit into my first brat of the brat season (which in Wisconsin, goes from Memorial Day to mid-November, when the UW Badgers play their last game). The taste was wonderful. Furthermore, despite outward appearances, the brat was not singed inside its casing at all. Apparently, Johnsonville brats can stand up to intense grilling with poise and grace.

I then got up and checked out the grounds before heading back to work. As always , the Johnsonville Big Taste Grill was parked right by the brat tent. This grill weighs over 53,000 pounds and is 65 feet long, and therefore requires its own semi-truck in order to be hauled. The Big Taste Grill can grill 750 brats at one time, for a total of 2,500 brats per hour (BPH). After doing my brat math, I figured out that this grill could grill 41.6 brats per minute, and take 18 minutes to grill one brat batch.

However, the Big Taste was not the only grill in town. At its side were many smaller grills lined up, back-to-back, and grilling even more brats.

When I arrived on Saturday, in the evening, the Brat Fest was much more packed. Both performance stages had bands playing, and the bands were actually pretty good. Many of the groups were cover bands and local area bands. Pulse, Blue Beyond, Sunspot, Mighty Short Bus, Wild Heart, and The Midwesterners, are just some of the names that are playing this year. Incidentally, if you want to hear the bands yourself, you can go to the Brat Fest web site (provided below) and click on the entertainment link.

I bought two more brats, neither of which was as singed as my first brat. Darn.

Oh, and the brats consumed tally was up to over 94,000. Will this year be the year that Brat Fest sees 200,000 brats consumed??

If you would like more information about the Johnsonville World's Largest Brat Fest, here it is:

Address: Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center
1919 Alliant Energy Center Way
Madison, Wisconsin
Phone: (608) 276-9797 Ext. 2
Fax: (608) 276-9780
Fest Hours: Friday-Sunday: 10 AM - 9 PM, Monday: 10 AM - 6 PM
Web: www.bratfest.com