Germantown Pretzel Festival 2019: Reasons to go

Hello, warm, soft, gooey delicious pretzels!

Here are three reasons why you don’t want to miss this year's Germantown Pretzel Festival:

Credit: Underwood, Jan

Credit: Underwood, Jan

THE PRETZELS

Who are we kidding? The real lure of this festival is all in the name.

You can bet that vendors will serve the classic salty pretzels, but you also can expect to see some extra special varieties at this year’s pretzel fest.

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They’ll have gourmet pretzels stuffed with jalapeno cheese, cheddar cheese and cream cheese. There will also be pizza-flavored pretzels and pretzel buns to kick your sandwiching game up a notch or two.

Other good eats? Barbecued chicken and ribs, waffles, pork chops, Chinese, Cajun, funnel cakes and more.

Credit: Chris Stewart

WEEKEND OF ENTERTAINMENT

This family-friendly festival has plenty to keep you entertained beyond the delicious food.

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The Pretzel Fest has some awesome live music acts for your viewing pleasure. On Saturday, Locking Up Otis, Johnna Lee White, and McGuffey Lane will take the stage. Stan the Magic Man will be performing magic tricks around the park on Saturday. Sunday’s lineup includes Pandora Project and Spittin’ Image.

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

A COMMUNITY TRADITION

When the Germantown Pretzel Festival originally started in 1980, pretzels weren’t particularly on anyone’s mind. The initial reason for the event's creation was for local organizations to be able to raise funds by running their own booths, according to Jim Landis, publicity chairman of the Germantown Pretzel Festival.

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The committee eventually came up with the name “Pretzel Festival” because it was German. Forty years later, the festival is still going strong and pretzel-related treats are now a main staple.