Fiesta Gartenfest Continues Preserving German Musical, Cultural Heritage

June 29, 2021 - Southtown

By Ricardo Delgado, Staff Writer | San Antonio Sentinel

The Beethoven Männerchor opens its doors to revel in Fiesta Gartenfest and celebrate San Antonio’s German heritage during Fiesta after a toned-down year of COVID-19.

The German singing society’s current iteration formed in February 1867 after a hiatus due to the Civil War. Fast forward 154 years later, the group continues to preserve German music, gastronomy and heritage through their year-round events like Gartenfest, taking place at Beethoven Halle und Garten, 422 Pereida.

President of the Beethoven Männerchor David Euhler looks forward to the non-profit’s return to Fiesta, as their steady growth throughout the last century met the same speed bump the rest of Fiesta encountered in the midst of COVID-19. 

“We used to be a small German club that would once a year in Oktoberfest open our doors and have people come in, make bratwurst, sell beer and that and after the event was over say, 'Hey, see you next year,'” Euhler said. “Now we're not that way. We welcome everybody here”

Euhler emphasized the low cost of a “good time” at Gartenfest, adding their proximity and location in the King William neighborhood embeds them into the community as a way to lighten the daily stresses, a release heightened during Fiesta.

“We have a word in Germany called ‘gemütlichkeit’ [which] means kind of fellowship and camaraderie - that's the kind of thing we're all about,” Euler said. “We're dog-friendly, family-friendly. We like people who are right here in the heart of the King William district neighborhood, and people walk by with their dogs and stop in for a beer that kind of thing.”

A near-return to full capacity only bodes well for the Beethoven, as the money made from Fiesta allows for repairs to preserve their buildings. The “Halle”, or beer hall on the premises has hosted the non-profit since 1921, where The Männerchor, the men’s choir, still practices at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays. The Halle also hosts the Damenchor — women’s chorus, the Kinderchor — children’s chorus and a variety of other musical groups and bands.

“We hope to get quite a few more people in here and have that much more fun as a result,” Ether said. “I mean last year we had kind of a mini-Fiesta. Obviously, Rey Feo didn't come and King Antonio, all the royalty, all our great military ambassadors weren't able to come; this year they're going to be able to come, it's fantastic.”

James McCann, a publicity chair for Beethoven, cited the Gartenfest during Fiesta as one of the society’s biggest fundraisers of the year, where all of San Antonio can enjoy what Beethoven fights so hard to preserve. 

“We're here to celebrate German culture,” McCann said. “Whether you want a potato pancake or bratwurst, leberkäse or a Reuben, we've got you covered. And plenty of beer. Plenty of German beer.”

McCann says the Beethoven board held meetings to navigate staying afloat during COVID-19, relying on serving food as well as the donations and hard work of volunteers during the last year to be able to stay open.

Donald Bushnell, an Army veteran of 30 years — many of which were spent in Germany, has attended Gartenfest since 1999. Bushnell himself helps make the goulash served at Gartenfest for the last 18 years. 

“The reason I come every Tuesday, my wife, when she was alive, sang with the ladies,” Bushnell said. “I came down and drank with the men that didn't sing.”

Bushnell volunteered for Beethoven for years before his goulash filled stomachs at Gartenfest, but his contributions have tapered as he enjoys more of the social aspect of the festival.

“I used to work all the food lines and all that,” Bushnell said. “I quit when I turned 75 years old. I told people like [McCann], I said, 'I'll make your goulash but that's it. When I'm through, I'm going out to drink beer and talk to folks. That's what I do. I meet people. I like it. I enjoy it!”

Gartenfest perseveres as an outlet for locals to explore German culture, even in the midst of a non-orthodox Fiesta. Those unfamiliar with German culture can drop by and get a sense of the city’s roots, while those already embroiled within the culture see it celebrated with a dash of Fiesta heritage. 

“I was glad to see [them] go ahead, even on the limited basis —in terms of number [of] events —  to have Fiesta, even though it's delayed a couple of months because it's part of San Antonio's heritage and part of their actual lifestyle,” Bushnell said. “I was glad to see them do it. And I'm glad we can be a part of it.”

Ricardo Delgado transferred to Texas State University at San Marcos to study journalism and minor in political science. He graduated during the spring of 2021. Email him at reporter@sasentinel.com