RICHLAND, Wash.– The Bavarian Village in the Christ the King parking lot is set, the volunteers are at the ready, and the people are hungry: Sausage Fest 2025 is here!
The festival will take place at Christ the King Catholic Church, located at 1111 Stevens Drive from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday.
Caitlin Elder, Director of Advancement, described the scene, “We have all these handmade booths that our volunteers put up over the course of a week.”
The festival features games for kids of all ages, a beer garden with live music from local bands, and a variety of food options including sausages, hamburgers and homemade cookies.
Elder emphasized the sense of community and warmth that the festival brings: hundreds of volunteers spring into action every year for Sausage Fest.
Theresa Woehle, another Director of Advancement, emphasized the festival’s importance as a fundraiser for the local school, helping with tuition costs.
“We invite the whole community to come out to our festival because it’s a great family-friendly time,” she said.
“We just invite everyone to get to know each other and come visit our school and our church.”
The festival, which has been a tradition since 1977, is in its 49th year.
Woehle explained that each year they aim to grow the event by adding new features and attractions.
This year, they have introduced accessible parking along Stevens Drive to accommodate all guests.
Additionally, the festival has expanded its menu to include falafel, a vegetarian option.
Another highlight is the introduction of a second sausage booth, the “sausage haus,” to reduce wait times for guests.
“We did that to alleviate the line length because we want to get our guests products sooner to have that sausage in their belly,” Woehle said.
Elder shared insights into the Chicken Dance tradition.
She explained that the dance has evolved over the years, growing into a full talent show.
“It used to be that students just came out on the field…We played the chicken dance once. They all danced it and then they went back to class,” said Elder.
The dance now features students dressed in various costumes, each adding their unique twist to the performance.
This tradition at Christ the King has deep roots, likely starting in the 1980s or 90s. Caitlin mentioned its multi-generational aspect, saying, “My husband is an alum here, he remembers doing it.”
Some traditions start organically, and they’re stranger, and better, for it.
The festival runs from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, find their website here.
