Going (Pennsylvania) Dutch

The morning after my wonderful "Farewell to Birmingham" dinner, I woke up bright and early to start the 14 hour drive from Alabama to Pennsylvania.

When you're planning a long drive, make sure you pack some solid tunes to keep you alert. Along with a healthy dose of Maroon 5 courtesy of my iPhone, I would also like to give my good friend Phil a shout-out for his mix CD.

I laughed, I cried, I got Rick-Rolled. Thank you, Phil!

Also, make sure you plan stops along the way. They're good for stretching your legs, grabbing a bite to eat, or taking a rest - and even better when you get to spend them with people you care about. I planned an overnight stop at the 12 hour mark and want to give a huge "Thank You" to my long time college friend Catriona for hosting me and making a wonderful breakfast casserole and peppermint coffee the next morning.

Thank you, Catriona!


Fully caffeinated and satieted, I got back on the road to finish out the last two hour commute on July 4th. Along the way, I stopped at a rest area and found a pamphlet for the Kutztown Folk Festival - a PA Dutch heritage fair - so I decided to go with my brother the following day.

PA Dutch foods, scenic Sunday drives through endless expanses of local farms, and Hex Sign adorned barns were common themes in my childhood, but until I took the time to visit this festival I knew relatively little about the PA Dutch save for my basic understanding that it had something to do with being Amish. Or so I thought.

It turns out that the term PA Dutch applies to a much larger group of PA residents (including the Amish folk) who migrated from Southwestern Germany and (hold on to your straw hats, y'all) Switzerland to the United States in the 17th and 18th centuries.  The terms includes Mennonites and Amish (a Mennonite subgroup) as well as Lutherans, Protestants, Methodists, and the like. The traditional language of these immigrants is essentially, and even more exciting for me, Swiss German.

So, as it turns out, I grew up smack dab in the middle of a rich and exciting hybrid Swiss/PA culture and I had no idea. Silly me.

Anyway, I feel that the Kutztown festival opened my eyes and somehow brought me closer to both my old and new homes. Or maybe I'm just being overly sentimental. Whatever. It was totes cool.

Here are some pictorial highlights of the event.

Hex Signs and an award winning Quilt.



They were roasting whole oxen at this thing! Oh, and bacon dressing. Go Meat!

Bologna! A PA Dutch prepared sausage originated in Lebanon County, PA. 


Lunch: Chicken, Potato Pancake, Corn Fritter, Peppered Cabbage, Apple Sauce, and Apple Dumpling.
Larry had the sausage sandwich shown above my massive tray of food.
Freshly baked PA Dutch breads. 


I'm certainly no expert, so I encourage y'all to read more about the PA Dutch. Try some of these helpful links:

PBS American Experience - Pennsylvania Dutch

Comments

  1. UnknownJuly 13, 2013 at 4:10 PM

    Oh man I'm homesick now! Looks like a fantastic festival! :)

    ReplyDelete

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