Kreische Brewery & Monument Hill Host The Second Annual Bluff SchuetzenFest By ANDY BEHLEN

“Everyone is cordially invited to attend, especially good marksmen,” read Louis Kreische’s 1884 advertisement for the sixth annual celebration of the Bluff Schuetzenverein. Indeed, all of La Grange and Fayette County—if not the whole of Texas—was invited to the Bluff for gatherings of the local German-Texan marksmanship and social club. More than a century later, all are once again invited to gather at Kreische Brewery & Monument Hill State Historic Sites for the second annual Bluff SchuetzenFest on Saturday, May 20, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Between the 1870s and 1920s, the historic Bluff Schuetzenverein hosted marksmanship competitions, celebrated the holidays, enjoyed picnics, played games for young and old, and danced to German folk music. The Bluff became a favorite gathering place among German-Texans in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In many ways, the Schuetzenverein provided the glue that held the community together.

“The Schuetzenverein was a key social organization for the Bluff community, Fayette County, and beyond,” says Assistant Sites Manager Gavin Miculka. “The club provided a means to share news, celebrate German heritage, advocate for causes, and promote intercommunal cooperation.” Beginning in the 1870s, the Bluff Schuetzenverein, leased property from the Kreische family and constructed a shooting range and dance pavilion. The Kreisches built and operated a concession stand from which they served freshly brewed beer to thirsty patrons. Though these structures no longer stand, their former grounds provide the ideal location for Bluff SchuetzenFest.

Bluff SchuetzenFest, a free family festival, will feature live music, traditional crafts and games, living history activities, guided tours, special exhibits, educational programs, community booths, food, drinks, and more. To honor the Schuetzenverein’s central tradition of marksmanship, volunteers and staffed have developed a oneof- akind laser rifle shooting range. Guests can experience what it was like to participate in historic shooting competitions, albeit with a technological twist. For those wishing to put their marksmanship to the true test, the afternoon’s King Shoot competition will crown the Schuetzenkonig, or “King of the Marksmen.”

SchuetzenFest also features the Texas History on Tap Beer Garden where ticketed guests can experience the legacy of the Kreische Brewery and other Texas brewing pioneers. The beer garden—a pop-up, interactive museum of sorts—will showcase 15 Texas craft breweries who incorporate history in their methods and make history in their products. Five of these breweries even developed special releases which will debut at SchuetzenFest. Beer garden admissions support education and preservation initiatives led by the nonprofit Friends of Kreische Brewery & Monument Hill. Tickets are available online or at the door.

For details on Bluff SchuetzenFest visit www. bluffschuetzenfest.org, or call (979) 968-5658.