Willkommen Zurück! (Welcome Back!)
After not being able to hold the Jasper Strassenfest in 2020, doesn’t it feel great to once again celebrate our German heritage as a community? A very wise person once said: You don’t appreciate what you have until you don’t have it.
That statement is so true when you consider the community wide disappointment that was expressed when the announcement was made last summer that there would be no Jasper Strassenfest in 2020. Believe me, it was a very difficut decision for the committee to make, one of the most difficult decisions I have ever been a part of, but a decision that ultimately had to be made. An even bigger disappointment was the fact that many other local community festivals also had to be cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic.
But, as the residents of our great city and county are known to do, we have persevered through it all. As we come together as a community to celebrate our cultural diversity, especially our German heritage during Strassenfest 2021, we also must never forget our loved ones that were lost during the pandemic.
As we celebrate Strassenfest, we must continue to follow the socially acceptable protocols and guidelines set forth by our local health department and city administration. This must be done, and as Chairman of the 2021 Jasper Strassenfest, I ask for your support and cooperation so that we can all have a healthy and rewarding celebration.
So please celebrate responsibly and I look forward to seeing everyone back again next year for Jasper Strassenfest 2022!
Jasper Strassenfest…A Cultural Experience
What does that mean?
The Jasper Strassenfest is definitely a unique experience, especially for those attending for the first time. As one of the largest and most popular community festivals in the state of Indiana and the Midwest, the Jasper Strassenfest has always been, and will continue to be, a celebration of not only the city’s cultural diversity, but also Dubois County as a whole. Within the town and County borders you will find folks who are descendants of a wide variety of worldwide nationalities.
The 2021 Strassenfest is also a celebration of the many cultural opportunities available through the newly constructed Thyen-Clark Cultural Center building, which houses the Jasper Public Library and Jasper Community Arts. This center features three large art display galleries along with multiple meeting rooms and classroom areas for various arts and crafts instruction. The library portion of the structure is one of the largest public libraries in the state featuring the newest electronics and other state-of-the-art opportunities.
The Thyen-Clark Cultural Center is also the very first structure of its kind in the United States to be funded via a collaboration of City and County Government as well as private contributions from local citizens. When you combine all of the above mentioned items, it is easy to see and understand how the Jasper Strassenfest truly is a Cultural experience.
Bob Bleemel, Chairman
2021 Jasper Strassenfest
