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Current Berges Fest expands on its 1967 origins

Believe it or not, Berges Fest began as a simple ice cream social. Since its inception in 1967, however, the uber-Deustch fest quickly morphed into one of Boerne’s biggest – and most anticipated – weekends. It was originally established to bring people together to enjoy music, a German biergarten, good food and – way back then – an art exhibit. The founders offered local organizations an opportunity to raise money – and gave fest-goers a chance to spend money. By the look of today’s celebration, Berges Fest succeeded on all counts.

Held annually on Father’s Day weekend, the first Berges Fest was a collaborative effort of the local Lions Club and Boerne Chamber of Commerce. The Lions approached the Chamber for help starting a city fair in the Key to the Hills – one of the only towns in the Hill Country that didn’t boast an annual city-sponsored event. The idea of staging an old-fashioned social activity suitable for the entire community sparked everyone’s interest.

The Lions and Chamber started the inaugural Berges Fest using only $500 and a handful of volunteers. Help came from New Braunfels when committee members from the Wurst Fest in New Braunfels offered a hand – which was accepted with alacrity. The Wurst Fest is the oldest festival in this area of the Hill Country and one of Texas’ most successful.

The Lions club conducted a contest to select a name for the proposed event, and if memory serves, Anna Voges came up with the winning moniker.

Originally, the Miss Berges Fest competition was held on Friday night with the winner announced the next day. Those attending the early event had to hotfoot it from ceremonies conducted at Boerne City Hall on San Antonio Street to other events held at the gazebo on Main Plaza. Walter McAllister, then-mayor of San Antonio, served as the first guest of honor.

The event featured a free street dance, a Mexican food booth and music by the Boerne Village Band and the U.S. Air Force Band. A fatted calf wasn’t sacrificed for the event, but one was auctioned off.

The event’s founders decided that the first Berges Fest would be deemed a success if they cleared enough money to stage a second the following year. The initial event brought in $500, which at that time assured the fest’s future. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Referenced from:

http://www.visitboerne.org/WhatsNew/11115.aspx

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Taco Cabana, Berges Fest and the Fajita

Fajita is a TexMex word meaning "a little strap" or quirt.

The food item "The Fajita" originated from the "strap muscle" that covers the belly of a cow, not the "skirt steak". (Some may call the strap muscle skirt steak but it is not.) In the middle 1950's many "Vagueros" or Mexican Cowboys worked on the ranches along the border between Texas and Mexico. They were paid on average $5 per day with room and board. They were fed the most inexpensive food in order to keep the cost down. That was generally ground meat and stew meat which they used to make "Carne Quisada" and "Chili con Carne". In the 1960's beef prices began to rise dramatically. Ground meat that had cost .29 to .39 cents a lb. suddenly jumped to .59 to .69 cents a lb. The head Vaquero on the Chapparosa Ranch just outside Del Rio noticed that the butcher would cut the strap muscle off the cow and either throw it in with the scraps to be sold to dog food companies or sell it to a customer for theirs dogs at .10 cents a lb. They would not use it for ground meat because of the large amount of tendon associated with the strap muscle. He asked the butcher if he could buy the strap muscle for his men and the butcher agreed to save it for him each week. Over the next few years this became the main source of beef for the Vaqueros on the ranch. They experimented various ways of cooking and preparing the meat and discovered the best way was to grill it over an open mesquite flame and seer it so the tendon would draw up. Then cutting it across the grain into small strips thereby creating a "little strap". The Fajita!

In 1969 the cook for the vaqueros began visiting county fairs and festivals and preparing this dish which he called "Tacos al Carbon". When he applied to the Boerne Bergesfest committee in Boerne, Texas for a food booth in their annual festival, he was denied because they had a rule that no one could sell an item that was already being sold by one of their members. The Mexican social group in Boerne was already selling tacos.

The next year he returned and applied for a booth and stated that he was going to sell "Fajitas". No one with the Mexican social group knew what they were and stated that they did not sell them. That was the public unveiling of the "Fajita". It out sold every other food item on the midway and after two years at the Bergesfest, a local business man who owned an old, vacant, Dairy Queen, drive thru, building on the corner of San Pedro and Hildebrand in San Antonio, made the little man an offer. He would use the old Dairy Queen and sell the "Fajitas" along with beer to the local students at Trinity University. Since he couldn't sell beer "to go" by law, he installed a canvas top cabana in front of the building and had tables and benches set up for the students to eat and drink beer on premises. Before long the students demanded the Fajitas on a 24 hr. basis and the business remained open for them. After 3 years the little joint, that was named "Taco Cabana", was so successful that it was expanded and grew into the chain of restuarants by that name.

I know this because I was one of the directors on the Bergesfest Committee in 1970 and witnessed the public birth of the "Fajita"

Before that, you could not find strap muscle in the meat counter of your grocery. When they started showing up they were priced just under ground meat at about .59 to .69 cents a lb. The explosion of "Taco Cabana" and the "Fajita" has brought the price of strap muscle to a level competitive with Sirloin and causes this old man to long for the old times.

I thought this true trivia about the Fajita should be shared because I have heard so many different origins that are just full of "bull". My test has always been: "Do you know the definition of the word Fajita?" If they start out defining it as a piece of meat then they don't know!"

Information supplied by Frank Patterson - 14/10/03

If you are interested in further info email : fmpmgmt@msn.com

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From http://www.thestarsoftexas.com/archives.asp

Boerne BergesFest

by "The Doctor"

Boerne, Texas is just Northwest of San Antonio on Interstate Highway 10 West. This quiet but dynamic community is well known for it's quiet charm and friendly personality. Every year since 1967 the community has come together to celebrate Berges Fest which means Festival of the Hills. The concept of the festival is said to have originated with the idea of a group of Lions Club members to hold an ice cream social event that would bring all the citizens together on the town square for an evening of fellowship.

Boerne back in those days was a sleepy little community some 30 miles from San Antonio. As San Antonio has grown closer, Boerne is only 15 miles outside of Loop 1604 and the city limits of the two towns now meet. Boerne today has retained it's charm and is a much sought after place for people to live and raise their children. The sense of community is still strong and the Berges Fest celebration is one that is looked forward to by all that live there.

Berges Fest has it all, a parade, a dance, a carnival, many vendors selling good food and lots of cold beverages to ward off the evenings heat and to cool the dancers in between songs. Held on the town square with it's quaint gazebo and beautiful fountain with a stage erected on a closed off street it isn't hard to imagine being back in "the good old days" when life went by slower and folks didn't get into town to see all their neighbors quite as often as they do these days.

Berges Fest has come to enjoy a reputation for top notch entertainment over the years with acts such as Pat Green, Joe Ely, Gary P. Nunn, Terri Hendrix and too many others to list here. That's right, a who's who of the Texas Music scene. This years celebration is no exception with Thomas Michael Riley, Joe "King Carrasco, The Toucan Brothers, and the incomparable Jerry Jeff Walker. You mix all this fine talent with a setting that has old world ambiance, throw in a Queen's Pageant with lots of beautiful young women, factor in the food and drink and you have a real Hill Country style shindig.

I guess you know that a festival such as this just doesn't happen. It takes a lot of work by a lot of truly dedicated people. Berges Fest is run by a group of Directors who serve their community by helping to organize and hold such a great event. Made up of folks from all walks of life this diverse group deserves all the praise that can be given. Without their selfless sacrifice of their time and energies over the many months it takes to plan, organize and execute, this show would certainly not go on.

If you have been wanting to visit Boerne because you have heard of the fine shops or the great restaurants then this years Berges Fest just might be the ticket. It's just a short drive North West of San Antonio to this quiet picturesque community. Established in 1849 you can bet that these folks over the years have learned how to roll out the rug and have one heck of a party. Be sure and tell all your friends about this years Berges Fest! Some of The Stars of Texas Magazine staff will be there taking a few pictures of the festivities, hey, you might just see yourself on the pages of next months issue! Visit
www.bergesfest.com for more information.

"The Doctor"