After a long day of working on Saturday morning and afternoon, I just wanted to get outside of the house for a beer and some food. I looked to see if there were any summer festivals happening and discovered the MainStrasse Village “Original” Goettafest in Covington. Goetta is a Cincinnati area breakfast sausage composed mostly of pork and steel-cut oats. According to the festival’s website, “It’s not just for breakfast! Sample Goetta Hanky Pankies, Goetta Pizza, Goetta Balls, Goetta Gumbalya, Goetta Chedda Cheese, Goetta Chili, Goetta Fried Rice and Goetta Burgers.”

After parking the car ($5 in a nearby lot) we walked over to the festival and quickly discovered that it was quite a bit smaller than we expected. There was a large stage at one end of the square followed by a couple of beer booths and less than a dozen food booths. Most disappointing was the children’s area that was advertised as having games, rides, and other activities. It turned out to be nothing more than a half-dozen of inflatable jumping houses, costing $10 per child. Friends of ours were planning to come down with their three kids, but quickly bailed when we let them know that the festival was not at all what we expected.

Goetta On Rye With Onions

Before leaving we did get to sample a couple of goetta sandwiches, one smothered in sautéed onions and the other melted with Swiss cheese. Both were very good, but a little expensive at $5 each. I guess that is to be expected at a festival. I didn’t see the goetta pizza, chili, or gumbalya during our two laps of the festival grounds. Had it been more family friendly, I’m sure we would have stuck around for a lot longer, but as is I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone with children.