Hermann’s Happiness

With Fiesta 2024 in the rearview mirror, the Hermann Sons Home Association is proud of the money we raised this year through parking donations, and very grateful to the lodge members who volunteered their hours throughout the week. Some of us also raised a glass to a former time when April brought droves of Fiestagoers to our hall for Hermann’s Happiness, an official Fiesta event from 1979 – 2004.

In the late 1970s there were approximately 25,000 Hermann Sons members in Bexar County alone; there was every reason to expect great attendance at a Hermann Sons festival from the city and beyond, so in November 1978 the Fiesta Commission gave unanimous approval to Hermann Sons to proceed with the plans. Throughout its lifespan Hermann’s Happiness was sponsored by the San Antonio Hermann Sons Presidents Council which consisted of current and past lodge presidents. Net proceeds were donated to local charitable organizations as well as Hermann Sons fraternal programs.

The first Hermann’s Happiness was Wednesday April 25-Friday April 27, 1979 from 6PM – “?”.

April 27, 1979 was an ill-fated day. The atmosphere on the third evening of Hermann’s Happiness was likely less happy, as earlier that day a sniper had opened fire during the Battle of Flowers parade, killing two people and injuring dozens. Yet Fiesta events carried on throughout the weekend.

The first Hermann’s Happiness was billed as “a bit of old Germany brought by German pioneers to San Antonio” and featured both “German and Western” style food and entertainment in the Hermann Sons gardens with nightly dances. Day 1 opened with a stirring performance by the US Army’s Old Guard Fife and Drums Corps from Washington DC; the corps would return to perform multiple times over the years.

Entertainment was ongoing throughout the three evenings, including the Cloverleafs (“of Wurstfest fame”) from New Braunfels and Bubba Littrell and the Melody Mustangs; both became repeat performers over the next 2 1/2 decades. The Friday night dance featured Tom Lucas and the Starlighters. Many regional performance groups also took center stage, including the popular can-can dancers from the Hermann Sons New Braunfels School of Dance, local high school dance teams, ROTC, Hermann Sons Polkateers, Hermann Sons Mixed Chorus, and many more acts.

Food offerings included “everything from Kuh Schtiks-fleish mit blitz pfeffer and zwiébeln (beef on a stick with hot peppers and onions) – to heaps of kartoffel salat, bratwurst, German pastries, and pickled pigs feet, as well as tamales, nachos, tacos, and chili con queso.”

Fiesta princesses from 9 San Antonio military installations and their escorts also took part in opening night. Both El Rey Feo and King Antonio would begin making regular visits in subsequent years. Many of these traditions continued until the end.

Year 1 admission was $1.50 and advance tickets were available at Joske’s department stores for $1.

Beginning the following year, Hermann’s Happiness was advertised as having a new attraction: “an old fashioned German biergarten and gasthaus with strolling musicians… German attired waitresses, and oompah players” led by Ed Kadlecek, and guaranteed gemutlichkeit (German-style hospitality).

The popular “meat on a stick with hot pepper and onions” was back on the menu, along with kartoffelpuffers. (Pickled pigs feet were not advertised after the first year for some reason.) Mr. Kadlecek would be in the lineup almost every year thereafter.

The Year 2 festivities in 1980 closed with an open fiddle contest.

The “Best Little Gasthaus in Texas’ was the theme for many years. Over time the number of food booths increased, but certain popular foods remained on the menu. Music was typically a mix of German and country western, with an ever expanding array of entertainment by local and regional dance troupes, choirs, and other performers. The Chicken Dance was oft requested.

In 1986 Hermann’s Happiness introduced the first Kinder Kourt, a pageant for junior members, ages 3-7. A king, queen, prince, and princess were crowned according to votes cast through cash contributions. Winners were crowned at a ceremony in the ballroom the prior week, and the kinder royalty was introduced on opening day.

Money raised through the Kinder Kourt spectacle and efforts of the young participants was significant, including a 5-year-old Panna Maria member who raised $1300 for Any Baby Can in 2002, then $1600 the following year at age 6, then $1900 at age 7.

Kinder Kourt contributed to the “family friendly” reputation this event always enjoyed. Many considered Hermann’s Happiness to be one of the only Fiesta events truly geared toward children. Children’s carnival rides and a Kids Korner were added. The four-legged celebrity Elsie the Borden Cow made her debut in 1998. In later years, the Molly the Promised Land dairy spokes-cow was a popular children’s attraction.

In 1999 Hermann Sons and “Miss Hermann’s Happiness” had the honor of being invited to ride the Wurstfest Barge in the Texas Cavaliers “Kings River Parade.”

By the early 2000s the event was shortened to two days, and finally closed its gates for good in 2004 after a 26-year run.