Johnsonville Brat Days bring 'whole community together'

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. - Brat Days in Sheboygan continued Saturday, Aug. 6 – the 69th year of live music, carnival rides and lots and lots of brats.

It brings thousands of people to the area, and for some, like Tari Scheidel, it's tradition. 

"Well I’ve been coming here since I was five," she said. "It’s kind of like, just brings the whole community together."

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That's what's kept Mike Schaev coming back to the grills for 22 years.

"The comradery, the people. It’s just so much fun," he said. 

Schaev is the head fry guy. It's his job to make sure the Johnsonville brats are grilled to perfection. He will grill thousands of brats and hundreds of hamburgers for the festival. 

"It’s gotta be golden brown all the way around, and temperature hits about 190 degrees, and it’s done perfect, nice and juicy," said Schaev.

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"Everything you can imagine made out of brats. Like that’s just incredible," said Scheidel. "It’s just a good feeling to be here. People look forward to it." 

That includes brat on a stick, a double brat and a brat with a hamburger. 

This is the last year for the Brat Days' two-day format; next year, it will move to one day, but it will still be filled with family fun, live music and of course brats.

There are more than 400 volunteers who also help put the festival together, including the Sheboygan Jaycees, a non-profit organization for young people in Sheboygan County.