New Glarus: Wilhelm Tell Festival

The annual Wilhelm Tell Festival held in New Glarus is comprised of many events. The weekend starts out with the Laternenzug (lantern parade) on Friday evening. A yodeling contest, Alpine Festival and Swiss Camping are events held on Saturday. The Art Fair, Ethnic Fashion Show and Street Dance are scheduled through out Sunday.

The big show, of course, is the presentation of the drama in which Tell is forced to shoot an apple from his son's head at a full one hundred paces, an event that lore has it opened the way for Switzerland to break free of Austria. That play, held on the Tell grounds just west of the village, is presented in English at 1 on Saturday and in German at 1 on Sunday. It's all done outside, complete with live horses and cows, and with local New Glarners playing the parts.

For more things to do, see my New Glarus: America's Little Switzerland journal.

Quick Tips:

Do: Consider brining a blanket and picnic when watching the play. There is a lot of space on the side and behind all the chairs set up. This is also nice if it is a very sunny day and you are too hot, you find a shady spot.

Don’t: Feel intimidated if you are not Swiss. We were told several times over the course of the weekend that you will become Swiss once you are in New Glarus.

Do: Plan on becoming friendly with the New Glarners. You will see the same people over and over leading each event. By the end of the weekend, you feel like you know them all.

Do: Partake in as many activities as possible to enjoy the full experience of the weekend. When we heard that the Alpine Festival was held in a school auditorium we wondered what to expect and had second thoughts of attending. We are glad we did because we got to see some true talent and understand the spirit of this tight-knit community.

Best Way To Get Around:

This is a small town in south-western Wisconsin. Unless you bike into town, the only way to get there is with your car. It is a good distance from the center of town up to the Tell Grounds where the play is held and also to the High School where the Alpine Festival is held, but it will only take a few minutes by car.

The Wilhelm Tell Festival is an annual event held every year on Labor Day weekend and has been a tradition in New Glarus since first presented in 1938. It seems as though the entire town participates in this unique ethnic event. The highlight of the festival includes the telling of Wilhelm Tells’ story and the story Swiss independence during the Wilhelm Tell Drama. Performances, written by German playwright Friedrich Schiller, are presented with intricate costumes and a lively cast that includes goats, cows and horses in a beautiful outdoor setting a short distance from downtown New Glarus. More than 200 volunteers join to make each colorful performance come to life. Performances are offered in English or German. The English version of the play begins Saturday afternoon. A German version is performed on Sunday

A traditional lantern parade kicks off the weekend on Friday evening. On Saturday, after the English performance of the play, a yodeling contest is held on the Swiss Church lawn in downtown New Glarus. At the Alpine Festival, held Saturday evening, visitors to New Glarus enjoy traditional Swiss entertainment presented by local groups in ethnic costumes. Swiss Camping is set up at the Tell Grounds on Saturday night. "Go to sleep in New Glarus and wake up in Switzerland" is how the event is billed. Meet new people around the campfire while roasting Swiss sausages and making Swiss ‘smores with real Swiss chocolate. Sunday morning awake to alphorns and feast on a classic Swiss breakfast.

After breakfast, pack up your tent and head into town to view the Ethnic Fashion Show. After learning about various Swiss costumes, wander over to the Outdoor Art Fair in the Village Park. Several streets are blocked off to make room for the Street Dance which is a free event that takes place on Sunday night.

The crowd in the natural amphitheater collectively holds its breath while Wilhelm Tell, the mythical Swiss hero, draws his arrow, aiming directly at an apple resting on his son's head. He releases the bow, and the arrow goes flying, a hundred paces in the air, before it stabs the apple straight on, knocking it to the ground. With this act, Wilhelm and his child, Walter, have avenged the Austrian tyrant and his evil vice regent, Herman Gessler.

Because of this, Wilhelm Tell is the Swiss national hero. The story, of how Tell helped Switzerland gain its independence, was told by the famous 18th century German playwright Friedrich Schiller. Since his story depicts history as well as legend, the drama of Wilhelm Tell is as much a living part of a Swiss today as it was in the years past. In New Glarus, the performance of Tell's story - actually two performances, with two casts used to do one in English and one in German - is more than a nod toward ethnic legend and history. The only other place this drama is performed in German is in Switzerland.

A Labor Day weekend tradition since 1938, more than 200 local volunteers join to bring Friedrich Schiller's dramatic story of Swiss independence to life. Staged in a beautiful outdoor setting with intricate costumes and a lively cast that includes frisky goats, stubborn cows and whinnying horses. Participating in the play is a rite of passage handed down among family members of New Glarus locals.

In addition to the play which is composed of two acts, there is additional entertainment provided. Girls dressed up in traditional Swiss costumes (the Tell Usherettes) hand out programs and help the visitors find their seats. Before the beginning of the play local children play a few songs with choir bells.

During intermission, the Swiss Miss Dancers and the Tell Usherette both perform Swiss dances. A concession stand is set up selling hot dogs, bratwurst, pretzels and beer made at the local New Glarus Brewery.

Swiss Camping is held at the Tell Grounds the Saturday night of the Wilhelm Tell Festival Weekend (Labor Day). "Go to sleep in New Glarus and wake up in Switzerland" is how the camping is advertised.

At 5pm, about a half hour after the Wilhelm Tell Drama ends on Saturday afternoon, campers are allowed to pull their cars around and set up their tents. Some games are organized for the kids, but most people head into town to partake in the other weekend festivities for most of the evening. We had dinner and then went to the Alpine Festival at the high school auditorium in town.

When we got back to our campsite for the evening, we found a large campfire had been built. Several campers were gathered around the fire chatting and making new friends. The kids were running around playing a game they created called walkie-talkie hide-n-go seek. On a table set up next to the fire are plenty of large silver forks for roasting. Some pre-cooked authentic Swiss sausages where they for the adventurous to try. They also provided all the fixings for ‘smores including plenty of marshmallows, graham crackers, and the finest Swiss milk chocolate. Once you’ve had a ‘smore made with Lindt, you can’t go back!

In the morning you are awakened to the sounds of alphorns playing on the hillside and goats with bells wandering through the camping area. Don’t worry, they are on leashes. The alphorns started playing promptly at 7:00 a.m. I can’t clearly articulate what a surreal experience it is to awaken in the cool morning air to the majestic sounds of the alphorns, but I hope I remember the experience forever. They music they produce is simply beautiful.

A classic Swiss breakfast was ready for us as soon as we popped our heads out of the tents. They provided breads, cheeses, meats and fruit. We mostly ate a type of Swiss salami, bananas, croissants and Swiss cheese. A game of soccer was organized for the children while the parents packed up the tent. Expect to be out of the campgrounds by 10:00 a.m.

At the Alpine Festival visitors to New Glarus enjoy traditional Swiss entertainment presented by local groups in the High School Auditorium. Watching this intimate event is somewhat like watching a talent show. All of the talent is really good, yet it feels as you have temporarily become a member of this tiny little town. Performers in ethnic costumes entertain you with yodeling, singing, alphorn blowing, dancing, Swiss music and more.

The program is sponsored by the Jodlerklub New Glarus (New Glarus Yodel Club) and they performed about 8 selections. It was here I learned that yodeling is much more than the stereotypical "Yodel-ay-ee-hoo" and can actually be beautiful and hypnotic music. The Jodlerklub consisted of 19 members, only one being female. Most of the time when they performed they did so with no music, and all we heard where the wondrous melodies of their harmonious voices. At one point they sang with "instruments" made from large creamery bowls with a coin circling around in the bottom of the bowl. It was kind of like someone running their finger around the edge of a crystal glass, except a much deeper sound.

The New Glarus Kinderchor also performed which is a singing group of little children. The Swiss Miss Dancers and Tell Usherettes demonstrated traditional Swiss dancing. Other performers sang and played various instruments. In fact the program opened with an interesting performance of the Wilhelm Tell Overture played with only the timphony and accordion.

We were most impressed with the Alphorns. These are the large, traditionally Swiss, horns often seen in the Ricola commercials. The group that played for us is the only Swiss alphorn formation in North America. Heinz Mattman, John Colstad and John Wegmuller make up the group. Apparently there are a few other alphorn players around the United States, but they are solo acts. The sounds of the three alphorn playing together is one of the most relaxing sounds I have ever heard and that is probably the one thing and I am most glad I was introduced to on this trip.

The New Glarus Maennerchor (Men’s Choir) also sang a few songs. At the finale of the Alpine Festival all the performers got together on stage and led the audience through a sing-a-long to Edelweiss.

As part of the Wilhelm Tell Festival weekend, an ethnic fashion show is presented on Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. in town. It is called an ethnic fashion show since more than just Swiss trachten are featured. Also featured are Germen trachten (costumes), Norwegian Bundas, Scottish kilts, Pakistan formal outfits as well as the costumes of the Wilhelm Tell Usherettes.

Most people realize countries have unique costumes, but do not realize that areas within countries often have distinct costumes as well. The costumes modeled at the show are authentic, except for the Usherette costumes. Every detail, from material to buttons to embroidery, is authentic. Costumes from several different Swiss Cantons are modeled. We learned that making authentic costumes is harder than one thinks. It is much more than just picking up a dress pattern and some material. The materials and embellishments all come directly from Switzerland. These costumes are highly guarded by the Swiss and not just anyone can have an authentic costume, it must be approved.

The costumes are privately owned and most often worn by their owner or a relative of the owner. As the models present their costumes, a description of them is told – where they come from, special details, etc. The Ethnic Fashion Show is educational as well as entertaining.

The Usherette costumes were created by Edwin Barlow and Julie Heirli in 1938 for the first Tell Play. Barlow was the originator of the Tell Drama in New Glarus and Heirli was a recognized authority of Swiss Costumes. These costumes are Barlow’s rendition of 13th Century Canton trachten – 13th Century being the time of the Tell story.

The first Ethnic Fashion Show was produced in 1997 for the 60th Tell Festival and has continued annually since then. A few new costumes are added each year to add variety and expand the show.