A philosophical disagreement is behind the dueling fetes. Since the first Goettafest in 2001, Glier's Goetta had sponsored the event in MainStrasse Village. But the Covington-based company withdrew as a sponsor last year after the MainStrasse Village Association invited renaissance enthusiasts to sell crafts and put on sword demonstrations.

"We felt joining an unrelated event with Goettafest was inappropriate," says Glier's marketing director Mark Balasa.

After trying to resolve the issue, his company announced it would host its own Goettafest at Sawyer Point.

"I think they just didn't want to share the bill with the Renaissance Festival," says Jerry Bamberger, executive director of the MainStrasse Village Association.

He believes the festival needs pork and knights in suits of armor in order to survive, so he found another goetta maker - J.B.'s Bar-B-Q in Erlanger - to sponsor the MainStrasse Goetta Festival.

"We have great shade trees over here," Bamberger says. "I don't think they have that kind of shade at Sawyer Point."

Glier's Goettafest will feature bluegrass music, which Balasa boasts goes with goetta.

Even though the parties disagree on what makes the best festival, they agree the next two weekends are a bonus for goetta lovers.

"Anything their festival does to promote goetta in a positive way," Balasa says, "is good for goetta."

E-mail cmartin@enquirer.com.