By Cindy Schroeder
Enquirer staff writer

COVINGTON - Good weather and thousands of pounds of goetta like "Grandma used to make" drew about 30,000 to last weekend's MainStrasse Village Original Goetta Festival.

"We had about 15,000 on Saturday and the same on Sunday," said Jerry Bamberger, executive director of the MainStrasse Village Association. "It was a great crowd. Besides the goetta, we had a lot of people calling about the River Raid Renaissance Festival."

Covington Police reported no arrests or problems at the two festivals.

First-time vendor Johnny Baxter, owner of JB's Bar-B-Que in Elsmere, had hoped to sell about 3,000 pounds of goetta. Instead, the goetta festival sponsor said he sold about 4,000 pounds. Specialties included goetta sticks, a deep-fried concoction similar to fried chicken, and goetta and biscuits with maple syrup on the side.

JB's Bar-B-Que won best non-goetta item for its "pulled cooked pork bar-b-que." Other food contest winners were Chez Nora, best appetizer for "triple cheese goetta dip with tortilla chips," and first place for best entree for its three cheese and goetta lasagna. The Shiska Haus "1,000 proof bourbon goetta chili" won second place for entrees, and Papa John's goetta pizza took third place.

Wertheim's Restaurant won best dessert for its Kentucky silk pie.

A 2-by-3-foot photo of Dick Von Hoene, who had played the goetta emperor at all three previous goetta festivals, was displayed at the opening ceremonies in tribute to the late entertainer.

This year's change in goetta festival sponsors seemed to have no impact on the family-oriented crowd, Bamberger said.

"We had a lot of compliments on the entertainment and the food," Bamberger said. "They put a great product out that everybody was happy with. People were saying, 'This tastes like the goetta Grandma used to make.'"

Coming to Mainstrasse

• Rock Around the Clock Sock Hop: 7-11 p.m. July 17 in Goebel Park. Dance to your favorite oldies played by WGRR's Jim LaBarbara.

• MainStrasse Village Classic Car Show: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 18. More than 250 classic cars will be displayed along the Sixth Street Promenade.

• Oktoberfest: Sept. 5-7. Participants can experience a German festival.