I have been attending West Fest in West, Texas as long as I can remember. It's every Labor Day weekend on rodeo grounds. For the entire weekend there is nothing but Polka music, food, and pivo (beer). My dad's band, Jodie Mikula Orchestra, has been playing at the festival for years. We used to go for the day that my dad played and then go home. In the past few years, a group of us have started to stay the entire weekend either at a hotel or the KOA campgrounds. We always wanted to stay on the West Fest campgrounds, but never put our names on the list and always heard that it was hard to get a spot because most people never stop going. I put my name on the list last year thinking that it would be a few years before we got a spot. I got a call in July saying that there was an opening and we took it. We rented a camper and 7 of us loaded up for the big weekend. This was our spot for the weekend just before the camper arrived.
Our humble abode
It was a bit tighter quarters than in a hotel room, but it was nice to be on the grounds and have somewhere to relax throughout the steaming hot days. Me and Lauren enjoying our campsite.
On Saturday morning of the festival, after the parade, we go to a local bar to kickoff the weekend. The group at Mynar's bar
Jodie Mikula Orchestra played Saturday and my grandma came to listen. I'm so glad she came and we got to see her enjoy another West Fest. My brother, myself, Grandma, and sister at West Fest 2012
We also went to Mass on the campgrounds. It was bit different than a typical Mass, but we praised God and thanked him for West Fest.
Saturday night Brave Combo took the stage and brought in this huge crowd.
Grilling our klobase for breakfast Sunday morning
Our collection of West Fest mugs
Enjoying a lazy Sunday morning
Chris and I bought West Fest tshirts. Mine says "Pivo Polka People" and Chris' looks like a German outfit with suspenders. (He tucked in his shirt to give it a bigger effect)
Chris and Randy got the same shirts
You can't see us too well but we took a group pic in front of the West Fest sign
I tried a fried cherry cream cheese kolache and it was delicious. I'm pretty sure I gained 5 pounds by just looking at it, but it was worth it. I hope they have these again next year.
These guys all decided to buy custom-made cowboy hats Sunday night.
Chris' first cowboy hat
We look rough, but I wanted a picture with my cowboy
He got so much into the cowboy mode that he learned to two step with a friend of ours
We had a great and memorable West Fest 2012. I'm calling the campgrounds this week to reserve our site for 2013 for another good time.
