TRAPPE — Every year people come from far and wide for a taste of tradition that celebrates German-American cuisine and culture.
From across the Delaware and New Jersey state lines to the outskirts of Bucks County, travelers and locals alike head to the annual Spring Turkey Dinner feast and fair at Augustus Lutheran Church on West Main Street in Trappe. And they’ve been coming for almost 30 years.
The secret recipe to the success of this event, which will be held Saturday, May 3, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., is the food according to program organizer Dale O’Hara.
Many items will be on the table like turkey, green beans, carrots, rolls and desserts. But the main draw to the event are two side dishes that aren’t available just anywhere. They can’t be found in cans or boxes at local grocery stores. Both are handmade dishes originating from the colonial roots of Trappe.
“We are really noted for the pepper cabbage and potato stuffing really,” O’Hara shared.
The combination of cool, crisp vegetables like cabbage, carrots, and peppers marinated together in a sweet and tangy dressing, is what many consider the star of the show. Yet, others would argue it is the old-fashioned German potato and bread stuffing.
“It’s traditional,” she said. “We have people come from all over year after year just for that. We make everything from scratch.”
The recipes are old and passed down through generations at the church.
“They’ve been around forever,” stated O’Hara. “We don’t know who first made them.”
But this shouldn’t come as a surprise considering Augustus is home to the oldest standing Lutheran church in the United States — built by early German settlers who came here seeking religious liberty.
Visitors to the event can catch a peak of the “Old Church,” which was built in 1743, as they meander through the accompanying craft fair.
Much like festivals in Germany, this event features dozens of local crafters and vendors selling their wares — which include everything from handmade wooden toys and pottery to baked goods and beauty products.
O’Hara says the event takes months to plan and is a lot of work, however, it’s for a worthy cause.
The food feeds people here, but helps save lives abroad. “The dinner has always supported missionaries in Tanzania,” she said.
Currently, the event helps fund Dr. Stephen Swanson and his wife, Jodi Lynn Swanson, a nurse. Both work at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre in Tanzania. They provide care to malnourished children as well as preterm and sick infants.
Tanzania is a large country in Africa that is approximately the size of California, Oregon, Washington and Minnesota with a population around 71.4 million people. Yet despite its size, it has less than five NICUs.
Without the work of the Swansons, preterm babies would only have a 43 percent chance of survival. A number that has increased to 93 percent with proper medical care.
Elimchili Lyaro, who immigrated from Moshi, Tanzania, in 1999, and now lives in Perkiomen Township, says that access to healthcare is one of the biggest problems in Africa. It is especially an issue for people in Tanzania as it is still one of the poorest countries on the continent.
“Many mothers can’t get the care that they need. There are not ambulances available to help. There are not professionals like there are in America,” Lyaro said. “You have simple problems that are easy to fix but without the education many moms and babies die. Sometimes people will give it two to three days to see how it goes. They don’t have the ability to recognize the need.”
Lyaro knows the cost personally. His sister lost a baby two years ago because the baby could not get oxygen fast enough to survive. Arusha is the only hospital in all of Tanzania that provides pulmonary surfactant treatments, which helps premature babies breathe. For some African mothers, infant emergency treatment is so far away that it equates to living in Southern California and needing to travel on dirt roads to Washington state — a near impossible feat. This is only a small fraction of the issues facing families in Tanzania.
Preventable deaths are not rare. “It happens every day to every family,” Lyaro laments.
The Swansons are doing what they can. They are not only treating babies, children, and mothers, they are also educating the community. They provide much needed prenatal care that help anticipate the needs of infants in the womb. They also train Tanzanians to become doctors and help educate community health workers who go into villages.
The Arusha hospital treats about 250 babies a year, many who would die without this NICU. They operate on a year-round budget similar to that in America for treating one baby for two weeks. The Spring Turkey Dinner helps fund their work. In the past, it helped send annual donations around $10,000 – $15,000.
Tickets for the Spring Turkey Dinner can be pre-ordered for $20 by calling 610-489-9625, and a limited number of tickets are available to purchase at the door for $22. A few vendor spots remain available. Vendor spots can be reserved by emailing AugustusCraftShow@gmail.com. The event runs Saturday, May 3, dinner served from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Vendor fair open 2.pm. to 6 p.m. Entrance to the craft and vendor fair is free. Live music played throughout the day. Augustus Lutheran Church is located at 717 West Main Street in Trappe.
