The Vienna Chamber of Commerce (VCOC) reports the First Annual Vienna Sausage and Wine Festival on Saturday afternoon was a success as the rain stayed away and people from Vienna and beyond came to the fairgrounds in Vienna to be part of the fun.

VCOC President Lisa Garro said they had good attendance with people coming from all over for the Cornhole Tournament, which brought 24 teams to Vienna to complete for cash prizes. There were many other activities to enjoy. The wine tasting program put on by the Missouri Wine Growers Association was a success. The presenter took the participants through the A’s and B’s of wine, and how when doing a wine tasting at a winery, they begin with the dry and end with the sweet. The participants learned a lot of interesting information in between.

There were only two entries in the Sausage Cook-off, which was a family contest with Ed Lake and son Brett Lake competing against each other. Garro said they made it interesting with their witty banter during the competition. There were two divisions, with Ed Lake winning by one point in the decision by the judges. Brett Lake won by only a few dollars in the People’s Choice competition, which was voted on with dollars. So, they both became the First Annual Vienna Sausage and Wine Festival’s Sausage King. 

The chamber had BBQ brats for sale throughout the event as well as wine and beer. The hog was donated by Amy Neier and Farmers’ Meat Market donated the butchering. There were many people who volunteered to help with the event. 

There were other activities with a large Jenga game and a paint station for kids and the artists among the people who came. 

The chamber developed an original t-shirt for the event, and most of those were sold.

Garro said they were worried about the rainy weather, but it turned out to be a nice day.