Walhalla, South Carolina, where my mother-in-law and her husband live, began as a settlement of German immigrants who arrived aboard ships from Hamburg, Germany and Bavaria. Trustees of the German Colonization Society of Charleston bought 17,859 acres (72.27 km2) of land for $27,000 on December 24, 1849.
The town pays homage to its German heritage with a three-day festival every October - a tradition that was started in 1979.
Walhalla celebrated Oktoberfest this weekend. All kinds of vendors and music on Main Street, plus a carnival at Sertoma Field - the local soccer arena. I could have spent a FORTUNE on jewlery and other handmade items, but kept the shopping to a minimum. I really wanted to get a Clemson "pup" tent for Anna, but just couldn't justify the price.
There were a bunch of vendors selling the expected bratwurst and beer, as well as barbecue, but I was craving "fair fries". I just couldn't find a vendor that had vinegar among their condiments. Just when I had given up, the very last booth that sold fries had some. YES! I was handed my paper cone of hand-cut, just-cooked fries and I promptly picked up that squirt bottle of vinegar.
The kid working the booth warned me, "That's vinegar you know... I don't know why, it's weird, but some people seem to like it". I just laughed and thought, "Yup, that how we yankees eat our fries!"
Evidently the deep-fried Twinkie Jim ate just wasn't enough, so he had to try deep-fried Kool Aid, too. No...that's not a typo. We were dumbfounded when we saw the sign. How in the hell do you fry Kool Aid??!
Turns out, they flavor funnel cake batter with Kool Aid then fry it in balls and cover them with confectioners sugar. They were actually pretty good - but came in only one flavor, cherry, which isn't one of my faves.
Thank goodness the booth selling deep-fried Snickers was closed by the time we walked home...
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