Photo Caption: Here Comes the Parade — Bavarian Inn Restaurant’s House Entertainer Linda Lee leads a group of participants at a recent Labor Day Covered Bridge Walk.
FRANKENMUTH, Mich. – August 23, 2016 – Not able to join the Labor Day five-mile trek across the Mackinac Bridge? No problem. You can always opt for the Annual Frankenmuth Labor Day Wooden Covered Bridge (Holz Brücke) Walk at noon, Monday, September 5.
For the 30th consecutive year, hundreds of area residents and visitors, led by members of the Bavarian Inn Zehnder family and the Gemuetlichkeit Club, a local American-German cultural group will start on the east side of the span, near the Bavarian Inn Lodge. They’ll cross over the 239-foot-long Bavarian Inn’s Covered Bridge, which was originally installed in 1980 and restored just last year. Walkers will arrive approximately five minutes later at the Fischer Platz outdoor café, located at the southwest corner of the Bavarian Inn Restaurant.
Once there, all in attendance will be able to enjoy musical entertainment along with their favorite food and beverages that will be available for purchase.
What began 30 years ago as a friendly neighborhood gathering has become a well-established local event. As the story goes, the late Al Schneider and his wife, Louise, were at home chatting, and the topic of Labor Day and the annual Mackinac Bridge walk came up. Avid community supporters, Al and Louise decided that since Frankenmuth had its own iconic bridge, they should start their own bridge walking tradition. Starting with just 10-15 walkers, they did just that, ending the festivities in the Bavarian Inn’s Fischer Platz. They continued the tradition each year thereafter, strolling across the Cass River and adding participants.
“It’s great to see how much both locals and guests enjoy Frankenmuth’s way of celebrating the unofficial end of summer,” said Bavarian Inn President Bill Zehnder. “We are ever grateful to Al and Louise for launching an activity that has become one of Frankenmuth’s most popular events.”
About Bavarian Inn Restaurant
Celebrating 125 years of service in 2013, the Bavarian Inn Restaurant has become a Michigan landmark. Generations of diners, lodgers and tourists from around the globe have discovered true Bavarian hospitality thanks to Dorothy and her late husband William “Tiny” Zehnder. Guests experience the old-world European charm of the Bavarian Inn – whether it’s the famous chicken dinners, fresh baked goods or Michigan’s greatest selection of German beer. Bavarian Inn also prides itself on being one of the top consumers of Pure Michigan agricultural products. Nestled within a backdrop of authentic German architecture, a variety of shops and other fun activities, a trip to Frankenmuth would not be complete without a visit to the Bavarian Inn Restaurant. Learn more at http://www.bavarianinn.com/.