PROVIDENCE — A Cache Valley tradition rooted in the community’s German and Swiss settlers is bringing crowds back to Providence this week for Sauerkraut Days.
The annual celebration runs through Saturday, Aug. 15, with events ranging from pickleball and a 5K to a parade, historic tours, live music, food, a cornhole competition and a closing drone show.
Sauerkraut Days Committee Chair Nicole Bone, Providence City Public Information Officer Megan McCuistion and John Mayer of Bear River Bottling recently joined KVNU’s “For the People” to discuss the celebration and the work that goes into preserving a tradition dating to Providence’s early settlement.
Bone, who has chaired the celebration for the past 10 years, said Providence has maintained a strong connection to its past.
“Providence has really held on to its rich heritage,” Bone said. “I feel like there’s so many still multi-generational people in Providence that have really held on to the traditions of Sauerkraut Days.”
Bone has a personal connection to that history.
“My ancestors helped settle Providence and I just have really gravitated on to that and have loved facilitating this and helping bring people together,” she said.
Sauerkraut became part of the local diet with German and Swiss immigrants who settled in Cache Valley. Residents gathered for sauerkraut dinners within the first few years of Providence’s settlement, McCuistion said, and the tradition continues today.
“Sauerkraut has been a major part of Providence since the beginning,” she said. “Within the first few years they were having sauerkraut dinners. That’s how they gathered. That’s how they celebrated being together.”
Organizers said they regularly hear stories from residents whose parents, grandparents and great-grandparents made sauerkraut at home.
“We get people at the booth all day on Saturday that will come and share stories of what they did with their grandma growing up,” Mayer said. “And so it is clearly a part — it’s ingrained in the culture of Providence.”
That connection between Providence’s past and present will also be represented by the 2026 Sauerkraut Days grand marshal, Wesley M. Bitters.
Bitters was born and raised in Providence, and both sides of his family have lived in the community since 1864. He returned to Providence in 2008 and lives on property his great-great-grandfather purchased in 1883, in a home built by his great-grandfather in 1904.
Bitters has also served the community throughout his life. In addition to military service, he coached Providence’s first Little League baseball team and served on the Spring Creek Water Board and Providence Historical Commission. Organizers cited his dedication to preserving Providence’s history and strengthening the community in selecting him as this year’s grand marshal.
Preserving that history is also a focus of the Providence Historic Tour. From 1 to 4 p.m., visitors can meet at Zollinger Park for guided tours of the city provided by the Providence Historic Preservation Committee.
“This is why we do what we do,” Bone said. “This is to preserve the history and the rich heritage that we have in Providence.”
Making 1,200 pounds of sauerkraut
Keeping that heritage alive requires plenty of cabbage.
Mayer said Bear River Bottling produced about 1,200 pounds of sauerkraut for this year’s celebration, the largest batch it has made for the event.
“We’ve scaled up every single year since we started,” Mayer said. “We’ve encountered new trials and tribulations.”
Although making small batches of sauerkraut at home can be relatively straightforward, producing it commercially creates additional challenges with fermentation and packaging.
Mayer said this year’s batch fermented for five weeks before the barrels were opened about a week before Sauerkraut Days.
“I will say the most stress that I have all year long is the morning that I have to open up those barrels after five weeks of fermenting,” he said. “I always plan it so it’s the week before the event and stuff is the freshest we could have. And I know if something went bad, we don’t have a second chance.”
Mayer began making sauerkraut for the Providence celebration about five years ago. He said he had never made it before and, at the time, did not particularly like sauerkraut.
When organizers approached him about helping, however, he saw an opportunity to contribute to a tradition important to generations of Providence residents.
“I felt honored to be given an opportunity to do that,” Mayer said. “Most people won’t have opportunities to give at that kind of level. So I felt very compelled to do it.”
He spent about three months researching sauerkraut production before making his first batch.
Events continue through Saturday
This year’s Sauerkraut Days began with online challenges through Providence City and Sauerkraut Days social media accounts. Clues direct participants to hidden cans around Providence, with prizes available to those who find them.
The first official event is a pickleball tournament beginning Wednesday evening. Organizers said the tournament includes different competition levels over three days, culminating with the most competitive players Saturday.
Friday’s activities include the Sauerkraut Days Parade at 5 p.m., beginning at 300 South and Main Street and traveling north. Bitters will be honored as grand marshal during the celebration.
Activities at Zollinger Park include food, sauerkraut dinners, food trucks, live music, children’s activities, miniature golf and the Cabbage Patch Kids Market.
Saturday begins with a one-mile run and 5K, followed by another round of pickleball. Other events include a skateboard contest, booths and vendors, food trucks, miniature golf, historic tours and a cornhole competition.
The festival is scheduled to conclude around 9 p.m. Saturday with a drone show.
Organizers said Sauerkraut Days has grown into an event that attracts visitors from across Utah and Idaho while retaining its focus on Providence and its history.
The event also receives support from local businesses and volunteers. Organizers said businesses that once had to be recruited to participate now approach the committee asking how they can help.
For Bone, the community participation remains at the heart of the celebration.
“It is amazing to see how quickly everybody gets back on the wagon for planning the next year,” she said.
Sauerkraut Days continues through Saturday, Aug. 15, in Providence. Event information and schedules are available through Providence City and Providence City Sauerkraut Days social media channels.