Please enjoy these photos taken throughout the entire 2 day traditional celebration.
The Youth and Women's Competition
The addition of a Youth and Women's competition several years ago has added so much to this event. It's so fun to watch the adults coach their kids in safety and shooting skills. The women and kids have, at times, given the men a run for their money with scores in the mid 30's.
Crowning the winners!....
Sunday evening, the whole community gathers to celebrate the Schützenfest champions. It's a wonderful evening filled with tradition, great brass band music, delicious food, and a celebration of skill and tradition.
Michael Sacks, the master of ceremonies, first introduced the winners of the Youth contest and then the Women's contest. Connor Fricke captured his second youth shooting title with scores of 35 and 33. The women's contest went into an exciting shoot-off between the 2024 champion, Morgan Limmer, and the 2025 champion, Monica Fricke. Morgan prevailed to take her second title. Morgan and Connor received the beautiful commemorative belt buckle.
Then, excitement built as the 2026 Schützenkönig was announced. Kyle Fricke, a first time winner, was introduced to the crowd's applause. Last year's Schützenkönig, Judson Limmer, conveyed the traditional cedar crown. RTRA President, Garrett Hinze, installed the Schützenkönig sash, containing the 24 carat logo pin, and then Kyle was lifted high in the air by fellow RTRA members. Kyle's first duty as Schützenkönig was to serve his fellow members nice cold German beer.
A newspaper article from the LaGrange Journal in 1896 describes a shooting contest with the same competition rules as are used today. You can read the article here.