The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile gives away 3,000 free Oscar Mayer Jumbo Beef Franks at National Mustard Day, Mount Horeb, WI
No summer is complete without wacky festivals, and August’s featured event shows there really are only two kinds of people in the world: Mustard Lovers and Ketchup Haters!
For the past 17 years, thousands of mustard lovers have descended upon Mount Horeb, WI, on the first Saturday in August for the annual celebration of National Mustard Day. This year’s event is bittersweet, however, as it is the last time the village will host the annual mustard-filled day.
“We’ll be moving the museum to Middleton, WI this fall,” explains Barry Levenson, Curator and CMO (Chief Mustard Officer) of The Mount Horeb Mustard Museum. “Mount Horeb has been a great partner for all these years. We’ll miss the hospitality of all the residents.”
Barry, who also does double duty as the Dean of Students at POUPON U mustard college, is always instrumental in the official festivity planning. Two city blocks on Main Street close for the festival events, which, of course, include a cheese maze (homage to Wisconsin) and mustard sampling (homage to the museum).
The Mount Horeb Mustard Museum, with the largest collection of mustards in the world--more than 5,000 varieties--is moving to Middleton, WI, in Fall 2009
But because Barry’s eyes are always bigger than his mustard collection, he’s attracted national sponsors, too, such as The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile which gives away 3,000 free Oscar Mayer Jumbo Beef Franks and The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, which presents cheese and mustard pairings.
In honor of the occasion, even Culver’s Frozen Custard serves its annual custom gourmet treat: Mustard Custard. Other official sponsors include Grey Poupon, French’s Mustard, Silver Spring Foods, Koops’ Mustard, Beaverton Foods, Robert Rothschild Farm, Barhyte Specialty Foods, Mustard Girl Mustards, and Plochman’s Mustard.
The Curator has only one inviolable rule for the day: “Naturally, ketchup will not be allowed on the premises.”
The Mustard Curator says, "With this fancy seat in your relief facility, you'll be the envy of the neighborhood."
Curator Levenson, as he’s known to his legions of mustard lovers, began collecting mustards in 1986. He’s never looked back. The Mount Horeb Mustard Museum features the world’s largest collection of prepared mustards – more than 5,000. The museum also holds an extensive collection of mustard memorabilia, including hundreds of antique mustard tins, mustard pots and vintage mustard advertisements.
The museum’s gift shop offers hundreds of distinctive mustards and other gourmet sauces and condiments, including POUPON U gear (I’m particularly fond of the Poupon U toilet seat) and unique, unusual and creative gift packages that bring mustard to front and center of sausage, pretzel and cheese delicacies. (Try the Collegiate Tailgate Mustard Gift Pack. They customize the packaging with your accredited university or other custom identity to commemorate any special occasions).
The Mustard Museum’s highly competent staff of Certified Confidential Condiment Counselors are on stand-by at the Tasting Bar to help visitors choose the perfect mustard. I must admit, it was they who helped me discover my inner mustard lover with the French Temeraire Authentic Dijon, which won the 2008 World-Wide Mustard Competition.
Donations, as well as proceeds from the National Mustard Day games, go to the Mount Horeb Food Pantry.
