ELBERTA, Ala. — Elberta Volunteer Fire Chief Steve Kirkpatrick is hoping for good weather on Saturday. His department needs it.

And the approximately 30,000 folks who will crowd the town park, near the intersection of County Road 83 and U.S. 98 in Elberta want that, too. They will swarm Elberta looking for a special sausage.

According to Kirkpatrick, some 7,000 pounds of the sausage, made at Farm Fresh Meats in Robertsdale using an exclusive secret recipe, are cooked and sold at the Elberta German Sausage Festival.

That’s not including all the delicious ready-to-cook sausage sold on the festival grounds. There are many area families who freeze the sausage for later eating.

The festival is held, rain or shine, and runs 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The tasty fun will be repeated in October.

First-time festival goers take note — the sausage usually sells out early.

“This is our main source of funding beyond our tax check,” said Kirkpatrick. He explained that the EVFD uses sausage money to pay for “fuel, the power bill, the phone bill.” He estimates that the department makes $26,000 from the festival, down from recent years.

“I don’t know what we would do (without the festival),” he said.

Civic and religious groups in the town have booths offering everything from kiefeils (or kiephels, a German pastry) to home-baked cakes and other goodies. Many of them rely on the festival to raise money to keep their programs going.

Kirkpatrick added that the Elsanor and Perdido Beach Volunteer Fire Departments come in to help as does the Navy Chief Petty Officers Association and the Foley High School Band. These groups are paid for their help, a fundraiser for them.

Crafters also gather to show their wares in the park, and there are what Kirkpatrick calls “kiddie rides.”

For those who want an adult beverage to go with their sausage, there is a beer tent for those 21 and older only, featuring its own entertainment. Aside from the tent, no other alcohol is allowed on the grounds, making the event family friendly.

There is at least one German-style band and a “middle-of-the road” rock band slated to perform during the festival on the grounds, Kirkpatrick says.

The festival began in 1978. Charles “Chuck” Childress of Farm Fresh Meats recalled that the initial order for sausage was 200 pounds.

The EVFD website says the recipe has only “changed slightly” from the one the late Alfred Stucki developed for the fire department. It’s not too spicy, and goes well with a wide variety of other foods and condiments.

The EVFD covers an area of around 55 square miles, according to Kirkpatrick, and the website says some 6,734 people live in that area.

“I’ve got a super team,” said Kirkpatrick.

Engine 1 Capt. Seth Fuller handles the vendor booth rentals, Administrative Chief Charlie Haupt handles logistics and Command Chief Johnny Gottier handles security.

Kirkpatrick pointed out that other members of the department help make the festival run smoothly.