Officially, the first thing that happened was a special inflatable slide section which entertained kids from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. After gates opened at 4 p.m. people trickled in, with plenty of time to grab food and drinks before The Tanner Stark Band began playing at 5:30 p.m. At 7 p.m. Heart tribute band Heartless took over until 8:45 p.m.

Bruce Springsteen and Bob Seger tribute singer Mick Sterling played the last two hours from 9-11 p.m.

Across all the online ticket options, Treasurer Dodie Wendinger said they had sold 445 tickets as of Tuesday night. She said around 800 people came through the gates for the Wednesday concert, which featured Hitchville and Chayce Beckham.

The Bavarian Blast Board originally hoped to bring them in during the week but found they didn’t have the budget. Dodinger said the board hoped to break even with the costs of adding a special concert, and they did just that. She said reception was very positive.

Bonnie Knapton and Ken Borys dance to the Tanner Stark Band Thursday. They said they have come to that dance floor for 10 years straight.

“Chayce Beckham is top-notch in Nashville,” Wendinger said. “[We brought] that entertainment here. When we hired him he hadn’t hit number one. We picked them at the right time.”

With a full slate of performances in the days to come, Wendinger said the Blast crew has taken all the necessary precautions to make this a safe and comfortable event. With many experiencing the bothersome rise in mosquitoes, including Wendinger, she said they have sprayed the grounds twice to alleviate that issue.

None of that has stopped any from traveling long distances to enjoy the festivities. This includes John Hoeft and Diane Jimenez, one of the 43 camping groups who are making the Brown County Fairgrounds home for the next three days.

The pair traveled from Tampa, Florida on their annual road trip. Hoeft grew up in Eagan and remembers attending Polka Days in the downtown area. Jimenez has never been to New Ulm.

Hoeft said they had left a motorcycle rally in the Black Hills when they were looking for their next stop. His connection with a fellow musician brought them to New Ulm.

John Hoeft and Diane Jimenez stand with their three-wheel motorbike and camper they brought from Tampa, Florida to experience Bavarian Blast for the first time.

“A friend of mine texted me and said they were going to be at Bavarian Blast,” Hoeft said. “I said, ‘Perfect. We’re gonna be in the area. Let’s go.’ He’s a [tuba player], I’m an [accordionist].”

The pair said they are most excited to listen to Mollie B and Squeezebox. Jimenez said she had never heard of polka before meeting Hoeft but found out she enjoys it.

Jimenez said the joy of camping for her is freedom and experiencing peaceful places like Flandrau Park, which they visited Monday. Hoeft said it allows them to enjoy the outdoors and get away from big city traffic.

“Come north to get away from the heat,” he said. “Enjoy motorcycle riding, some little town festivals.”

“We don’t have anything like this down in Florida,” Jimenez said.

With the trip itinerary changing every year, it has yet to be seen if they will be back next year. Hoeft said he appreciates the cultural heritage Bavarian Blast promotes.

“I hope New Ulm keeps the German tradition and polka music going because my heritage is German,” he said.

The full slate of activities and performances opens on Friday. The inflatable slide section will return from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Under the Schell’s tent from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Concord Singers, Musikverein Herborn-Seelbach, Squeezebox with Mollie B, Dan Witucki with Mein Heimatland Musikanten, and Alpensterne will perform two one-hour sets each in that order.

Friday night is country night. Returning artist Stephen Paul plays 8-10 p.m., and The Voice Season 15 runner-up Chris Kroeze will perform 10:15-11:45.