Denny Warta Day at BCHS popcorn wagon 

NEW ULM -- The 1914 popcorn wagon was open for Denny Warta Family Day outside of the Brown County Historical Society Museum at 2 N. Broadway on Saturday

Denis “Denny” Warta, 97, of New Ulm, died Nov. 19, 2025. He was a lifetime member of the Brown County Historical Society. His daughter, Diann Warta, and son, Dean Warta, recently donated money Warta had set aside for the historical society.

“When we donated the money that my dad set aside for the historical society, we got on the subject of the popcorn wagon. Before we knew it, we were talking about having Denny Warta Day, and this is the day that the historical society chose for us,” Diann Warta said.

Diann Warta said her father is the reason her family got into the popcorn business. 

He visited with the Bauermeister family and learned they wanted to sell their two wagons, one authentic historic wagon and one replica.

“It was my dad who visited with the Bauermeister family and found out they wanted to sell and when he came home, he looked at me and said, 'would you be interested?' and my uncle was there and said he would be happy to invest and so we bought it and totally enjoyed our new venture,” she said.

Diann and her uncle Lyle Kraus bought both wagons together in the early 1970s. 

Diann was working at Citizens Bank at the time and Dean was just out of high school. He managed the popcorn wagon for Diann.

The authentic wagon was set up every spring on Center Street near Eichten Shoes, where the Chamber Office is now, and taken down before Halloween. The replica was used during Polka Days across the street, at the Brown County Fair and for grandstand events. Both were stored at the fairgrounds in the off-season.

“The popcorn wagon was always busy downtown with Monday night shopping and George’s Ballroom,” she said.

Diann Warta said one of the days they brought the authentic wagon downtown to open for the season, it got vandalized. 

Someone had tipped over the wagon, and damaged it.

“So we had to repair it, and we painted it red and white. I think when Bauermeisters had it, it was gray,” she said.

She said she was reluctant to sell the two popcorn wagons, but an employee named Sylvia Hopkins eventually convinced her. 

After Sylvia passed away, Hopkin's daughters owned the wagons for a time before selling them separately.

It was the first time the two popcorn wagons were ever split up.

The original authentic wagon is now owned by the Brown County Historical Society.

Diann and Dean Warta worked the red popcorn wagon during Denny Warta Family Day, making and serving fresh popcorn throughout the day. 

"Saturday was so much fun, my brother Dean and I had a blast seeing so many people. Dean’s wife Aleda, and daughter, Becca, had a wonderful time giving Dean and I a break,” Diann Warta said.

The wagon has been out since May 23 for Memorial Day Weekend. The next date is Oct. 3 for Downtown Oktoberfest. All proceeds benefit the Brown County Historical Society.