The 91st Verboort Sausage & Kraut Festival will be held Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, and the Visitation Parish is looking for volunteers at work days leading up to the event and on the day itself.
Held in Verboort every year to celebrate the community's Dutch heritage and raise funds for the Visitation Catholic School, the event has become a regional draw, bringing thousands of visitors to the community outside of Forest Grove.
To make it all work, volunteers prepare dinners, direct traffic, set up and tear down tents, peel potatoes and more. More than 800 volunteers make the event work, according to the event's website.
"We're not gonna turn any volunteers away," said Volunteer Coordinator Dana Vandecoevering.
An applesauce-making day was held Saturday, drawing more than 60 volunteers to prepare applesauce for the dinner.
Seven distinct volunteer days, in addition to the numerous volunteers needed on the day of the festival, are still on the calendar.
The sauerkraut-making day, sausage-making day, and parish grounds clean-up day are in need of the most volunteers, as is the day of the festival, Vandecoevering said.
To volunteer for the festival itself, volunteers must register with Vandecoevering by calling 503-502-6444. Most other events are open to walk-in volunteers. Volunteers are needed for a variety of roles, especially in parking, the dining room, and to-go dinners.
Sauerkraut Making
When: Saturday, Sept. 20, 7 a.m.
Where: Smokehouse behind the church
What to bring: Knife to core cabbage
40+ volunteers needed. Lunch provided.
Sausage Making
When: Saturday, Oct. 25, 7 a.m.
Where: Smokehouse behind the church
What to bring: Old shoes/boots and warm work clothes
50+ volunteers needed. Lunch provided.
Questions: Call Leo Duyck, 503-853-6840
Parish Grounds Clean-Up
When: Saturday, Oct. 25, 9 a.m.
Where: Meet in front of Parish Center
What to bring: Rakes, hoes, gloves, wheelbarrows, etc.
30+ volunteers needed (school-age children welcome). Lunch provided.
Sausage Packing Support
When: Wednesday, Oct. 29 & Thursday, Oct. 30, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 31, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Where: Smokehouse behind the church
20+ volunteers needed.
To volunteer: Call Dana Vandecoevering, 503-502-6444
Salad Making
When: Friday, Oct. 31, 9:30 a.m.
Where: Parish Center Kitchen
15+ volunteers needed.
Potato Peeling
When: Friday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Where: Play Shed behind Parish Center
15+ volunteers needed.
Post-Dinner Kitchen and Grounds Clean-Up
When: Sunday, Nov. 2, 8:30 a.m.
Where: Parish Center (and Gym)
Many volunteers needed. Lunch provided. Children welcome.
Vandecoevering was with other parish volunteers at the Visitation parish picnic Sunday morning, signing up parishioners and visitors to volunteer at a table in the parish hall.
The parish picnic was held after a Mass celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church.
The event was packed, with the dinner line stretching out the door. Bishop Peter Smith was present to mark the occasion.
Visitation Catholic Church is located at 4285 Visitation Road.
More information on the dinner can be found online at verboort.org/dinner.
