Badger fans arriving for Saturday's University of Wisconsin football game received a taste of New Glarus when the Edelweiss Tribute Chörli brought Swiss folk songs, yodeling and accordion music to an Oktoberfest-themed Badger Bash at Union South in Madison on Oct. 24, ahead of the Badgers' Big Ten matchup against USC.

The pregame gathering, held near Camp Randall Stadium, featured traditional Swiss attire, polka music and even Bucky Badger dressed in lederhosen. For the New Glarus performers, it was an opportunity to introduce a wider audience to music that has been part of the village’s heritage for generations.

Badger Bash has been held at Union South since 1972, according to stage show producer Sarah Marty. The family-friendly tailgate includes food, games, the UW Dance Team and a performance by the University of Wisconsin Marching Band before it heads to the stadium.

Marty said this season’s Oktoberfest celebration marked the first time organizers had embraced a theme throughout the entire event. To help create the atmosphere, organizers enlisted DJ Shotski, the stage name of Madison-based Stacy Harbaugh, a polka DJ, vintage record collector and host of “Polka Time,” a weekly radio program broadcast on stations across Wisconsin. Harbaugh provided a playlist of vintage polka music, while Marty invited the New Glarus-based Edelweiss Tribute Chörli to bring traditional Swiss singing, yodeling and accordion music to the stage as the opening act.