A familiar piece of New Glarus Volksfest history is getting a fresh start.

The longtime mural backdrop used for Volksfest performances was first painted by Paul Grossenbacher, an immigrant from Switzerland and resident of the New Glarus area for more than 60 years, who was important member of the community. Then more than 35 years ago the backdrop was repainted by Ernie Jaggi, a New Glarus artist and yodeler who passed away in 2020. It is now being recreated by New Glarus artist Pamela Ruschman after years of use left the original panels deteriorating.

“A few years ago, the organizers of Volksfest realized the original mural backdrop was deteriorating,” Ruschman said. “For the past few years, we have been patching the mural panels with wood filler and repainting sections that had holes in them. 2026 was the year for a fresh start.”

Ruschman said Jaggi created the original backdrop on tagboard material, which helped it serve Volksfest for decades but has now begun to fall apart.