What's in the Pot? Go to Rusk, Texas, KOA and Find Out!

The Rusk KOA Kampground in Rusk, Texas, will be the site of the 9th annual Texas Potjie Festival on Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4-7.

Yvonne and Fred Reinhardt, festival creators and organizers, again selected the Rusk KOA after the 2008 festival, saying, “This new campground is a great location to hold our get-together; everything is immaculate, it’s a convenient central location in a beautiful part of Texas and their facilities are exceptional.”

The Potjie (pronounced poy-key) Festival is held each year to commemorate a centuries-old South African tradition, according to the Jacksonville Daily Progress. 

The potjie is a heavy iron cooking pot, used originally to cook by hanging from a chain over a kitchen fire, which later became the pot bellied, three-legged east iron pot used by Dutch pioneers over their campfires as they settled into South Africa.

For the past nine years, this private festival has attracted over 300 people each year. 

Although billed as the “Texas Potjie Festival,” attendees come from all across North America to enjoy the fellowship and compete with their favorite potjie recipes. 

This year’s main category will be for beef dishes, with additional categories and prizes for other entrees and desserts. This year will also include the annual “Best Boerewors in Texas” competition. Boerewors is a traditional South African sausage, literally translated as “Farmers Sausage.’

In addition to the food competitions, this year’s gathering is expected to include cricket and rugby matches, a watermelon eating contest, a wealth of music and dance and an Afrikaans Church service on Sunday morning.

“The participation grows each year as word spreads,” said Yvonne Reinhardt. “This is a wonderful way for those of us of South African heritage to reconnect with our traditions and spend time with one another.”

“We’re excited to welcome the Texas Potjie Festival back to the Rusk KOA and the Rusk area this Labor Day,” said Walter Preble, owner of the Rusk KOA. “This was a wonderful event last year, and we look forward to hosting the Potjie Festival again and watching the participants enjoy a taste of their ‘Suid Afrikan’ heritage.”