Fortune Feimster Brought the Laughs as
Johnsonville Delivered the World's First Sausage Drone Show and a
Coast-to-Coast, Summer-Long Birthday Bash for the Books
All Assets, Including Footage and Photos of
Feimster's Comedy Performance
Accompanied by America's First-Ever Sausage Drone Show,
HERE.
SHEBOYGAN FALLS, Wis., July 5, 2025
/PRNewswire/ -- Johnsonville took
center stage this Fourth of July with a celebration as
unforgettable as it was unexpected—throwing one of the most
delightfully unhinged birthday bashes in American history to mark
the nation's 249th. Refusing to wait for the big 250, Johnsonville went all in on fun and
togetherness. Comedian and national treasure Fortune Feimster lit
up Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance.
Bringing her signature relentlessly positive humor and
infectious energy, Feimster delivered a comedic riff on the
country's "fun deficit," as Johnsonville pulled out all the stops: karaoke
booths, sausage cannons, a towering three-tiered cake, a Guinness
World Record, coast-to-coast block parties with first responders,
and the world's first-ever sausage drone show. The grand finale? A
festival-wide singalong of "Happy Birthday" led by Feimster
herself—capping off a celebration that proved one thing: when it
comes to bringing people together, nobody throws a party like
Johnsonville.
The Summerfest celebration was the focal point of Johnsonville's campaign to get the party
started for America's 249th birthday in a major way. The
campaign was built around Johnsonville's National Temperature Check
survey, conducted by the Harris Poll, that found that nine-in-ten
Americans agree we make more progress when we have fun together.
That same survey revealed that Americans feel disconnected,
and fun is taking a hit.
"I'm in the business of laughter because it's the fastest way to
bring people together. And we are overdue for some togetherness,"
said Feimster. "Johnsonville
understood the assignment: good food, big laughs and sausage
drones. That's how connection happens. Let's hold on to that energy
and keep the party going."
In May, while the White House was launching its countdown to
250, Johnsonville announced it wasn't waiting to celebrate,
launching its massive Party Starter—an 80-pound, 249-link sausage
pack complete with a collapsible hand cart. Fans could nominate the
ultimate "party starter" in their life to receive one just in time
for July 4th. More than 20,000
people, from block party organizers and nonprofit leaders to
everyday backyard hosts, entered to win, sharing stories about
people who inspire them to connect with others.
Johnsonville also hosted pop-up
cookouts in Chicago and
New York to celebrate first
responders alongside national grilling experts and bestselling
authors, The Grill Dads.
"We couldn't wait for 250—America's running low on fun, and the
data backs it up," said Jamie
Schmelzer, Vice President of Marketing at Johnsonville. "So for 249, we went big, weird,
and joyful. Whether it was an 80-pound box of sausage, a
thousand-person sing-a-long, or a cookout with local heroes, our
goal was to spark real connection across the country. Huge thanks
to Fortune Feimster for helping us lead the charge—because fun
isn't just nice to have right now, it's how we move forward."
Johnsonville partnered with
Milwaukee-based agency Hold Fast
to bring the 249 vision to life, and with Sky Elements Drones, the
largest drone light show provider in the US, to bring its
patriotic, sausage-themed drone formations to the Summerfest sky.
The brand's July 4 show is part of
Sky Elements' attempt to set the Guinness World Record for "Most
Drone Shows in 24 Hours Performed by Different Pilots." In total,
the production company operated 25 drone shows across the country
on July 4, nine of which were flown
in one hour. The record attempt is awaiting review by the
adjudicator.
All assets for Fortune Feimster's performance at Summerfest and
Johnsonville's 249 campaign are
HERE.
For campaign content and more information on Johnsonville, follow @Johnsonville on Instagram or visit
www.johnsonville.com.
About Johnsonville,
LLC
Wisconsin-based
Johnsonville is the No. 1 national
sausage brand, selling and serving more than 80 different varieties
of sausage across 40+ countries and in more than 75 U.S.
professional, semi-pro and college sports stadiums. Founded in
1945, Johnsonville remains a
family-owned company of obsessed sausage-makers that employs and
develops approximately 3,500 members globally.
About Summerfest presented by American Family
Insurance
Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance
is one of the most iconic celebrations of music in America, hosting
the industry's biggest acts for an unforgettable live music
experience. Since its inception in 1968, Summerfest continues
to distinguish itself as a premier independent national music
festival and has developed an unrivaled reputation, consistently
featuring hundreds of performances across 12 stages, throughout the
permanent 75-acre festival grounds along Lake Michigan. Summerfest will take place over
three weekends – June 19-21,
June 26-28, July 3-5, 2025. For the latest
information, visit Summerfest.com, or Facebook, X, Instagram and
TikTok: @Summerfest.
Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., producer of Summerfest,
continues to fulfill its nonprofit mission of bringing the
community together and providing a showcase for performing arts,
activities, and recreation to the public, through music and special
events.
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SOURCE Johnsonville
