Finals March 5, 2022 - Starting at 9:30PM

The renowned (and sometimes notorious) Bockfest Sausage Queen helps lead the Bockfest Parade by carrying a symbolic tray of  Bockwurst. The Sausage Queen is Bockfest royalty who is anointed in the least aristocratic manner we could create: a gender-neutral pageant that has multiple preliminary rounds in local bars and beer halls. Winning contestants receive prizes, but are mostly vying for the honor and prestige of being the 2022 Sausage Queen, an honor to both themselves and their sponsoring saloon. 

How Sausage Queen works

In the weeks leading up to Bockfest, three preliminary rounds will select contestants for the 2022 finale. We've partnered with three local bars/breweries with big spaces in order to stay healthy, and the top two contestants from each round will march in the Bockfest Parade on March 4th and complete at the Finals on March 5th. ​​
  • Saturday February 19, 8PM Mecklenburg Gardens 302 East University Ave, Cincinnati, 45219 (keg tapping and other events first)
  • Friday February 25, 8PM Sonder Brewing Company 8584 Duke Blvd, Mason, 45040​ *note date change​
  • Saturday February 26, 8PM Listermann Brewing Company 1621 Dana Ave, Cincinnati, 45207
  • ​The person crowned Bockfest Sausage Queen 2022 will receive the honor and privilege of reigning as Sausage Queen until the next year when he or she will lead the Bockfest Parade. The finals will be 9:30PM at Bockfest Hall on Saturday March 5, 2022.

Note: It is not necessary to register prior to the night of the competition (except that the Final Judging will only be open to winning candidates from the preliminary rounds.) However, it is very helpful for the venue to know how many contestants to expect and any special requests they might have, so advance registration at the venue where you intend to compete is highly appreciated. Contestants must register at the venue between 7:30P-8P the night of the preliminary rounds or may pre-register online HERE.

Sausage Queen Judging

At each of the preliminary venues and the finale, the Little King, guest judges, and crowd participation will determine the best (gender neutral) applicant based on the following criteria:
  • Personality
All contestants are required to have one, and having a good one is typically helpful. The sum total of a contestant’s personality is arbitrarily judged by his or her responses to a series of ridiculous questions.
  • Presence
The contestant must look good carrying a sausage and have diva tendencies. The winners of each preliminary round will represent that bar in the Sausage Queen finals. Therefore, you must possess the presence to fulfill this heady responsibility with honor, dignity, class, grace, or the complete and utter lack of any of these traits.
  • Talent
What kind of “talent” should the Sausage Queen 2019 display? That is a question that only you can answer. Surprise us. (But be warned that after a decade of conducting this competition, it is getting progressively harder to surprise us.)

Requirements

  • There is no admission fee.
  • Contestants must be at least 21 years of age.​
  • Contestants must be open-minded and fun. The competitions are gender neutral. They are open to all shapes, sizes, and varieties of potential Bockfest royalty.
  • Contestants agree that their photos, videos, and/or likenesses may be used in promoting the event.
  • Manner of dress is up to each contestant.
  • Although possessing mysterious and frightening political power, the Royal International Bockfest Sausage Queen Commission cannot suspend the laws of the municipalities or states where competitions are held. Therefore, while contestants are free to push the boundaries of human decency, they must do so within the boundaries of all governing law.
  • Sausage Queen Contestants must be available to compete in the March 5th Final Judging and available for the Bockfest Parade on March 4, 2022. The Queen must not be too much of a diva to show up to these events on time and must be capable and willing to traverse the full parade route.​
  • The Sausage Queen will reign until the following year’s Bockfest Sausage Queen, will be in the Bockfest 2023 parade, and will crown the 2023 Queen. It is virtually impossible to commit any act unbecoming of a Sausage Queen that is sufficient to cause the Royal International Bockfest Sausage Queen Commission to revoke the title, but each venue has its own standards for what might cause you to be disowned.