MANHATTAN — It's time to break out the Lederhosen.
The 54th Annual German-American Steuben Parade will wind its way up Fifth Avenue Saturday in a celebration of German culture — but longtime neighborhood stalwart and sausage purveyor Schaller & Weber will be notably absent.
The march, which kicks off at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, runs from East 67th Street up to Yorkville's East 86th Street — once known as "Sauerkraut Boulevard" for its plethora of German restaurants and dance halls.
However one of the few remaining holdouts of that era, Schaller & Weber — which sells its meaty delights to beer halls across the nation — won't have a float at this year's parade for the first time, said Ralph Schaller, whose father opened the shop in 1937.
"Always, always we're in the parade," Schaller said. "We haven't missed one, but my nephew, he normally runs the whole float, but he had to go to Italy for a wedding."
Schaller & Weber, at 1654 Second Ave., near East 86th Street, is one of the last remnants from when Yorkville was Germantown, along with the Heidelberg Restaurant. But Schaller was quick to point out that the restaurant has changed ownership over the years, while his shop has remained in the family.
"In this neighborhood, you had to speak German when we were kids," Schaller said. "There were so many German beer gardens and dance halls. There was a movie theater that only showed German movies."
He believes the neighborhood started losing its German flavor when the Gimbel's department store moved to East 86th Street and Lexington Avenue in the late 1960s and the low-rises began being replaced with residential towers. (A glassy high-rise with a Duane Reade now sits where Gimbel's had been.)
Despite Schaller & Weber's absence at the parade, this year's event is expected to be bigger than last year's said Herb Seef, vice chairman of the parade.
There will be more than 300 groups participating, including 22 groups from Germany and one from Austria. There will also be 27 floats highlighting major accomplishments of German Americans, from building the Brooklyn Bridge (Johann August Roebling) to creating the famous Steinway pianos in concert halls across the globe (Heinrich Steinweg).
Seef, who also organizes Oktoberfest in Central Park, anticipates 4,000 thirsty folks will come to that after-party, which will also host the Third Annual National Masskrugstemmen (beer stein holding) Championship” to see who can hold the heavy beer stein longest.
Schaller said that his store typically gets flooded on the day of the parade with people coming to buy their bratwust, spaetzle and pickles.
"I'm not glad we're missing it," Schaller said of the parade. "We'll definitely be back next year."
The 54th Annual German-American Stueben Parade is Saturday, Sept. 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. from 67th Street to 86th Street on Fifth Avenue.
