FORGET 250--JOHNSONVILLE WENT FULL SEND ON AMERICA'S 249TH BIRTHDAY WITH SAUSAGE, STAND-UP & A SKY-HIGH CELEBRATION

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.

SOURCE Johnsonville