GONZALES — The Annual Swiss Picnic brought together family members for a day of tradition, reuniting and to eat food barbecued by the Swiss Rifle Club members on Aug. 20 at the Swiss Rifle Club Park in Gonzales.
The Swiss Picnic sold approximately 526 meals throughout the course of the day and included chicken, steak and swiss sausage with salad and beans.
Several people dressed up in swiss attire including Allyah Ortiz. Ortiz wore a dress that her mother, Kylie Bassetti, Aunt Ashlyn Bassetti and also her grandmother Wilma Bassetti wore previously.
At another table, brothers Steve, Mike and Dave Brusa and their cousin Brian Brusa played the Swiss card game “Pedro.”
Gonzales High School alumni were also present and posed for a picture at the event.
The Annual Swiss Picnic is a joint effort between the Monterey County Swiss American Club and the Swiss Rifle Club.
The Monterey County Swiss American Club was responsible for the drawings and selling the swiss merchandise for the event.
“I thought it was a good crowd and everybody was enjoying themselves,” said Monterey County Swiss-American Club Secretary Rosann Pisoni. “I think both clubs were very pleased that so many Swiss families came to enjoy the food and a beautiful day together.”
The Annual Swiss Picnic was also to commemorate the 726th anniversary of Switzerland’s independence.
Switzerland was part of the Holy Roman Empire along with Germany, Austria and Italy until 1648 when the Treaty of Westphalia made Switzerland’s independence official.
