REEDSBURG — Reedsburg has seen its fair share of brat fries, but Craig Stovey, IGA store manager, promises a whole new take on the classic fundraiser this Fourth of July weekend.

"First of all, we tied the United Fund into it and they do a lot of great things in the community," Stovey said. "Then there's the dash part."

Stovey said the idea for Reedsburg's first ever Brat Bash and Dash actually stems from a Madison event. The Bash and Dash starts at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 3 and runs until 5 p.m. at the south end of Webb Park on Webb Ave.

"The big idea is to keep it simple and efficient," Stovey said. By putting up a tent in the southbound lane down Webb, he said people don't even need to leave their vehicles to pick up a $2 brat.

If the weather is good, people can make the short walk from the public pool to the brat stand as well, Stovey suggested. Besides helping out the United Fund, which generates most of its proceeds during their annual radio auction, he said bringing people downtown was another motivating factor.

"What I'd like to do is get people downtown who don't frequent there often," Stovey said. "It's still very viable. It's still very lively."

He said more and more people are passing up downtown to shop at more state-of-the-art establishments and are forgetting that downtown Reedsburg has plenty to offer.

Coupled with the Bash and Dash, Stovey said he hopes various sales downtown businesses will host over the weekend will bring new traffic flow to Main St. If he's going to reach his goal of selling 2,000 brats, Stovey is going to need all the traffic he can get.

Because the event has been put together in the matter of a month, only brats, water and soda will be provided. But Stovey said this could just be the beginning.

"We want it to grow in the future," he said. "I'd love to see it grow into a mini event with things and games for the kids, but that's going to take more than this local grocer."

All of the food is donated and all the help is volunteer, so all proceeds go directly toward the United Fund. Because the United Fund keeps donations local, it's a win-win for the community, Stovey said.

Through a partnership through Klements, the Bash and Dash will be receiving enough brats to reach their goal and then some.

Although you can get your brat drive-thru style, Stovey said visitors are more than welcome to hang out with volunteers.