Schwingfest: ‘Come as a Stranger, Leave as a Friend’

For most, the first weekend of July means hot dogs and fireworks.

But for the small Pacific County community of Frances west of Pe Ell and the Lewis County line, it means sawdust, polka music and plenty of beer.

Founded in 1930 by local immigrant Swiss families, the Lewis-Pacific Swiss Society (LPSS) sits just off of state Route 6, about 18 miles east of Raymond, where the club holds its annual Schwingfest. The three-day celebration of Swiss culture features food, music, a rock throwing contest, nightly Swiss dances and the main attraction, the Saturday Schwingen Tournament.

Schwingen is a Swiss style of wrestling created by cattle farmers in the Swiss Alps in the 13th century. Schwingers compete in a ring of sawdust while wearing a pair of burlap shorts referred to as Schwingerhosen that competitors must keep a firm grip on throughout the match. The first to pin both of their opponent’s shoulder blades to the ground wins the match.

The six-round 2025 LPSS Schwingfest tournament kicked off at 11 a.m. Saturday, pausing only once in the afternoon for a bratwurst and alpine burger lunch break.

At the Frances Schwingfest, Schwingers are paired together by age. If a Schwinger is 18 or older, they wrestle in the senior division, regardless of weight.

By the sixth round, the day’s two highest scoring Schwingers walked into the sawdust arena for the championship match. One was Peter Ming, of Elk Grove, California, a recently graduated NCAA Division I heavyweight wrestler. Ming wrestled four years at the University of Stanford, placing fifth in the 2024 Pac-12 Tournament. Ming was considered by many as the favorite to win the tournament.

The other was Morgan Lujan, of Sacramento, California.

“I’ve never seen Peter lose. He's beat me five or six times this year at least,” Lujan told The Chronicle. “He's very good.”

About two minutes into the title match, after a few unsuccessful takedown attempts, Lujan found just enough leverage to execute an over-the-shoulder throw known as a schlounk drop in Swiss wrestling.

Lujan knew if he didn't complete the move perfectly, he would be the one with his back covered in sawdust, taking home second place.

“In Judo they call it a sacrifice throw,” Lujan said. “I was going down. I was about to lose again, so I had to pull that move.”

Lujan mustered up just enough momentum to throw Ming over his left shoulder and land a clean pin to win the 62nd Schwingfest.

“He almost had me dead to rights, but I got him,” Lujan said.

With his hands on his head in disbelief, Lujan listened to the crowd cheer, realizing he had just won the tournament.

“Afterwards, I was like, ‘I can't believe it bro.’ I felt like T-Pain,” he said.

After the wrestling tournament concluded, Lujan received the reward of an LPSS Schwingfest champion: a cash prize, a crown of golden leaves and the traditional champion’s bronze cow bell.

Cole Schumacher also took home a bronze bell after finishing first in the junior division, being the top wrestler of the 15- to 17-year-old age group.

Lujan felt the 12-hour drive from Sacramento was well worth it to experience the LPSS Schwingfest.

“I’m very glad I came,” Lujan said. “I'm not Swiss. I'm actually Mexican. So I'm very happy that all these Swiss dudes are so cool with me. They are all extremely welcoming.”

LPSS Club President Patrick Richardson credited the tight-knit Swiss community for the distinctive Schwingfest atmosphere.

“It's totally different from something like the Leavenworth Oktoberfest, something that's so big and commercial. It's just locals and whoever has Swiss connections. It makes it a completely unique thing,” Richardson told The Chronicle. “Everyone that comes here, we have had so many non-Swiss people come out, and they come back every year because they've made those connections and friendships.”

All three nights of Schwingfest are capped off with a traditional Swiss dance featuring a performance by the Kapelle Blaser-Faver band inside the club's dance hall. After the band played their last polka around 2 a.m., the remaining crowd made their way to the parking lot and RV park to continue the festivities.

“There's a quote that's always been around the club,” Richardson said. “Come as a stranger, leave as a friend.”