The Northwest’s Best Loved Family Folk Festival
Four hundred thousand votes were cast in the Statesman Journal’s 2009 search for the Best of the Mid Valley. Oktoberfest was voted Best Annual Event, Best Family Attraction, Best Free Activity, Best Place to Dance, Best Live Music and the Best Place to Take Out-of-Town Guests. This was a clean sweep of all six entertainment categories for which the festival was nominated. It is the best loved folk festival in the Northwest.
Oktoberfest began in 1966 as a traditional fall festival to celebrate the bounty of the earth and the goodness of crea¬tion. The Oktoberfest tradition is still going strong, carrying with it the quality, warmth and fun of a community effort unparal¬leled in the North¬west.
For entertainment, the festival offers Friday and Saturday night street dances, a traditional Bier¬garten, Weingarten, Kindergarten and Alpinegarten.
The “Original Donaumusikanten,” a world class Bavarian band, flown directly from Germany plays daily in the Weingarten. The Alpinegarten features lively interactive entertainment with a wide variety of Bavarian folk music. The Z Musikmakers from Mount Angel – voted one of the best local bands in the Mid-Valley, the Canadian Gordanairs and others entertain in the Weingarten. The Biergarten showcases the German band Die Schlauberger, America’s number one German Band, the Fabulous Polkatones and some great brass bands.
Mount Angel’s own village band plays at the opening ceremonies and every day from the bandstand. Enjoy world known Master Yodeler Kerry Christensen. The Gordanaires, a German-Canadian band from Vancouver, play and perform fabulous alpine folk songs and dances each afternoon at the Bandstand and evenings in the Weingarten.
Oktoberfest is great fun for the youngsters. The Kindergarten features a 4H-petting farm, inflatable slides, a Toddler Zone, Family Fun Follies in the pavilion and other amusements. And, by all means, don’t miss the great Wiener Dog Races. This is a wonderful spot to spend some quality time with the kids and it is all free.
Fifty nonprofit organizations offer a wide variety of ethnic and regional foods from their charmingly decorated little alpine food chalets. Each chalet takes great pride in preparing their succulent sausages, pastries and other delicacies to the delight of all visitors. For many of these nonprofits, Oktoberfest is their major fund raising activity of the year.
A select group of artisans and crafters proudly displays their handcrafted work for your viewing pleasure or purchase. The booths are located downtown and at St. Mary’s Old School Gym.
The festival offers men’s and Coed’s softball, golf and volleyball tournaments, a high school football classic and more. Five and ten kilometer road races on Saturday start at 10:00 a.m.
The Cruz-n Car Show features 100 classy vehicles on Saturday and a new group on Sunday. More than 25 awards will be presented each day. The award winners from Saturday are back on Sunday in the ‘Winners Circle.’
No trip to Mount Angel is complete without a visit to the century old Benedictine Sisters’ Queen of Angels Monastery and to Mount Angel Abbey. Busses leave from near the bandstand every half-hour to the abbey, from 11 AM to 5 PM on Saturday and Sunday.
The diversity of events scheduled and the uniqueness of Mount Angel and its surrounding countryside promise something to do and see for everyone in the family. You will not find any better food, entertainment, or danc¬ing in the Northwest. Gather family and friends together to Embrace our Bavarian Heritage at Oktoberfest from Thursday, September 17 through Sunday, September 20. Visit www.oktoberfest.org for all the details.
