It’s time to dust off the lederhosen and break out the dirndls for the Great Northwest Oktoberfest, slated to kick off Sept. 25 and run through Oct. 4 at Depot Park in downtown Whitefish.
Oktoberfest is a German event with its roots in Munich. The festival is more than 200 years old, and originated as a wedding party for German royalty where everyone in town was invited. Munich now draws about 6 million visitors every October who drink about 5 million liters of beer, according to the city’s website.
While Whitefish won’t draw that level of traffic, Kevin Gartland, the chamber’s executive director, said the city’s Fifth Annual Oktoberfest celebration will offer plenty of traditional, family-oriented German events over six days that span two weekends.
The event will feature log-sawing contests for pairs in both the men’s and women’s divisions, and hourly contests on the music stage that include the brutal Macho Men and Lovely Ladies stein-holding competitions that will whip your forearms into shape.
Admission to the Oktoberfest bigtop tent is $4 for adults, with kids under 12 (accompanied by parents) allowed free. Even if the mercury drops, it will be warm and toasty under the climate-controlled Oktoberfest tent.
Oktoberfest Schedule of Events
Thursday, Sept. 25
5 p.m. // Oktoberfest Bigtop and Beer Garden open
Local’s Night – Flathead residents admitted free w/ ID
5:30 p.m. // Mayoral toast and tapping of the first keg
Great dance music by The Western Senators
6:30 p.m. // Introduction of 2014 Hop Queen hopefuls, female stein-holding contest, male log-sawing contest
7 p.m. // Music by The Western Senators
7:45 p.m. // Female log-sawing contest, male stein-holding contest
8:15 p.m. // Polka, western swing and music by The Western Senators
9 p.m. // Male and female stein-holding contest
9:30 p.m. // Music by The Western Senators
10:30 p.m. // Last call
Friday, Sept. 26
5 p.m. // Oktoberfest Bigtop and Beer Garden open
5:30 p.m. // Great Oktoberfest music by The Western Senators
6:30 p.m. // Male stein-holding contest, female log-sawing contest
7 p.m. // Music by The Western Senators
7:45 p.m. // Brat-eating contest: The Wurst Minute of Your Life, and female stein-holding contest
8 p.m. // Crowning of the 2014 Oktoberfest Hop Queen
8:15 P.M. // Polka, western swing and more by The Western Senators
9 P.M. // Male log-sawing contest, female stein-holding contest
9:30 P.M. // Music by The Western Senators
10:30 // Last call
Saturday, Sept. 27
Noon // Oktoberfest Bigtop & Beer Garden open, kids’ daytime activities begin
12:30 p.m. // German music by The Bavarian Echoes
1:30 p.m. // Male stein-holding contest, female stein-holding contest
2 p.m. // Polka, waltz and more by The Bavarian Echoes
2:45 p.m. // Kids’ Chicken Dance Championships
3:15 p.m. // Oom-pah by The Bavarian Echoes
4 p.m. // Male mountain climbing races // Ladies’ Stein-Holding
4:30 p.m. // Music by The Bavarian Echoes
5:15 p.m. // Female mountain climbing races//Male Stein-Holding
5:45 p.m. // Dance music by The Western Senators
6 p.m. // World keg-hurling championships, first round
6:30 p.m. // Female stein-holding contest, male log-sawing contest
7 p.m. // Music by The Western Senators
7:45 p.m. // Male stein-holding contest, female log-sawing contest
8:15 p.m. // Polka, western swing and more by The Western Senators
9 p.m. // Female stein-holding contest, male stein-holding contest
9:30 p.m. // Dance music by The Western Senators
10:30 // Last Call
For more information and for a schedule of the second weekend of events, Oct. 2-4, check out the Oktoberfest website at www.WhitefishOktoberfest.com.