German Village’s Oktoberfest will be making a big change this year as the party moves to the Arena District.
Oktoberfest, which is Sept. 28-30 at noon, blends German tradition with the community of today’s German Village. It boasts classic German music as well as music from the current Columbus scene. The food options include both authentic German dishes and festival favorites.
This marks the first year that the event is held at the Arena District, and Executive Director of the German Village Society Katharine Moore says the change offers more space and parking. “We have been site-challenged in our neighborhood for several years and had to make a move,” she says. “Being in the heart of an entertainment district seemed like a smart move.”
Moore says that German Village’s contemporary twist makes this Oktoberfest special. “In other big cities (Milwaukee, Tulsa, etc) they are purists with only German music and food, so the crowd is older, they drink less, and they go home earlier,” she says.
The most popular features at Oktoberfest include polka music, the air accordion contest, Columbus-native rock band Saving Jane and Schmidt’s Crème puffs.
Other activities include the Kinderplatz for children, shopping at the Marketplatz artisan shops, dancing and, of course, cold beer.
Moore encourages visitors to “be the first to toast, the last to leave and spend a whole weekend right in the middle of it all!”
Oktoberfest began about 40 years ago in Schiller Park as a fundraiser for the German Village Businessmen’s Club. It moved to the Fairgrounds several years later and almost fizzled out, but the German Village Society took over nearly 20 years ago.
Moore says that on Saturday night last year, the event was rained out. To combat bad weather in the future, they have “a huge Munich-style tent,” she says. “It really does weather-proof us to a degree.”
Running an event this big requires lots of help. Moore says that they need 1,200 volunteers to cover the responsibilities of beer wagon, decorations, entertainment, German Village Society booth, security, ticket sales and volunteer check-in. Volunteers are also needed to be butlers and gate ambassadors.
The German Village Oktoberfest has been recognized by the American Bus Association as one of the “Top 100 Events in North America,” according to the Oktoberfest Web site. In addition, AOL named it among the “Top 11 Oktoberfests.”
Oktoberfest runs Sept. 28-30, starting at noon. Friday and Saturday’s festivities last until midnight, and the festival closes on Sunday at 8 p.m.
Tickets for Oktoberfest at the gate are $8 for adults, $5 for seniors, and children under 12 get in free. Advance tickets for $5 are available at Fifth Third banking centers and online at www.gvoktoberfest.com after Labor Day.