Crowds gather at Oktoberfest in Germany following pandemic cancellations
Pretzels are twisted, lederhosen and drindls abound, and the sound of “prost” hangs in the air as people celebrate the return of Oktoberfest.
Cody Godwin, Associated Press
Four tons of sausage, Chiltons, beer, wine, bounce houses and live local music are on offer this weekend in Slaton.
The 53rd annual St. Joseph’s Sausage Festival and Slaton Oktoberfest is coming Saturday and Sunday, bringing back its traditional German Sunday dinner for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The family-friendly fundraising event features an online and in-person hot dog sale leading up to a celebration of German food and beer along with great local music and family-friendly activities, said Adam Behnke, organizer and president of the Oktoberfest event on Saturday.
The weekend schedule begins with a bulk sausage sale from 9 to 11 a.m. (or when sold out) Saturday at 21st and Division in Slaton. Behnke said online sausage sales are already up 25 percent over last year.
From 2014:Volunteers filling links ahead of the Slaton Sausage Festival
“I guess everybody’s very hungry,” Behnke said.
Still, organizers made more than 8,000 pounds of sausage from a more than 200-year-old Austrian recipe, and Behnke said there will still be plenty for Saturday morning’s in-person sausage sale in Slaton.
Regular German sausage sells for $7 a pound, with jalapeño sausage at $7.50 a pound and habanero sausage at $8 a pound. They will also be selling homemade braided pastas for $25. An Oktoberfest event will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday and run throughout the day, with local bands, beer, wine and food available for sale, benefiting the Knights of Columbus. This year, they’re also adding Chilton’s mixed drinks and margaritas to the soft drink offering. There is no cover charge to attend.
Saturday’s Oktoberfest music lineup features: Element, the JoJo DiSalva Band, Dave Martinez, Drew Cypert, Casey Heckman and Danny Cadra.
“We tried to make the music training more diverse,” Behnke said. “Usually we’ve had country and traditional German music, but this year we’ll also have blues and funk and more.”
The festival will continue on Sunday with the return of the traditional German dinner from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in room 21 and Division. Tickets for the meal are $15 per person and the menu includes hot dogs, KC chicken, German potato salad, green beans, bread and an assortment of desserts. An outdoor family festival will follow in the afternoon with activities and games, bounce houses and more.
More information, including the lineup of musicians and food offerings, is available through the Facebook page of the organization.
