This weekend, the entire St. Peter community will be coming together to celebrate the town’s first-ever Oktoberfest. Starting at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14, the celebration will commence in the cooler at Patrick’s on Third with a ceremonial keg, painted with the colors of the German flag , to be paraded from the basement to the festival grounds.
St. Peter’s first Oktoberfest celebration is paid for by the people of St. Peter and organized by the St. Peter ambassadors, a group initially founded in the 1960s with a focus on the working people of St. Peter. The group is comprised of business and community leaders and is also responsible for putting together other community events such as Blues Fest, and contributing things to the community such as the stone monuments on either side of town.
“Our focus is to make St. Peter a better place to live. Other groups focus on children and seniors. We focus on the working people of the community so this event is geared towards having fun,” John Mayer, owner of Patrick’s and one of the ambassadors responsible for organizing St. Peter’s Oktoberfest said.
Following the parade, the opening ceremony will be presided over by the official Fest Meister Chad Deblieck, president of the ambassadors. The Wendinger Band will perform polka music at 4:00 p.m., followed by 69 Cents, a rock cover band, at 7:30 p.m. Admission to the event will be free until 7:00 p.m., as well as the first keg of beer and root beer. After 7:00 p.m. a button will be required.
Buttons can be bought at Oktoberfest and are $5. There is no age requirement and the buttons are good for two days.
Also featured on Friday night will be a sauerkraut eating competition. The winner will receive 50 Chamber Bucks. On Saturday night, participants dress up in lederhosen and dirndls, traditional german garb. The best dressed, as judged by the Fest Meister Deblieck, will win the contest and 50 Chamber Bucks.
Saturday’s musical entertainment will feature the Bockfest Boys at 2:00 p.m. and IV Play, another rock cover band, at 7:00 p.m. Mayer described the Bockfest Boys as “a mix of polka and rock and roll”.
“The Bockfest Boys might appeal to the younger crowd a little more. They are rock ‘n’ roll with accordions. They can turn anything into a polka riot,” Mayer said.
The original idea for the St. Peter Oktoberfest was conceived by a recent president of the ambassadors. The dates for the event were chosen directly in correlation with Gustavus’ Family Weekend.
“This is a great chance for the community and Gusties to come together to celebrate the month of October. It is great that Gusties are being invited and considered members of the community for this event. It is sure to be a success,” Wasson said.
“Gustavus students and faculty are vital members of the community so we wanted that group to be a part of this, so students should come on down and bring their families with them. It is guaranteed to be a good time,” Mayer said.
“The celebration itself is aimed to be somewhere in the middle of the Lacrosse Oktoberfest celebration and the New Ulm Oktoberfest. New Ulm generally attracts an older strictly German crowd while Lacrosse is all about drinking. We want this to be an event for everyone,” Mayer said.
A 120-foot tent will be set up behind the Family Dollar in downtown St. Peter. Mayer expects the turn-out for the event to be around 3,000 to 4,000 people a day. 2,500 buttons have already been presold.
“There are a lot of Germans living in St. Peter but never has there been an Oktoberfest like this before. I am looking forward to seeing a lot of people dancing and having fun. There will be a number of Oktoberfest beers on tap so do not forget your I.D.” Mayer said.
Senior Communication Studies Major Matt Wasson and a group of seniors involved with the Sesquicentennial have been working all week to promote the event to the campus. Wasson and others put up posters and were in charge of distributing a number of free buttons to publicize the event and encourage Gusties to attend. A limited amount of free Oktoberfest buttons are available in the Residential Life office but are first come, first serve.