by Presley Hughes, reporter
FOLEY, Ala.—Oktoberfest started with a bang Saturday, October 5, as guests across the southern United States ate, drank and danced in celebration of the fall season.
Kids and adults scoped out the scene on Saturday, enjoying games including bobbing for apples, root beer racing and a costume contest. A common theme within Oktoberfest includes wearing German garb including lederhosen and dirndls.
Owa has held the annual festival since October of 2016, but the origin of Oktoberfest runs much deeper. It originated in Munich, Germany, around 1810. The original festival featured horse racing and a feast large enough to feed an entire town. On October 12, 1810, Ludwig I, the crowned king of Germany married Queen Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The fest began as a celebration of their marriage and of the changing seasons.
“My first Oktoberfest was around 2018. My wife and I were tourists and had no idea what to expect from the festival,” said Ned Dickson, frequent visitor. “We were really pleasantly surprised by the hospitality and friendliness of the locals. It was refreshing to watch the kids run around instead of staring at their phones. We decided to come back every year after that.”
Newcomers located events and their times thanks to clear scheduling by festival workers. Some events were held in the park while others were held in the fields behind the park.
Jessica Gonzalez attended for the first time. She was pleasantly surprised and plans to attend again.
“This is my first year coming to the Oktoberfest festival. I originally heard about it through my grandparents a couple of years ago when they began attending the festival regularly,”Gonzalez said. “I used to think I would be the only person my age around so I never even thought about actually attending. This year I just decided to give it a shot which became a really good decision for me. I’ll definitely be back next year with the rest of my family.”
The festival is to be held next year in October. With free admission, everyone is welcome to enjoy the festivities with friends and family. Food and drinks will be available for purchase within the multiple restaurants of Owa or the Taste of Owa food truck.
