Fun fest — beautiful weather attracts big Oktoberfest crowd
Beautiful weather attracts big Oktoberfest crowd
Staff photo by Fritz Busch A huge Octoberfest crowd consumes food and beverages on Center Street Saturday.
Staff photo by Fritz Busch The Narren, Miss New Ulm and royalty dance on Center Street Saturday.
Staff photo by Fritz Busch LuAnn Schmidt, third from right, wins the sauerkraut eating contest at Oktoberfest in downtown New Ulm Saturday. Fourteen men and women competed in the contest that included eating 14 ounces of sauerkraut on Center St.
Staff photo by Fritz Busch Liz Hoffman of New Ulm celebrates after winning the female stein-holding contest at Oktoberfest in downtown New Ulm Saturday. Hoffman finished first among 14 female contestants from Duluth and as far away as Indiana, holding a stein of 32 ounces of beer for five minutes, 41 seconds.
Staff photo by Fritz Busch A huge Octoberfest crowd consumes food and beverages on Center Street Saturday.
Staff photo by Fritz Busch The Narren, Miss New Ulm and royalty dance on Center Street Saturday.
Staff photo by Fritz Busch LuAnn Schmidt, third from right, wins the sauerkraut eating contest at Oktoberfest in downtown New Ulm Saturday. Fourteen men and women competed in the contest that included eating 14 ounces of sauerkraut on Center St.
Staff photo by Fritz Busch Liz Hoffman of New Ulm celebrates after winning the female stein-holding contest at Oktoberfest in downtown New Ulm Saturday. Hoffman finished first among 14 female contestants from Duluth and as far away as Indiana, holding a stein of 32 ounces of beer for five minutes, 41 seconds.
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NEW ULM -- A New Ulm couple dominated male and female beer stein-holding contests at the 40th annual Oktoberfest on Center Street Saturday.
Liz Hoffman won the female stein-holding competition, holding a stein of 32 ounces of beer for 5 minutes, 41 seconds. Her husband, Todd, of New Ulm, finished second in the male stein-holding contest, holding a stein for about 7 minutes.
"We didn't train for this or ever do it before," Todd Hoffman said. "I guess we're just healthy people."
He explained how he came to New Ulm.
"I retired from the city of Chanhassen and moved to New Ulm to have fun," said Schmidt, 59. He said he continues to do carpentry work.
Patrick Hoban of Minneapolis won the male stein-holding contest, topping 21 other contestants, holding the beer stein for 7 minutes, 40 seconds.
Hoban said he's a triathlete, an athletic competition involving swimming, bicycling and running.
The Germanic-American Day Parade began at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Glockenspiel at 4th North and Minnesota streets and continued to Center Street, where music and guided horse-drawn city tours began.
The parade included performing trumpet and concertina musicians on the German Bohemian Society trailer. Family groups including the Alwins who came to New Ulm in 1855, the Waibels in 1857 and other families, including the Dittrichs and Schlumpbergers.
KNUJ radio staff continued its tradition of handing out plastic shot cups of sauerkraut to parade-goers.
New Ulm Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Sarah Warmka said the favorable weather drew a large crowd downtown.
“It was remarkable, having such a beautiful day. We had lots of people downtown enjoying things," said Warmka.
A number of downtown Oktoberfest attendees said they were from Stearns County.
Warmka said the Chamber of Commerce advertised Oktoberfest on billboards in Stearns County.
Other Oktoberfest attendees were said to have come from as far away as Arkansas.
The second week of Oktoberfest begins Friday, Oct. 14, with Oktoberfest Lite 11 a.m.-9 p.m. at Morgan Creek Vineyards in rural Cambria. Live music at the Kabaret at The Grand Center for Arts and Culture is set for 7-9:30 p.m.
Music at the Best Western Plus and Green Mill is set for 8-10 p.m. on the patio. The Concord Singers perform 5-8 p.m., followed by Misguided, 8:30-11:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Oct. 15, the farmers market is scheduled for 9 a.m.-noon on German Street. Craftoberfest is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. downtown.
Schell's Oktoberfest is set for 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Schell's Hobo Band and Alpensterne will perform. Morgan Creek hosts brunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The Uber Jazz Trio performs 6:30-9 p.m.
Comedian Davey Wester will appear at American Legion Post 132 8-10 p.m. Saturday. B & L Bar entertainment features Heidi and the Good Ole boys from 4-8 p.m.
For more information, visit business.newulm.com.