Enjoying the ‘culture of Oktoberfest’
Plenty of music draws a crowd to festivities and downtown businesses
NEW ULM — The Oktoberfest festivities wrapped up on Saturday night with the downtown events and three live polka bands performing at the Best Western.
Local businesses were optimistic about Saturday’s downtown turnout for the slough of activities like the keg tapping, the Germanic-American Day Parade, and stage games. Businesses see an uptick during festival season.
Denise Foster, who owns Rustic, a furniture store that specializes in wood slab tables, benches, and other home décor was optimistic with the foot traffic on N. Minnesota St.
“It brings hundreds of people out here to shop,” Foster said. “To see the streets decorated so beautifully, it’s very inviting and very upbeat. It has had a real positive effect on businesses downtown.”
Brad Wieland is the owner of Designs Apparel, which specializes in Oktoberfest specific shirts with verbiage and designs promoting the event was pleased with the merchandise he moved downtown.
“So far I’ve been doing real good,” Wieland said. “The weather is going to be beautiful, a little windy, but it will be alright.”
Designs Apparel is in it’s second year of operation temporarily situated beside Lola’s, Wieland is a New Ulm native, “born, raised and die probably,” he joked. Wieland says that he and the neighboring Lola’s feed off of each other, saying that Lola’s food truck does great during Oktoberfest.
Mowan’s on 1 N. Minnesota is expecting expecting a big crowd for Oktoberfest, Mowan’s bartender Rae Holm is expecting up to a hundred patrons during her shift alone.
“It’s always good, Oktoberfest is the best time in New Ulm,” Holm said. “We get ready for this every year. Tonight we’re expecting it to be busy, it usually starts off a little slow. But then it gets a little busy.”
Once again Oktoberfest saw it’s fair share of out-of-towners in attendance. Nevada Lee traveled six hours from Fairview, Kansas to take in the event for the first time on a work trip with the Farm Bureau.
“Our boss has been up here a couple of times,” she said. “He really enjoyed it, so he brought us along.”
For their 16th wedding anniversary, Trent Wegner brought his wife Kelly downtown for the afternoon festivities dressed in lederhosen. The Wegners came in from Eagan.
“He surprised me with this fantastic trip here,” she said. “To enjoy the people, and the culture of Oktoberfest in New Ulm.”
At 2 p.m. the festivities shifted to the Best Western where three bands performed Saturday night. The Concord Singers, who performed Friday evening played two sets at 2 p.m. and again at 6:30 p.m. At 3:30 p.m., the Schell’s Hobo band performed. Then the Bockfest Boys closed the night out at 8 p.m.
The Concord Singers are a staple of the New Ulm community, all being native to the city. They played a rambunctious set of standard polka songs, dressed in their native German lederhosen.
Thomas Paluch has been with the Concord singers for 37 years, and performs with them at the Bavarian Blast, along with a number of other festivals held throughout the year. He does it for the camaraderie, entertainment and to see the people smile. The crowd size downtown made an impression on him.
“It’s growing over the years,” Paluch said of Oktoberfest. “We were downtown earlier today and it was packed, its really expanding.
After the Concords first set, The Schell’s Hobo Band took the bandstand to play traditional polka music. They are the band ambassadors for the August Schell Brewery, playing a mix of original and traditional polka songs. Gerard Aloisio is the band’s trombonist, and has been part of the band for 25 years. He is originally from Cincinnati.
“The band’s been around since 1946, I’ve just been here for 25 years. I’m also kind of the spokesperson.” Aloisio said. “This weekend’s great, anytime you have Oktoberfest in the great city of New Ulm it’s great. It can’t be improved on.”
Bill and Donna Mae Landwehr came from St. Cloud, MN to enjoy the festivities at the Best Western. This was their 28th year attending Oktoberfest.
“We just enjoy this type of music,” Bill Landwehr said. “I used to play in an old time band, up by St. Cloud. Then a lot of the guys I played with me are gone. So we come down here, and some of (our friends) will come down too, but they only come down for the one day. They like the old time music.”