The Narren pitched in with dancing as the Concord Singers performed their rendition of German and American songs including John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” in harmony and in unison.

The music seemed to please Oktoberfest newcomers Jay and Julie Eisch of Wyoming, Mn (just north of the Twin Cities metro area).

“Last weekend, we were camping at Two Harbors, on the North Shore of Lake Superior and thought we should find an Oktoberfest in Minnesota for this weekend,” said Jay. “We’re camping at Sleepy Eye Lake this weekend. We checked out New Ulm’s Glockenspiel. My University of Minnesota roommate, Steve Sellner of Sleepy Eye lives nearby.”

Eisch said he worked as an electrical engineer for 20 years at Medtronic Medical Supply & Equipment in Minneapolis before starting his own business contracting for engineering firms a couple years ago.

Staff photo by Fritz Busch The Narren of New Ulm dance at the Best Western Plus Friday.

“I still like it. I can work from the back of my trailer,” he said. “Now we live on five acres in the woods.”

Eisch said he and his wife rode bicycles on the trail around Sleepy Eye Lake Friday and visited the Sleepy Eye Depot Museum, where they learned about Babe Ruth’s Sleepy Eye visit in October 1922.

“New Ulm is great. I really like the culture. We’ll go to the brewery Saturday. Sleepy Eye is a cool, little town too,” he said. “Maybe we can bring some of our friends along next year and do more planning. This is a cool area. Of course, I like sauerkraut.”

Eisch said he’s a third-generation German with ancestors from Bavaria, born and raised in Green Bay, Wi.”

Sarah Boldt and her husband of La Crosse, Wi are attending their fifth New Ulm Oktoberfest. Cheryl Wold and her husband of Brownsville, Mn (near La Crosse) are at their first Best Western Plus Oktoberfest.

The couples were camping at Flandrau State Park.

“I went to college at Viterbo University in La Crosse with Concord Singer Henry Bode,” said Boldt. “He was originally from New Ulm and lived in La Crosse when we went to college. I happened to run into him at Schell’s Oktoberfest a few years ago. He was walking with five beer tickets and randomly gave the tickets to my husband.”

She said she loves the Concord Singers, Turner Hall, the Kaiserhoff, Glockenspiel and all of the German culture.

The Concord Singers are looking for trumpet and electric guitar players. Visit https://concordsingers.com/.

The Saturday, Oct. 11 Best Western Plus lineup is the Concord Singers at 2 p.m., Buchsstabienen at 5 p.m., Concord Singers 6:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. and Leon Olson and Dain Moldan 8 p.m.

Schell’s Brewery gates open at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 11. The fest keg is tapped at 11 a.m. Live musical entertainment begins at 11:02 a.m. Festivities including bean bag tossing, hammer and nail challenge and stein holding contests continue to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit www.newulm.com/oktoberfest.