‘We live for this’
Saturday’s Oktoberfest features kraut eating and steinholding
Winner Nathan Fillbrandt displays his empty bowl during Saturday’s sauerkraut Eating Competition. Photo by Dylan Jackson
Teresa Frank (Cup Cake) and David Peterson (Flap Jack) take part in the Germanic-American Day Parade. Photo by Dylan Jackson
David Ngoran (left) and Allen Ngoran (second from right) pose with Andrew Meyer (second from left) and Zach Meyer (right) who are wearing Schell’s lederhosen. Photo by Dylan Jackson
Winner Nathan Fillbrandt displays his empty bowl during Saturday’s sauerkraut Eating Competition. Photo by Dylan Jackson
Teresa Frank (Cup Cake) and David Peterson (Flap Jack) take part in the Germanic-American Day Parade. Photo by Dylan Jackson
David Ngoran (left) and Allen Ngoran (second from right) pose with Andrew Meyer (second from left) and Zach Meyer (right) who are wearing Schell’s lederhosen. Photo by Dylan Jackson
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NEW ULM – Visitors and locals alike came out to see how Germans have more fun Saturday for Oktoberfest.
Following the official keg tapping on Center Street, the Germanic-American Day Parade rolled down Minnesota Street at 11 a.m.
Joining the Mages family, who established themselves in Brown County back in 1881, were clowns Flap Jack and Cup Cake.
David Peterson (Flap Jack) and Teresa Frank (Cup Cake) have been clowns for eight years. Based out of Wilmar Minnesota, they do about 20 parades a year.
This parade was special for Teresa Frank, who is a Mages.
"It's been very fun, people like my German Cornbread," Frank said while showing off her plate of bread topped with an ear of corn.
Many other costumes were donned for Oktoberfest.
A group of five friends wore t-shirts giving the facade of lederhosen without undershirts.
Sean Sweeney, Aron Rogers, Jack Cunningham, Jon Sodergren, and Justin Geisinger said the outfit choice was made on a whim because they thought it would be fun.
The friends are from the Twin Cities, but have family in New Ulm.
Many people were dressed in traditional Leiderhosen as well, including brothers Andrew and Zach Meyer.
The Meyer family is heavily involved with Oktoberfest activities. Their father Ryan Meyer represented New Ulm in the State Championship Steinholding Competition.
"He's a legend, a beast," Andrew Meyer said.
Andrew Meyer also took part in Oktoberfest festivities, shoveling down kraut in the sauerkraut eating competition, while Zach Meyer volunteered for the event.
The Meyer family attend Oktoberfest every year.
We live for this," Andrew Meyer said.
Their favorite parts are the food, drinks, and fun people dressing up.
For North Dakota residents Allen and David Ngoran, The Meyer brothers were the fun people dressed up.
The two celebrated their first ever Oktoberfest, attending both days of the event.
They tried out steinholding Friday and said it was like nothing they've ever done before.
We saw a lot of music, and we enjoyed the display." Allen Ngoran said.
Andrew Meyer's outfit that the Ngoran's enjoyed got dirty when he took part in the sauerkraut eating competition at 1 p.m.
Participants competed to see who could eat one pound of kraut first.
Participants were instructed to throw out their silverware and eat kraut with their hands like their ancestors did it.
Coming in first place was Young America, Minnesota resident Nathan Fillbrandt.
His secret to success was to "chew as quickly as possible."
When asked why he decided to participate he said it was because he was tired of waiting for people to volunteer.
Despite a bit of waiting following weather circumstances that relocated the Steinholding State Championship indoors to Benny's, the event was a major success.
Friday's qualifying round bought Kerry Hoffman a ticket to Saturday's competition with her time of three minutes 12 seconds. Jim Medlang won the men's qualifier with five minutes, 12 seconds.
Benny's was jammed packed in anticipation to find out who would be crowned the Minnesota state champion of steinholding.
Ellen Wassenaar, from Saint Paul, Minnesota won the women's state championship with a time of three minutes 40 seconds.
She was representing Waldmann Brewery located in Saint Paul.
"I knew I was gonna win because these girls, these arms, they don't mess around," Wassenaar said.
Wassenaar does power lifting three times a week and gave a shout out to her gym Resistance Personal Training in Eagan, Minnesota.
During the men's state championship round, Albert Lea, Minnesota resident Jeff Kelley outlasted the other men by more than doubling the second place time. He dropped his stein nearly 20 minutes after picking it up, finishing with a time of 18 minutes, 53 seconds.
Kelley does a practice training nearly every other night and was in New York two weeks ago for another steinholding championship.
His time of 18:53 was a new personal record in his steinholding career.
Schell's Oktoberfest was Kelley's first exposure to steinholding.
"I'd never seen it before so I watched for a while and said I'm gonna do it," Kelley said.
He ended up setting a record and continued on from there.
"It's a fun part of being here with everyone cheering you on," Kelley said.
Oktoberfest will continue next weekend at Best Western Plus and Schell's Brewery.