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New Ulm Oktoberfest returns to Schell’s

5 min read

NEW ULM -- The historic August Schell Brewing Company hosts its annual Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, welcoming festival-goers for a full day of traditional German-style beer, music, and community events.

Organized by the Marti family and brewery leadership, the event opens its gates at 10:30 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. 

General admission is $10, and children 12 and under enter free. 

Food and beverage purchases operate through a coupon system available at ticket booths.

Final preparations took place on Friday as staff and volunteers managed logistics, signage, and site setup. According to Visitor Center General Manager Curt Van Asten, coordinating the one-day event requires a large volunteer force.

“We’re at about 185 volunteers for tomorrow and 2 separate shifts,” Van Asten said. “We have bar shifts, food shifts, and front gate. We have a bunch of security. We have a lot of people. It takes a small village to do this, and New Ulm steps up every year and helps us out.”

Volunteers are identifiable by official bright yellow Oktoberfest sweatshirts.

Among those preparing on Friday was veteran volunteer Mary Slander of New Ulm.

Slander said she has volunteered for five years, including at Bockfest. Slander said she prefers Oktoberfest because of the warmer weather.

A highlight of this year’s celebration coincides with the birthday of brewery president Ted Marti, who is scheduled to arrive atop the brewery’s traditional replica beer wagon.

Sheri Davis, who works in the gift shop, explained the opening ceremony.

“They’ll run it down the road here with the horses, and then they’ll do the foaming keg to start the event,” Davis said.

Van Asten said the birthday boy will take the reins of tradition.

“I think it’s Ted this year. It’s actually Ted’s birthday tomorrow too,” Van Asten said.

According to the official schedule, the replica wagon arrives at 10:45 a.m., pulled by two draft horses. 

The wagon travels down the property road, delivering the ceremonial Fasskeg to the main festival tent. Van Asten said the Fasskeg is a specially conditioned keg housed within a unique barrel, and its formal tapping marks the start of festivities at 11 a.m.

“We’ll bring that in and deliver it down to the tent, and then Kyle will tap it,” Van Asten said. “The first people down in the tent will get their first pours of Oktoberfest of the festival.”

Once the ceremonial keg empties, service transitions to bars across the fest grounds. 

The morning opening sparks a rush to the beer tent. The tent houses the music stage under a canopy and lined with benches, where the lower parking normally is. Organizers advise attendees to arrive early for seating.

“There’s sometimes some people in line right away at 8 o’clock, 8:30, and sometimes it fills in a little later. So it’s not a perfect science. The earlier you get here, the better chances you’ll get a table,” Van Asten said.

Last year’s event gathered approximately 6,100 visitors, and Kyle Marti expects strong turnout again, supported by autumn weather and regional interest.

“Last year we had about 6,100 people that showed up,” Marti said. “So I think with the weather the way it is, and I think with how well New Ulm Oktoberfest did last weekend, you’re going to be bumping up on that again.”

Davis said the festival enjoys widespread appeal, adding, “I love all the people. We meet people from all over. They travel from all over to come here.”

Behind-the-scenes enhancements greet returning visitors to improve guest flow.

“A lot of new signage this year. It looks like we got a lot of cutouts,” Kyle Marti said. “Every year we try to make it a little bit better. So if you’re coming here repeatedly, you’re not going to see a lot of big changes. It’s going to be the stuff behind the scenes, the things that make the lines move faster.”

Music and entertainment anchor the experience. The main tent features performances by the Schell’s Hobo Band followed by Alpensterne, while roving acts like the Deuschle Duo circulate the grounds. DJ Strudel Boy provides entertainment at the beer hall and the deer pen.

Beverage selections center on Schell’s award-winning Oktoberfest Lager, a traditional German-style Märzen brewed once a year with Pale, Munich, and Vienna malts. 

Traditional food options include brats, soft pretzels, sauerkraut, apple turnovers, and local food truck selections.

In the gift shop, Davis restocks merchandise throughout the day, including new T-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies.

Festival activities feature classic German-style games, including a bean bag toss, the weiner swing game, a beer marionette, a hammer and nail challenge, and the stein holding contest.

For logistics, general on-site parking is unavailable at the brewery, though limited handicap spaces are provided. 

A free shuttle van runs continuously between the brewery, the Best Western Plus, and downtown New Ulm.

Organizers remind visitors that the event takes place entirely outdoors, encouraging weather-appropriate attire and insect repellent. 

Prohibited items include pets, outside chairs, and outside food or beverages, though backpacks are permitted subject to security searches at the gates. 

Local authorities remind the public that street drinking in New Ulm remains illegal prior to festival entry.

Summing up the spirit of the day, Kyle Marti offered a final reminder: “Come out, be nice, tip your bartenders, and have a good time.”

Starting at /week.