Community Celebrates 44th Oktoberfest

The cannon was shot and the mugs were poured signifying the beginning of the 44th annual Cheyenne County Oktoberfest Friday.

The raising of the mugs also signified the beginning of a weekend of music and dancing, brats and kraut, home grown and produced food products and crafts.

The celebration was opened by Chris Gabis, dressed the part as the master of ceremonies. At the beginning of the celebration, Oktoberfest Chairman Sally Harris presented Matt Gudahl a dedication plaque for his work in the celebration. This year's Oktoberfest also recognizes Ardy Zalesky who was a member of the Oktoberfest committee. Zalesky died Sept. 5, 2018.

This year's Oktoberfest continued under the threat of rain and fall temperatures, resulting in a wet celebration Friday night for the Oktoberfest and Rocktoberfest, and a damp run/walk to start Saturday.

Harris said the craft people had a great time and the crowd enjoyed themselves. She said one of the changes this year is the use of tickets instead of tokens at the beer garden.

She said most of the people accepted the change. She added beer sales were down and little. However, the committee won't know numbers for a couple of months while invoices are being settled.

The food court had some updates this year, including the barbecue and seafood offerings of Chef Charles, and the cupcake trailer. Overall, there were 11 to 12 food vendors in this year's Oktoberfest.

The craft and home business vendors frequently expand into the perimeter of the tent. This year the numbers just outside of the tent were few. Vendors were in the pavilion, offering home-based business products, food and locally grown produce.

Overall, the Oktoberfest was a success, according to Harris.

"I still feel people had a good time," she said.

In addition to the adult side of the celebration, an alternative for people under the alcohol-consuming age was available at the Youth Center. The location was busy with teens having fun with blow-up games, a disco nightclub atmosphere, and a gaming trailer. Soft drinks and popcorn were free and pizza was available by the slice. There were also drawings for door prizes Friday and Saturday nights, including iPods and iPads.

"The event is a fun way to show young people in the county a fun weekend while keeping the focus on prevention of underage drinking, tobacco and other drugs," Cassie Challburg, Kids Plus director, said before the event.

Rocktoberfest is hosted by Kids Plus of Sidney.

The Oktoberfest dates back to the 1800s when Bavarian Crown Prince, later King Louis I of Bavaria, married Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hilburghausen. According to history.com, the Bavarian royalty invited the citizens of Munich to attend the festivities. Horse races in the presence of the royal family concluded the popular event. The decision to repeat the festivities and horse races in future years led to the tradition of the annual Oktoberfest.

The annual celebration now begins in late September and lasts until the first Sunday in October. Alcohol consumption continues to be an important part of the modern celebration with more than 1 million gallons of beer consumed annually at Oktoberfest, according to history.com.