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Oktoberfest celebrations return to Old Town Lansing this weekend

October 9, 2015
<p>Volunteer Tom Wellman pours a glass of beer Oct. 4, 2013, during Old Town Lansing Oktoberfest. A variety of beers and hard ciders were served at the event. Julia Nagy/The State News</p>

Volunteer Tom Wellman pours a glass of beer Oct. 4, 2013, during Old Town Lansing Oktoberfest. A variety of beers and hard ciders were served at the event. Julia Nagy/The State News

Photo by Julia Nagy | The State News

Now 10 years strong, Oktoberfest is coming back to Old Town Lansing this weekend. The German culture-filled festival will draw in approximately 4,000 people from the metro Lansing area.

Oktoberfest has been active for centuries — prior to Old Town commercial association taking over, the downtown Lansing German Federation was responsible for preparing this local event.

“The first Oktoberfest was a giant folk fest and it started in 1810,” Austin Ashley, executive director of Old Town commercial association, said. 

“The original Oktoberfest was a celebration of the crowned prince Ludwig’s wedding.”

Ashley said the preparation of this event begins in January — a volunteer committee comes together to begin preparing the festival by securing musicians, food vendors, tents and tables.

Oktoberfest in Old Town begins on Friday, Oct. 9 and ends on Saturday. The age limit is 21 and up because of the alcohol that will be present, especially German beers.

There will be German music playing, costume contests, food pairing and a beer brewing demonstration all throughout the weekend. “The crowd definitely enjoys themselves. They get in the spirit and they enjoy the energy of Oldtown,” Ashley said.

Even students from MSU are excited to attend. Media and information senior Logan Blissett said he has wanted to attend this festival for about a year now. After having an internship in Old Town he grew to love the community and because of his german family ancestry he has always loved the food and culture associated with the country.

Not only are students attending Oktoberfest in Old Town, but some are emulating the festival. A student organization called F.A.M.I.L.Y. will be hosting Oktoberfest on Oct. 22., Kevin Nichols, elementary education and human development and family studies sophomore said, “It’s just another event for us to all get together and have fun. It will be a mini carnival where we will have apple cider, donuts, and a dunk tank.”

“I’m looking to have plenty of fun on Saturday with a friend of mine who spent part of her high school life in Germany along with eating plenty of food and drinking plenty of beer and dancing as much as possible,” Blissett said.

Ashley is looking forward to the Oktoberfest festivities as well. “We are trying to get back to our roots and be really authentic, from the beer and music selection.” Although the event held in Oldtown is similar to the authentic festival there are still some differences.

In Germany, Oktoberfest is 16 days long as opposed to two days and it begins in September. However, Ashley does not believe he could get away with blocking off the streets for 16 days. 

“We try and make sure that we are as authentic as possible within our restraints,” Ashley said.

A common misconception is that Oktoberfest is was celebrated all over Germany. “Oktoberfest is a festival in Munich and traditionally was not a festival that was celebrated across Germany. Therefore it is not a culturally significant festival for Germany as a whole,” associate professor of second language studies and German, Senta Goertler, said.

According to Goertler, it is a festival that is well known and draws in large crowds from around the world. It’s so popular that student organizations and fraternities are emulating the Oktoberfest celebration and incorporating diverse principles.

Before the ceremony can start a “Keg Tapper” is appointed to tap the keg. This year's Keg tapper is TJ Duckett who played football for MSU in the early 2000’s. “We are very excited for him to come be a keg tapper. We have a giant wooden keg and he will tap it and pour the first glass of beer.”

The well-known tradition of tapping the beer keg was started by mayor Thomas Wimmer. This facet of the original Oktoberfest has been incorporated in the festival in Old town as well.

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