Things to do and eat at Mt. Angel's Oktoberfest Sept. 13-16

The familiar smell of bratwurst and sausage, the sounds of German music and festivalgoers dressed in lederhosen will fill Mt. Angel once again for the 52nd Annual Oktoberfest, returning to Mount Angel Sept. 13-16. 

The four-day festival began in 1966 as a celebration of the fall harvest, attracting around 39,000 people that year. Over the decades, the celebration has grown to accommodate more than 300,000 visitors annually. People come from all over to immerse themselves in a variety of traditional Bavarian food and entertainment.

Here is what to expect from this year's Oktoberfest: 

Things to do, music and venues

While looking for acts to book, Brian Bolduc, the director of entertainment for Oktoberfest, said they strive to provide something for all ages — bands that are entertaining but also unique. 

"It is not something where people will hear anywhere, on the radio or at the bar," he said. "We want people to come and experience something that they will only get once a year for the most part."

Staying true to German tradition is important when planning out entertainment for Oktoberfest, but festivalgoers can expect to hear contemporary German music as well. New features include extended sets for bands, short acts in between sets and some new talent including Mollie B & The Squeezebox Band.

A new venue is also making its debut at this year's Oktoberfest: say hello to the Hopfengarten, a small beer tent in the middle of the festival.

So, there are now more places to get beer? Can I get a heck yeah?

Whether you are looking for loud music and dancing or a calm place to sit and chat, each venue at Oktoberfest offers an atmosphere for everyone:

Biergarten: Located in the Mt. Angel Festhalle, the Biergarten is a traditional beer hall and is one of Oktoberfest's signature venues. Bolduc said festivalgoers can find a large assortment of German and local beers here, as well as a variety of music genres.

"(The Biergarten is) great for people of all ages because music ranges from slow traditional polka in the morning to music that is geared more towards a younger demographic like high tempo, modern German rock," he said. 

Alpinegarten: One of the smaller venues that primarily features Oregon craft breweries. A family-friendly venue that makes the perfect spot to sit down and relax during the day.

Weingarten: The Weingarten features not only the largest selection of wine but also the closing act for each night of the festival: the Original Donaumusikanten, a Bavarian band from Germany.

"For someone who has never been to Oktoberfest before, this is kind of a cannot miss performance," Bolduc said. 

St. Mary Parish Church: Festivalgoers can enjoy free concerts hosted by St. Mary Parish Church, featuring choirs, orchestral style bands and acts including the Festival Brass, HarpSong with Karen Almquist and Jennifer Grady and the German Liederkreis Singing Club.

Hopfengarten and Prostgarten: Both venues are all-ages, free to enter and feature a variety of beer and wine. Bolduc said these venues are great for families with kids and for those who want to enjoy acoustic music.

Bandstand: To start the day, school children from Mt. Angel perform their Webertanz at the Bandstand, and the Engelberg Dancers perform daily at noon.

Other entertainment includes the Marion County Citizens Band, Alpine Echoes Band, Tirolean Dancers and Liederkreis Portland. Everyone can participate in street dances on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Kindergarten: Entertainment for all ages and includes 4-H barnyard, pony rings, interactive bouncing amusements, climbing walls, Zuzu Acrobats and a wiener dog race. The Kindergarten is a great place for kids and is open Friday to Sunday. All activities are free.

Venues don't host all the fun, Oktoberfest also features sporting events including golf and volleyball tournaments, a half marathon,10-k fun run and 5-k run/walk.

For a full list of events, entertainment and activities, visit www.oktoberfest.org/schedule.

Beer & Wine

A Bavarian celebration that combines beer, music, and other festivities, Oktoberfest wouldn't be the same without seasonal libations. Here are a few brews worth seeking out and beer events not to miss. 

Keg Tapping Ceremonies: In Munich, Oktoberfest kicks off with a ceremonial tapping of the first keg. A more complicated process than simply screwing on a tap, the traditional process of keg tapping involves hammering a tap into a wooden barrel. It can be a messy, suspenseful process, but afterward one gets the rare chance at enjoying a beer poured straight from a wooden keg.

At Oktoberfest in Mount Angel the brewer of the beer taps the keg. 

"They have to smash the spigot into the front, and unless you're pretty good and confident, there's some spray, " said Monica Bochsler, director of marketing for Oktoberfest. 

This year Mount Angel's Oktoberfest features five keg tapping ceremonies throughout the event, beginning with one by Whitney Burnside of Portland's 10 Barrel Brewing. Check the full schedule to find one that works for you. 

Beer in Abundance: German beers are an essential element to Oktoberfest anywhere and Mount Angel is no exception. Spaten-Franziskaner, Munich's oldest brewery, will have plenty of traditional suds flowing at Oktoberfest, including their Oktoberfest, Pilsner and Optimator brews. Another representative of German brews will be Black Forest Pils from Furstenberg. Besides these classics, there are innovation beers as well. 

Mount Angel Oktoberfest has partnered with Portland's 10 Barrel Brewing to create Hoptoberfest, a hopped lager, and Widmer Brother's Brewing for a special German IPA.

Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) will be pouring Goschie Estate Fresh Hop Pilsner, a  Mount Angel Oktoberfest specific brew fresh hopped with hops grown by Goschie Farm just outside of Mt Angel.  HUB will also be pouring Gear Up IPA and Totally Radler in the Weingarten.

Representatives of the Mount Angel Abbey's own Benedictine Brewery will also be n hand at the Weingarden offering pours of St. Michael's Helles Lager. 

Hopfengarten: A new venue to Mount Angel's 2018 Oktoberfest, the Hopfengarten (which translates to hop garden, named in honor of the local hop harvest) will add dimension to the beverages on offer. Directly across from Mount Angel's City Hall, The Hopfengarten is meant to showcase beers from regional small breweries without large-scale distribution. 

"These aren't beers you'll find on every grocery store shelf," said Bochsler. 

The three partners for the first ever Hopfengarten are McMinnville's Heater Allen, Silverton's Seven Brides, and Corvallis' Block 15. 

Bochsler explained that the festival is working hard to "balance the expectation that Oktoberfest has German beers, while also showcasing the craft brewing voices within the Willamette Valley itself." 

Food

While Oktoberfest is most often associated with beer, food is an equally big draw in Mount Angel's three-day celebration. One thing that distinguishes the Alpine Food Chalet concessions for this particular festival from various county fairs and the like is the fact that each booth is operated by a non-profit organization. This effort directs festival proceeds into Mount Angel's network of community groups. In 2017, Mount Angel Oktoberfest's non-profit food booths grossed $750,000.Show your support to community groups by seeking out the following: 

New Concessions: A new offering at Oktoberfest this year, the Gervais Middle School is backing up the brats with tex mex, serving up chips and salsa and loaded nachos as a festival snack. Meanwhile, the Woodburn Center School Club is adding milkshakes and blended fruit smoothies to the festival menu. 

Oktoberfest Sausage: While you wait in line for a beer at the bars, keep your eyes out for the perfect drinking snack: a smoked, ready to eat version of Mount Angel Sausage's Oktoberfest sausage on offer at many food booths. Kind of like a pepperoni stick, this is a portable savory treat to accompany a cold beer. 

Old Favorites: There will be plenty of German flavors available in abundance at Oktoberfest, but that's just the beginning of meals on offer at the more than 50 booths. 

Salem's Knights of Columbus will be representing with grilled Oktoberfest sausage and sauerkraut. 

Silverton Elks Lodge will have burgers, hot dogs, fries, and root beer floats.

Drakes Crossing Firefighters will have strawberry sundaes and Bavarian ice cream nut bars. 

The Calvary Chapel of Salem will have original Bavarian fish tacos.

"Bring a friend," said Bochsler, " that way you can each get something different and share!"

Find the full list of concessions and view a festival map at www.oktoberfest.org.

MORE:Brothers Brew: Benedictine Brewery and St. Michael Taproom to open in September

Emily Teel is the Food & Drink Editor at the Statesman Journal. Contact her at eteel@statesmanjournal.com, Facebook, or Twitter. See what she's cooking and where she's eating this week on Instagram: @emily_teel

Abby Luschei is the entertainment reporter for the Statesman Journal; she can be reached at aluschei@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6747. Follow her on Twitter @abbyluschei or facebook.com/luscheiabby. 

Interested in telling a story at one of the upcoming Salem Storytellers Project events? Submit a story here: storytellersproject.com/salem/speak. Learn more here.

If you go 

What: Mount Angel Oktoberfest is a celebration of the harvest in German style with a blend of family fun, music, food and beer.

When: 11:30 a.m. to midnight Thursday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13-16

Location: 5 N Garfield St., Mt. Angel

Cost: $5-$15 for daily passes, $30 all festival pass

Information: www.oktoberfest.org