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Oktoberfest Youngstown to take place in Liberty
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
LIBERTY
The Mahoning Valley has a plethora of ethnic festivals with one glaring omission: There is no German Oktoberfest.
That will change this weekend when the inaugural Oktoberfest Youngstown premieres at Colonial Plaza.
Oktoberfest will feature German music and dance, bratwurst and other foods of the country, and of course German beer and wine. It will be centered around a big-top tent in the parking lot of the shopping plaza, which houses, among other things, primary sponsor Kravitz Deli, 3135 Belmont Ave.
Oktoberfest Youngstown will begin after work Friday before kicking into high gear Saturday and Sunday.
Admission is free Friday, and $5 on Saturday and Sunday.
Why hasn’t there been an Oktoberfest in the area, at least in recent memory?
That’s a good question. Aundrea Heschmeyer, organizer of Oktoberfest Youngstown and other area festivals, said she has been eager to do one ever since she moved back to the area six years ago. “It’s such a fun and great ethnic party with universal appeal,” she said.
Oktoberfest Youngstown will benefit the local branch of the Autism Society, of which Heschmeyer is marketing director.
To catch up quickly, Heschmeyer consulted with Oktoberfest officials in Cleveland and Cincinnati to get the local festival off the ground. “We brought in people with experience doing these big events and worked with them as the mentor,” she said.
Paulaner brewing of Germany is involved with the event and will decorate the tent to make it look like Munich. Paulaner is also bringing in the traditional long German brauhaus tables and benches for the festival.
Oktoberfest Youngstown immediately gained credibility by booking Alex Meixner, the Grammy-nominated German polka musician with a modern flair, who is a pillar at such festivals across the country. Meixner’s band will perform several sets Saturday.
Another element that sounds like a stroke of genius is the Ger-Man Cave. Set up in a retail space in the plaza, it will feature couches and recliners, big-screen televisions and beer waitresses wearing dirndls, the traditional German tavern dress. It will provide a comfortable “man cave’ area for those who just want to watch college and pro football all weekend.
“Every guy we mention it to, their eyes light up,” said Heschmeyer. She secured sponsors, including Aaron’s Rentals and DirecTV, to furnish the Ger-Man Cave.
Oktoberfest Youngstown will be family- oriented all day, with children’s games, and will evolve into a party in the evening, said Heschmeyer.
Jim Cossler, CEO of the Youngstown Business Incubator, is the Festmeister and master of ceremonies for the event. As such, he will lead the official keg tapping ceremony at the pre-party Friday evening.
Other highlights will include a Dress Your Weiner Dog. Folks who dress up their dachshund dogs will be admitted free. It sounds odd, but it’s a practice common at Oktoberfests, said Heschmeyer, adding that the friendly breed of dog always enlivens the event.
Other events include:
Brat toss: Team members throw the bratwurst over their head to a partner who tries to catch it in a bucket.
Beer stein race: Women race across a course with two full beer steins. The winner is determined by speed and by how much beer remains in the giant steins.
Best beer belly contest: Size and personality will be the determining factors.
Masskrugstemmen Competition: A one-liter stein of beer is held with one arm, completely outstretched out and parallel to the floor, in this traditional Bavarian game. Whoever holds it the longest wins.
Community chicken dance: Join hundreds of dancers for a few choruses of the chicken dance. It’s a tradition at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, in Cincinnati.
Bratwurst eating contest.
Yodel-Ay-Woo-Hoo: a yodeling contest.