By: Ryan Duey
Photos Courtesy of Abilene Oktoberfest Facebook Page
On Friday, September 19th, and Saturday, September 20th, parts of downtown Abilene will be closed off and full of vendors and German heritage when Abilene hosts its 8th Annual Oktoberfest celebration.
Nagely and Heidi Anderson, Oktoberfest Coordinators, wanted to have an Oktoberfest in Abilene after not seeing many events like this in the area. With many area locals being of German heritage, they thought it would be worth starting.
“We started this because we didn’t see any Oktoberfest Festivals around the area, so we decided, let’s try it.”
“We had over 2000 people come the first year, which really surprised us.”
“We have a lot of German descendants in our area, and people are ready to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air, enjoy wonderful music, and celebrate.”
This family-friendly event is free to the public. The event features German Dancers, the traditional Tapping of the Keg, live music, vendors, German beer and wine tents, bounce houses, and much more.
The festival has grown into one of Abilene’s biggest yearly events.
“We set up our tables just like they do in Germany, everybody sits together. You don’t have your own party, you party with everybody else.”
“We have had lots of German people come up and tell us how awesome it is.”
“It’s just a great event. It’s one of the biggest festivals Abilene has had, and we hope it continues to grow.”
More information on this year’s Oktoberfest can be found on the Abilene Oktoberfest Facebook page.
