Oktoberfest – La Crosse, Wisconsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oktoberfest, USA |
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Organization logo
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| Status | Active |
| Genre | Festival |
| Begins | End of September |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | La Crosse, Wisconsin |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Attendance | 150,000 |
| Activity | Parades, food, music |
| Website | http://www.oktoberfestusa.com/Home.aspx |
Oktoberfest, USA is a big yearly party held in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States. It usually happens in the last week of September and goes into early October. This festival is one of the largest and longest-running Oktoberfest celebrations in the middle part of the United States. It first started in 1961 and now brings in about 150,000 people every year!
The festival celebrates La Crosse's history of making drinks and its German background. People often dress up in traditional Bavarian clothes like dirndls (dresses) and lederhosen (leather shorts). You'll hear lots of German-American polka music. The celebration has many fun events each year, including parades, dances, contests, and concerts.
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History of Oktoberfest, USA
For many years until 1921, La Crosse used to have a winter carnival. Around 1960, after some tough financial times, many city leaders wanted to bring back a big community festival. They decided a fall festival would be better than a winter one because of the weather and other festivals.
At the same time, people at the G. Heileman Brewing Company in La Crosse were talking about a yearly event. Two employees who were from Germany suggested an autumn festival like the famous Oktoberfest in Munich. Everyone loved the idea!
In 1961, the brewery talked to the La Crosse Chamber of Commerce, a group that helps local businesses. They agreed that the Chamber would help organize the festival.
Some important community leaders, including Joseph Becker and Carl Mertens, came up with five main goals for the festival:
- Make the city proud
- Get national attention
- Bring in tourists
- Get many people involved
- Make the festival a financial success
First Oktoberfest Celebration
The very first Oktoberfest in La Crosse took place from October 13–15, 1961. It was held in an area near the post office and the Mary E. Sawyer auditorium. There was also a carnival with rides and games.
Some of the fun activities included farm fair events like cow chip throwing and greased pig contests. Old steam engines showed how the area used to work with lumber. There were also soccer games, boat and bus tours, a special tent for young people, square dances, German music, and a "Queen Pageant" to choose a festival queen.
A big parade was also held. In 1961, this parade was 4 miles long and lasted three and a half hours! About 30,000 to 50,000 people watched it. In 1962, the parade was named the "Maple Leaf Parade" because of La Crosse's beautiful autumn trees. That year, 70,000 people came to watch. By 1963, the parade drew 200,000 spectators! In 1965, a second parade called the Torchlight Parade was added to show off the north side of La Crosse.
In 1962, the name "Oktoberfest" was officially registered in Wisconsin. The festival was also made longer, lasting four days. In 1963, "Oktoberfest, USA" became a registered trademark with the federal government. By 1965, a new group called La Crosse Festivals, Inc. took over organizing the event from the Chamber of Commerce.
Key Moments in Oktoberfest History
Over the years, Oktoberfest, USA has grown and changed. Here are some important dates:
- 1965: The North Side Fest Grounds were created in Copeland Park. This area became a family-friendly spot with carnival rides, games, and a small tent.
- 1971: The main festival area, now called the South Side Fest Grounds, moved to a new location. A permanent building called "The Bier Hall" was built there.
- 1978: The first Burgermeister Dinner was held. This event honors the mayor and other city leaders.
- 1984: A permanent shelter was built at Copeland Park. It's used during Oktoberfest and as an ice rink in winter.
- 1989: The first "Special Fester" was named. This is a local child with special needs who gets to join in many royal family activities. They also oversee a special day with free carnival rides for other children with special needs.
- 2000: The festival was made longer, lasting nine days. A newspaper article in USA Today called it "one of the best Old-World folk festivals in the U.S."
- 2007: The first Wienerfest was held. This is a spring event that helps raise money for Oktoberfest activities.
- 2014: The festival was shortened back to its original four days. This happened because the festival had lost money in three of the previous four years.
- 2018: Oktoberfest USA changed how people entered the festival grounds. Instead of just a button, people now use a printed pass with a barcode that is scanned. This helps keep track of how many people attend.
- 2020: For the first time in 59 years, Oktoberfest USA was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was postponed until 2021.
- 2021: Oktoberfest USA returned after its one-year break.
Oktoberfest Traditions
Oktoberfest celebrations highlight La Crosse's history with breweries and its many craft breweries today. More importantly, the festival focuses on the German heritage of many early immigrants to the area. This is shown through Bavarian music, foods like bratwurst (sausages) and sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), and traditional Bavarian clothes like dirndls and lederhosen.
Over time, more fun events have been added to the celebration. One is the "Tapping of the Golden Keg" ceremony, which officially starts Oktoberfest. After this, the "golden keg" is taken to the festival grounds in the Edelweiss Parade. Since 1969, there has also been an annual Oktoberfest auto race at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway.
Other popular activities include:
- A Medallion Hunt, started in 1971.
- A Ladies Day Luncheon and a Lederhosen Luncheon.
- Kartenspiele (card games).
- The Dachshund Dash (a race for dachshund dogs).
- Viener Vogue (a dog costume contest).
- Hammerschlagen (a game where you hammer nails into a log).
- Craft Beer Night.
- The Maple Leaf Marathon, which is now called the YMCA Maple Leaf Walk-Run Half Marathon, held on Saturday during the festival.
The main events at La Crosse Oktoberfest include:
- Tapping of the Golden Keg
- Torchlight Parade
- Mapleleaf Parade
- Parade Marshal Announcement
- Festmaster's Ball
- Special Fester Ball
- Mrs. Oktoberfest Reception
- Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest USA Scholarship Pageant
- Oktoberfest USA Medallion Hunt
Oktoberfest Royal Family
In 1962, the role of Festmaster was created. This person is chosen for their contributions to the community, being a good family person, and having a reputation for honesty and success. The first Festmaster in 1962 was Don Rice, who was the President of Exchange State Bank. Today, the Festmaster leads the Oktoberfest Royal Family and helps oversee all the events.
A "Queen Pageant" has been part of the festival since it began in 1961. The first winner was Marlene Schultz, who was 18 years old. In 1964, the Miss La Crosse pageant joined with the Miss Oktoberfest pageant to become Miss La Crosse Oktoberfest. In 1968, the title of Mrs. Oktoberfest was created, and Joyce Lindseth was the first winner. In 1971, the Festmaster's Grenadier Corps was formed to appear at events with the royal family.
Festival Tents
Since the original Oktoberfest in Germany is known for its large tents, La Crosse Oktoberfest has always had big tents as part of the fun. In the early years, the G. Heileman Brewing Company was the official supplier for the festival.
However, in 1966, the main tent had some crowd behavior issues. To make the festival safer and more family-friendly, the organizers closed the main tent in 1967 and focused on other activities. This caused the festival to lose money. In 1968, the festival organization decided to bring the tent back but made changes to promote it as a family event. They also increased the age limit for entering the tent to help with crowd control. Through the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, the South Side tent still had some issues with crowd behavior. In response, the festival increased security and added local police to help keep things safe and fun for everyone.
