By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The Volga German Society of Ellis County and Rush County, the Sunflower Chapter of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, and the Ellis County Historical Society welcomed revelers to the 2018 Hays Oktoberfest on a cool Friday.
The weather forecast called for an overcast sky with the temperature to reach only to the low 50s. Preparations in Municipal Park for the 46th annual event were done under much warmer conditions and a sunny sky as Thursday’s high was 83 degrees.
In greeting the crowd, Ellis County Commissioner Dean Haselhorst, who was attending his 36th Oktoberfest, said “I don’t think the weather is ever the same from one year to the next. I can remember a 100 degree temperature day with a dust storm to the south of us, and one year it was 20 degrees with blowing snow, drizzle and freezing rain.”
The hot chocolate was selling much faster than the root beer floats, according to the Fort Hays State University students manning the booth for the Graduate Association of Students in Psychology.
Thirty FHSU organizations and 19 community groups, filled the festival ground with booths selling everything from homemade traditional German foods and beer to “everything bacon,” tacos, collectible T-shirts, steins and koozies, and crafts.
The cool temperature didn’t keep away the crowd.
The opening ceremony and official tapping of the keg by Hays Mayor James Meier, was emceed by Mike Cooper of Eagle Communications and included greetings from Nick Werth, president of the Volga German Society.
“We want everybody to really enjoy your day. We couldn’t do it without all of our great sponsors and participants,” Werth stressed.
He recognized several people for their involvement and contributions, including graphic artist Mary Ridgway, a FHSU employee who has designed the Oktoberfest logos for many years.
Oktoberfest is held on Fort Hays State University Homecoming weekend. This was the eighth Oktoberfest for newly installed President Tisa Mason who preciously served FHSU as vice president for student affairs.
“Home is not the university. It’s the community,” she told the crowd, adding that this is the 46th year Fort Hays State has partnered with the Volga German Society for the celebration, which also funds an annual student scholarship.
This year’s $500 award went to Alyssa Miller, Holdrege, Nebraska, who is of Volga German descent.
Werth and NCK Tech president Eric Burks announced a second annual scholarship will awarded to students at the technical college beginning in February.
Hays Oktoberfest promotes the rich heritage of the Volga German and Bukovina Germans who settled in Ellis County, Kansas. It also celebrates the history of early settlers in Ellis County, which was created in 1867.
Following a prayer and blessing from Fr. Reggie Urban, Volga German Society Dialect Historian Tom Haas gave tribute to those settlers.
Starting his remarks in German, Haas translated them into English as he went along.
“Today we certainly don’t want to forget our ancestors who came to America. Because of their efforts, we are here today,” Haas said.
“They came here with a purpose, the first purpose being to be free. The very first thing that they did was build a church in their own communities.” Last weekend, the 100th anniversary of Holy Cross Catholic Church was celebrated in Pfeifer.
Two FHSU exchange students from western Germany were introduced during the opening ceremony. Katherine Ermisch, Bochum, and Janine Gebhard, Gladbeck, are both studying English.
They were happy to hear the polka music performed by the Joe Dolezal band, which they said was just what they would enjoy at an Oktoberfest in Germany. Both women gave a thumbs-up to the Rowan Hackfleisch (German season burger) prepared by the Munjor Knights of Columbus. They said it compares to their own Mett, a hearty breakfast bread topped by raw pork or beef with raw onions added. There are no seasonings in Mett and the pair say they like the local delicacy, commonly called “rawburger,” much better.
“We were told there’s no Wienerschnitzel sold here but we can really recommend the season meat over there. It’s really good,” Gebhard told the audience. “Thank you for having us and Prosit,” wished Ermisch.
Also enjoying the local flavors were dad and daughter Roger and Mikala Barnhart, St. George.
Roger, a 1995 FHSU graduate, chose green bean dumpling soup, while Mikala, 11, declared the soup “too creamy” and instead went for the fried dumplings and sausage.
The Barnhart family will participate in Saturday morning’s FHSU Homecoming 5K race, in honor of Roger’s brother Robert, a ’94 FHSU alum, who died three years ago on the day of Oktoberfest.
