HAYS CVB
Members of the Hays Volga German Society, organizers of the Hays Oktoberfest, have decided to add a second day to the event. The 47th Annual Volga German Oktoberfest will take place Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12 in Municipal Park.
The Oktoberfest event committee made the decision to extend the event in order to increase opportunities for participation, for both residents and vendors, who may not have been able to participate on a Friday.
The mission of the Hays Oktoberfest is to celebrate the rich German heritage of Ellis County while generating scholarship money for students of Volga German descent and fundraising for area churches in need.
On Friday, the gates at Municipal Park will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with music by the Joe Dolezal Polka Band at 10 a.m. Opening ceremonies and keg tapping will take place at 10:30 a.m.
Other Friday activities include music on the main stage, German food booths, historical displays, a stein-holding competition, and more. Friday vendors are restricted to non-profit organizations that are focused on fundraising.
The NCK Tech Drive Thru will again feature German food made by NCK Tech Culinary Arts students. Menu items available for pick up include bierocks, green bean dumpling soup, and spitzbuben cookies. Patrons can order in advance by calling the main office at NCK Tech at 785-625-2437. Food can be picked up on Friday only at the drive-up window at the NCK Tech building directly across from Municipal Park.
Saturday activities will kick off with an early morning German Market from 7:30 – 11 a.m. in the Downtown Pavilion at 10th and Main. Anyone interested in being a vendor at the German Market can find a vendor form at www.DowntownHays.com on the Downtown Hays Market page under the Events section, or by calling the Downtown Hays Development Corporation at 785-621-4171.
Gates will open at Municipal Park on Saturday at 10 a.m. with activities starting after the 11 a.m. Fort Hays State University Homecoming Parade ends. New this year, for-profit businesses and organizations will be allowed to set up on this second day, alongside non-profits.
All Oktoberfest vendors should reserve their spot by registering online at www.haysoktoberfest.com or by calling vendor committee chair Lee Dobratz at 620-803-2258 by September 27.
Family-friendly activities planned for Saturday include a magician, inflatables, German Freeze game, pumpkin roll, and barrel race.
Park gates will close at 4 p.m. to allow time for tailgating before the FHSU Homecoming football game begins at 7 p.m.
Janel Moore, Volga German Society Historian, says it all boils down to “Essen und trinken, tanzen und singen, und haben eine gute zeit,” which translates to, “Eat and drink, dance and sing, and have a good time.” The refrain is printed on this year’s Oktoberfest souvenir mugs and was a statement often made by Moore’s father Larry Werth, one of the original organizers of the event.
For details and updates on the event, check the group’s website at www.haysoktoberfest.com or the Hays Oktoberfest Facebook page.