Every September, Munich ushers in the fall with a two-week-long celebration of the harvest. Oktoberfest is the largest folk festival in the world, filled with live music, parades, competitions and, of course, plenty of beer.
Since 2019, Klamath County has had its own little sliver of Germany, embracing the Oktoberfest spirit in a celebration of all things Southern Oregon. Hosted by the Klamath County Economic Development Association, the event puts local brewers, vendors and performers on full display.
"It's meant to be a celebration of some of the themes and elements from the German Oktoberfest even in Munich fused with celebrating Klamath County's growing brew scene and some of the things that make our region a special part of the Oregon landscape," said co-event manager Alex Stork.
This year's Klamath Oktoberfest kicks off at noon on September 19, the same day participants in Munich begin their festivities. The event continues all day at the Bill Collier Ice Arena, wrapping up at 9 p.m.
The event is rooted in local brewing. From the very beginning, Oktoberfest was intended to highlight smaller South Central Oregon breweries – up-and-coming businesses that don't always have the opportunity to showcase their brews at larger festivals.
This year's event will feature 30 brews from 15 breweries, plus nonalcoholic beer and local wine carts for those with a different beverage of choice. Notable local breweries attending include Skyline Brewing, Mia's and Pia's Brewhouse and Common Block Brewing Company.
What makes local breweries, such as Skyline Brewing, special, according to Stork, is their full-circle process. Stork said Skyline uses repurposed agricultural equipment and locally sourced ingredients to develop their brews.
"Each brew that they create is a testament to the agriculture of Klamath County," said Stork.
While kids can enjoy the food, music and costumes inside the Ice Arena, Oktoberfest will have a section of kids' games specially for young festival-goers from 12-4 p.m. The area will include a Nerf gun arena, corn hole, and Jenga.
Keeping the event family-friendly was a priority for event organizers. Stork said having kids present contributes to the sense of "Americana" they are trying to create.
"You see kids running around the green grass or the ice arena, and it feels like you're a kid just watching it," said Stork.
Americana is evidently popular, as each year Oktoberfest draws crowds of not only community members, but tourists as well. The first year, event organizers were hoping for 600 attendees, said Matthews. They more than tripled their goal, with nearly 2,200 attendees forming long lines across the arena.
Matthews said organizers and volunteers were blown away by the turnout.
"We did not anticipate having a blowout," said Matthews, "but we did, and it was so fun."
Oktoberfest has continued to be a success, drawing similar crowds each year, with increasing numbers of tourists coming to see what Klamath County has to offer.
Heading into its sixth year, Oktoberfest has become a Klamath tradition. Organizers said they try to add more to the event each year, adding in more Southern Oregon flavor and traditional elements from the Munich festival.
The result is an ever-growing celebration of good brews, good food and good community.
