Oktoberfest boasts beer, brats and Bavarian music
Combine lederhosen, polka music, all the brats you can eat and kegs full of beer and you get two weekends of Oktoberfest fun in Whitefish.
The celebration, presented by the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce, kicks off this evening at Depot Park. It will run through Saturday night and return Oct. 4-6.
Oktoberfest includes live music, dancing and crazy contests, including log sawing, keg throwing, stein holding and waitress races.
Admission is $3 per day — with a few exceptions. Kids under 12 (accompanied by a parent) get in for free. Tonight is Locals’ Night. Flathead Valley residents get in for free with an ID. Oct. 6 is Seniors’ Day. Adults 60 and older get in for free until 5 p.m.
Oct. 6 is also the annual Pumpkin Patch fundraiser by Children’s House Montessori School, starting at 10 a.m.
Saturday is Family Day. From noon to 4 p.m., Oktoberfest will offer bounce houses, crafts, face painting and a children’s chicken dance competition.
Following is a schedule of Oktoberfest events. For more information, visit whitefishoktoberfest.com.
Today
5 p.m. — Bigtop and beer garden open
5:30 p.m. — Mayoral toast and tapping of the first keg; music by Europa
6:30 p.m. — Ladies’ stein-holding and men’s log-sawing contests
7 p.m. — Music by Europa
7:45 p.m. — Ladies’ log-sawing and men’s stein-holding contests
8:15 p.m. — Music by Europa
8:30 p.m. — Bavarian sing-a-longs
9 p.m. — Men’s and ladies’ stein-holding contests
9:30 p.m. — Music by Europa
11 p.m. — Tent closes
Friday
5 p.m. — Bigtop and beer garden open
5:30 p.m. — Music by Europa
6 p.m. — World keg-hurling championships: qualifying round 1
6:30 p.m. — Men’s stein-holding and ladies’ log-sawing contests
7 p.m. — Music by Europa
7:45 p.m. — Brat-eating and ladies’ stein-holding contests
8:15 p.m. — Music by Europa
8:30 p.m. — Bavarian sing-a-longs
9 p.m. — Men’s log-sawing and ladies’ stein-holding contests
9:30 p.m. — Music by Europa
11 p.m. — Tent closes
Saturday
noon — Bigtop and beer garden open; Kids’ Day activities begin
12:30 p.m. — Music by the Bavarian Echoes
1:30 p.m. — Men’s and ladies’ stein-holding contests
2 p.m. — Music by the Bavarian Echoes
2:45 p.m. — Kids Day children dance championships
3:15 p.m. — Music by the Bavarian Echoes
4 p.m. — Men’s log-sawing and women’s stein-holding contests
4:30 p.m. — Music by the Bavarian Echoes
5:15 p.m. — Ladies’ log-sawing and men’s stein-holding contests
5:45 p.m. — Music by Europa
6 p.m. — World keg-hurling championships: qualifying round 2
6:30 p.m. — Ladies’ stein-holding and men’s log-sawing contests
7 p.m. — Music by Europa
7:45 p.m. — Men’s stein-holding and ladies’ log-sawing contests
8:15 p.m. — Music by Europa
8:30 p.m. — Bavarian sing-a-longs
9 p.m. — Ladies’ and men’s stein-holding contests
9:30 p.m. — Music by Europa
11 p.m. — Tent closes
Thursday, Oct. 4
5 p.m. — Bigtop and beer garden open
5:30 p.m. — Music by the Western Senators
6 p.m. — World keg-hurling championships: qualifying round 3
6:30 p.m. — Men’s stein-holding and ladies’ log-sawing contests
7 p.m. — Music by the Western Senators
7:45 p.m. — Whitefish Waitress Races
8:15 p.m. — Music by the Western Senators
9 p.m. — Men’s log-sawing and ladies’ stein-holding contests
9:30 p.m. — Music by the Western Senators
11 p.m. — Tent closes
Friday, Oct. 5
5 p.m. — Bigtop and beer garden open
5:30 p.m. — Music by the Western Senators
6 p.m. — World keg-hurling championships: qualifying round 4
6:30 p.m. — Men’s stein-holding and ladies’ log-sawing contests
7 p.m. — Music by the Western Senators
7:45 p.m. — Ladies’ stein-holding and men’s log-sawing contests
8:15 p.m. — Music by the Western Senators
9 p.m. — Ladies’ log-sawing and men’s stein-holding contests
9:30 p.m. — Music by the Western Senators
11 p.m. — Tent closes
Saturday, Oct. 6
10 a.m. — Montessori School Pumpkin Patch opens
noon — Bigtop and beer garden open
1 p.m. — Music by the Western Senators
2:30 p.m. — More music by the Western Senators
3:30 p.m. — Men’s stein-holding and ladies’ log-sawing contests
4 p.m. — Music by the Western Senators
5 p.m. — Men’s log-sawing and ladies’ stein-holding contests
6 p.m. — Music by the Western Senators
6:15 p.m. — World keg-hurling championships: final round
7 p.m. — Ladies’ log-sawing and men’s stein-holding contests
7:30 p.m. — Music by the Western Senators
8:30 p.m. — Ladies’ stein-holding men’s log-sawing contests
9 p.m. — Music by the Western Senators
10 p.m. — Men’s and ladies’ stein-holding contests
11 p.m. — Tent closes