Mt. Angel Oktoberfest
Seniors experience
a touch of Bavaria
Members of the Sandy Senior Center got a taste of the old world last week,
as they took a trip to Mt. Angel, site of Oregon’s oldest and most popular
Oktoberfest.
The various Oktoberfests throughout the state are replicas of s im ila r
celebrations in Germany com memorating the harvest season.
The M t. Angel celebration had the flavor of old Germany, w ith alpine
huts, Bavarian food and of course many, many kegs of beer.
A favorite stop for m any of the seniors was the sem inary outside town,
where young men have trained for the priesthood for nearly a century.
But the m ain attraction, if not the people, was the food. Of the 46 booths, 42
served food, mostly German sausage and strudel. To wash it down, a large
enclosed area was designated as the “ B ie rgarte n.”
A ll good things must come to an end, however, and Sunday marked the
end of this ye a r’s Oktoberfest. But for at least one day, Sandy’s seniors had
an opportunity to experience a taste of old Germany. *
ERMA RICH takes a stroll outside of the church at
the Mt. Angel Seminary (above left). Looking over the
candles at a downtown booth is Irene Suzuki ( far right)
of Sandy. It wasn't just humans who enjoyed the
Oktoberfest (right) as this pooch munched on a
sausage dropped by a careless visitor. Jack and Lillian
Willingham (below) show their polka expertise on a
Mt. Angel street. The Willinghams, of Portland, have
danced at the Oktoberfest for 14 years.
Photos by Mark Floyd