Oktoberfest A Huge Success
The 12th annual Oktoberfest was celebrated Saturday at the Pineville Square.
There was a lot of fun for the whole family — including the great chili cook-off, a pie contest, car show, poker run, music and vendors to name a few of the activities.
The Pepper Club won the $500 first place prize in the Mild Chili Cook off.
Team Alpha won the $500 first place prize in the Hot Chili Cook off as well as winning first place prize for Best Cooking Site.
Oktoberfest was sponsored by McDonald County Chamber of Commerce. Chamber president Shawn Cooper said he was pleased with the large turnout and he appreciates all the work that went into it.
Oktoberfest’s origins date back to what was essentially a giant wedding reception — back to Oct. 12, 1810, when Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen in Munich, Germany.
The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event.
This event grew into Oktoberfest, which is now an annual festival held in Munich, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It has spread throughout the world and is now enjoyed in one form or another in cities and towns worldwide.
It is often referred to as the world’s largest fair.
Oktoberfest is often referred to as “the beer fest,” consisting of drinking beer and eating plenty of smoked meat and sausage.
But Oktoberfest can be a family oriented fall festival without beer, such as the McDonald County Oktoberfest.
It is up to individual municipalities to decide whether to have a family oriented Oktoberfest without beer or to, perhaps, have two Oktoberfests — one family oriented and one for adults who may partake of beer in an adult-only setting.