WELCOME FALL
Oktoberfest returns with German-themed beer, food, music
Building a Better Boyertown opened its 14th annual Oktoberfest with a new VIP tasting experience.
Held at Brakeman’s Cafe last week, the tasting event featured five local breweries: Free Will, J.J. Ratigan, Saucony Creek, Sly Fox and Stable 12. Each brewery paired a beer with a German-themed appetizer.
“The VIP tasting event is completely new this year. It is sort of an Oktoberfest weekend preview,” said Better Boyertown events coordinator Amanda Machik.
This event draws an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 people each year and continues to grow in popularity.
“The event was originally only on Saturday. After several years, Friday evening was added on. Within the last few years, a second beer tent was added to accommodate the growing number of attendees and different beers and wine have been added over the years,” Machik said.
After last year’s event was held virtually due to COVID restrictions, organizers boasted that this year’s Oktoberfest would be bigger and better.
The German and fall-themed event continued into last weekend.
Boyertown Mayor Marianne Deery and her husband, Frank, council president, tapped the first keg at Oktoberfest.
Tony Zarrillo and Carmel Kitchen attend Oktoberfest in
Boyertown every year.
“We come for the music and food,” Kitchen said.
“It’s community; we come out to support the community,” said Zarrillo, drinking a Sam Adams Oktoberfest.
The free family friendly event also featured food, children’s activities, craft vendors, music and entertainment.
Ryker Leofsky, 5, of Gilbertsville showed off his pretzel necklace, made and sold by New Hanover Evangelical Lutheran Church.
“I didn’t even know what a pretzel necklace was,” said his mother, Stacy Locker.
Activities for children included bounce houses, face painting and giant lawn games.
While Jason Karwachi, 12, Gilbertsville, rode on a mechanical bull, Simone Mitchell, 14, of Boyertown competed against her father at the ThrowHouse Ax throwing booth, winning a medal.
Entertainment included the Boyertown Alumni Ceremonial Band who played during the keg ceremony, the Emil Schanta Band, Kermit, and the Happy Dutchman German Band.
Two local dance groups, Gebirgs Trachten Verein Edelweiss from Reading and Auerhahn Schuhplattler Verein German from Oley performed.
After the first dance, Karl Allmendinger explained, “We just learned that dance last night. It was something new that we tried and we kind of liked it. We thought it was pretty cool.”
“It’s community; we come out to support the community.” — Tony Zarrillo
Veronica Schoellkopf played her 12-foot-long Alpine Horn while her granddaughter, ViVi, held up the music for her to read. Schoellkopf has been playing the instrument for about 10 years.
The two dance groups then joined together for a dance. Included in the performance was 16-monthold Gavin Littlefield, with help from his mother, Veronica Littlefield.
“He’s been dancing since before he could walk,” explained Littlefield. “We have three generations of German dancers here today.”
The Creed siblings Alexandra, 12; Jonathan, 10, and Grace, 8, showed off their German butter cake creations that each entered
in the baking contest. They decided to enter the King Arthur Baking Co.-sponsored contest
after their grandmother, who is of German heritage, suggested they participate.