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By James Ensor
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Traditional German music and the smell of bratwurst, leberkäse, and potato pancakes floated through the air on Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11, at the Walpole German-American club’s annual Oktoberfest celebration. Beer and food tents abounded alongside of a central wooden overhang that featured a live band called Die Lustigen Almdudle from Rochester, New York. Visitors came from all the surrounding towns to the festival on Rt. 109 and enjoyed a weekend of German fun.
The Boylston Schul-Verein, at 8 County St., is New England’s oldest German-American club, and has been active since 1874. They are home to German lessons as well as many other German-themed events such as Somerfest, Oktoberfest, Biergarten and regular bar hours.
“We’ve had over 4,000 visitors for the weekend,” said Jim, who has been a member of the BSV for 22 years. “We are always working to evolve the program, so there are changes every year. And of course, since we buy such a large amount of beer, it comes straight off the boat from Germany less than a week before the event. We do Oktoberfest the weekend after Labor Day every year, and Somerfest is usually the second week of June.”
Jim is of German descent, but the club is open to all and is only 60% German descendants. Aside from the beer, food and music, guests could enjoy games of tug-of-war as well as air gun target shooting.
Many dedicated attendees roamed the festival in traditional German attire like Lederhosen, but most at the event were families in street clothes just looking to enjoy themselves. Kids kept busy playing games while adults enjoyed delicious German food and wheat beers, pilsners, and other brews. The annual event will surely be even merrier next year.
