Town sponsorship for event will replace Hay Festival
KILLINGTON – The Town of Killington announced plans Friday, Aug. 7, to work with Killington Resort and Human Movement to host the first annual Killington Oktoberfest, Columbus Day weekend at Snowshed Base Lodge at Killington Resort.
The Town will sponsor the event by contributing $18,000 to support the event marketing and help establish it as annual marquee event for the Columbus Day weekend. The sponsorship of Oktoberfest take the place of the funding for the Killington Hay Festival.
“We believe reinvesting our Hay Festival budget into this event will have a greater return on investment for our community,” said Seth Webb, Killington town manager. “The Hay Festival generated a lot of attention for Killington over the years, but we saw its appeal plateau and community participation decrease. The goal with redirecting the money to Oktoberfest is to establish another major annual event that can grow organically and will rely on less support from the town in future years. We believe the partnership with Human Movement and Killington Resort will help us better accomplish those goals,” Webb added.
Human Movement also produces the Denver Oktoberfest, which attracts over 350,000 people during the six-day festival, and was quoted in Maxim Magazine and USA TODAY as “The Best Oktoberfest” in the United States and “One of the country’s biggest and longest running traditions.” Human Movement is also behind the successful launch of the Dirty Girl Mud Run, which debuted in Killington this past July.
The inaugural Killington Oktoberfest will bring New England folk together to celebrate Bavarian roots with beers, brats, music, polka and more! The event invites all to “bring your kids, the dogs, your grandma, or your long-lost German cousins.” Traditional Bavarian attire is encouraged, and apparel will be available for sale in the merchandise tent. Men are invited to dress in their best lederhosen and chicken hats, and women to don a dirndl or beer-maid costume. The event will feature stein hoisting competitions, authentic Bavarian food vendors, keg bowling, free live music, family activities, and more.
Admission to Killington’s Oktoberfest will be free, with food and beverages available for purchase. The event will run Friday, Oct. 9 from 2-10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. For more information visit www.killingtonoktoberfest.com.
Origins of Oktoberfest
The origin of Oktoberfest can be traced back to Oct. 12, 1810, the wedding day of Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Against tradition, the couple invited Munich’s common people to the festivities. The events were held over five days on the fields in front of the city gates now called Theresienwiese (Theresa’s Meadow). It is said that 40,000 people showed up for the celebration. A year later, they decided to throw the party all over again as an anniversary tribute to the royal couple. And so the tradition began…
