By ALIN HETT and CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Hays Oktoberfest returns to Municipal Park Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2–3, with traditional German food, live music, heritage games and a new event for children: root beer stein-holding.
The free festival is celebrating its 54th year. President Emily Knowles said more than 17,000 people attend, with about 48% coming from outside Hays. The Kansas Press Association voted Oktoberfest Hays the best Oktoberfest in Kansas.
“It’s not just impacting Oktoberfest when you come down,” Knowles said. “It’s all the little vendors that you go visit, or all of the different groups that help us out.”
More than 57 vendors are expected, and community organizations use the festival to raise money for activities throughout the year.
“It's just that there's so many traditions that that happen there, and then also you have all of the different organizations and different community events that kind of happen down at Oktoberfest," Knowles said.
Food options include bierocks, brats and fried bologna sandwiches. Knowles said she also looks forward to the festival’s German-inspired dishes and green bean dumpling soup.
Friday events
Friday’s opening ceremonies begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by the ceremonial keg tapping at 11 a.m. Adult Heritage Games registration opens at 1 p.m. at the Oktoberfest Headquarters Tent.
The Masskrugstemmen, or traditional stein-holding contest, starts at 2 p.m. Eagle Media will give away a golf cart after the contest. The Dutch Hops timed relay follows at 4 p.m. Contestants carry a full beer through an obstacle course that ends with hopscotch; the winner is the person who finishes in under a minute with the most beer left in the stein.
At 5 p.m., two-person teams can compete in the OktoberFEAST eating contest. One teammate is blindfolded, while the other eats without using their hands. Knowles described it as a messy, funny contest, with a meal and beer for participants.
A live chainsaw artist will carve at the festival Friday and Saturday, with mobile bidding available online at: oktoberfesthays.cbo.io.
Proceeds will benefit the Volga German Centennial Association. The artist also will carve a bison sculpture for the Pete Felten Legacy Foundation. It will be among the works featured in the final live auction call at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Saturday events
The festival grounds open at 10 a.m. Saturday. The Fort Hays State University Homecoming Parade begins at 11 a.m. on The Bricks in downtown Hays. Oktoberfest’s Day 2 welcome ceremony is scheduled for 11:45 a.m.
Cornhole tournament registration opens at 11 a.m. at the Oktoberfest Headquarters Tent, with the tournament starting at noon. Old Chicago is sponsoring the competition. Prizes are $300 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third.
The Battle of the Bierock vendor competition begins at 1:30 p.m., sponsored by the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau. A panel of judges that includes representatives of the CVB, county commission, Hays, Fort Hays State University and Oktoberfest will choose the winner. One of the judges will be a county commissioner.
Children’s inflatables and bounce houses will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Youth Heritage Games and family entertainment are scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. at the west shelter house. The new kids steinholding event will use root beer. Knowles said fifth graders requested the event at GiveFest last year.
Other Saturday contests include the German freeze game at 2 p.m., pumpkin pass at 3 p.m. and pumpkin rolling at 4 p.m. The festival concludes at 6 p.m., with the final live auction call for the chainsaw sculptures, including the Pete Felten memorial bison.
Music across both days
The music lineup features a mix of Volga German brass, polka, country and roots music. Galen Schmidtberger will perform traditional heritage selections and polka classics. The Ron Werth Band will play Volga German polkas, waltzes and folk music. Rice County Line will perform country rock, Americana and acoustic favorites both days.
Friday’s lineup also includes German tuba, featuring traditional Bavarian brass and polka, and Steel Skarecrow, which will close the evening with country and Southern rock. Jammin' Randy will provide children’s entertainment Saturday in the west shelter house.
Friday, Oct. 2
- 9 a.m. — Festival grounds and vendor booths open
- 10:30 a.m. — Official opening ceremonies
- 11 a.m. — Ceremonial keg tapping
- 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. — Live chainsaw carving demonstrations and mobile bidding
- 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. — Park-wide attractions: Beer Puppeteers, High Striker and mug toss
- 1 p.m. — Adult Heritage Games registration opens at the Oktoberfest Headquarters Tent
- 2 p.m. — Masskrugstemmen, the traditional stein-holding contest
- 4 p.m. — Deutsch hops timed relay race
- 5 p.m. — OktoberFEAST competitive eating contest for two-person teams
- 7 p.m. — Festival grounds close
Saturday, Oct. 3
- 10 a.m. — Festival grounds and vendor booths open
- 11 a.m. — FHSU Homecoming parade begins downtown on The Bricks
- 11 a.m. — Cornhole tournament registration opens at the Oktoberfest Headquarters Tent
- 11 a.m. — Live chainsaw carving demonstrations and mobile bidding
- 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Children’s inflatables and bounce houses open
- 11:45 a.m. — Official Oktoberfest day 2 welcome ceremony
- Noon — Cornhole tournament begins
- 1 to 4 p.m. — Youth heritage games and family entertainment at the west shelter house
- 1:30 p.m. — Battle of the Bierock vendor competition
- 2 p.m. — German freeze game
- 3 p.m. — Pumpkin pass
- 4 p.m. — Pumpkin rolling contest
- 6 p.m. — Final live auction call for chainsaw sculptures, including the Pete Felten memorial bison; festival concludes
