Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Bagpipers march through downtown Sidney during the Oktoberfest parade Saturday morning.
Just past noon Friday, there was a reverent disruption to the increasingly rowdy celebrants west of Sidney.
The annual Oktoberfest celebration got underway with the official sampling of the beer, a formal act replacing the tapping of the keg.
The mugs were poured with a sample of beer. Cooks had their bratwurst and sauerkraut and numerous other options ready as the Sidney's 45th Oktoberfest kicked off Friday afternoon. During the ceremonial sharing of the suds, Gene Lienemann was recognized as a member of the original Sidney Oktoberfest committee. He is also known as a local clown and his use of a rubber chicken in entertaining folks.
The weekend that traces its history to the early 1800s and the wedding of Bavarian Crown Prince Louis who would later become King Louis I of Bavaria and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.
As history has it, the 1810 wedding was open to the public, the celebration closing with horse races. A year later, the festivities were more than an anniversary celebration. It was increasingly an agricultural show designed to boost the Bavarian agriculture. According to the muenchende Das offzielle stadlpartal website, the annual event continued to evolve, adding carousels and rides, beer stands and foods. It grew into a celebration of culture and agriculture.
That is what Sidney Oktoberfest board president Judy Harris saw as a goal of the event, a celebration of culture and of harvest.
In Sidney's 45 years of hosting an Oktoberfest, the event includes dances of several cultures, a wide variety of entertainment and crafts representing the agriculture of the area.
Chairman Sally Harris said the event went well, noting there was a good turnout and good weather.
"We feel we had a good weekend," she said.
She said there were a couple of new food vendors, and the local favorites. She added it was a good year for craft vendors as well. Craft vendors were located in the 4-H Building with wall-to-wall vendors of everything from hand-woven caps to jewelry. The market vendors – agricultural and more natural products – were located in the pavilion. Market vendors offered homemade brittle, cotton candy, a variety of sweet and spicy spreads and handmade products.
The 2019 Oktoberfest closed Saturday afternoon with the Running of the Wiener Dogs race at the fairgrounds.
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