Jacksonville in Southern Oregon recently celebrated the town’s 150 year anniversary by having a week-long jubilee. I went to several events at the jubilee, but one in particular stood out. The Oktoberfest celebration held at Frau Kemmling’s Schoolhaus Brewhaus held the spirit of not only the jubilee, but also that of the famous Oktoberfest.
The event began with a 21-gun-salute to commence the festivities and to signal the tapping of the first keg. Merriment broke out immediately with those in attendance chanting a German toast, “zicke, zacke, zicke, zacke, oi, oi, oi,” loudly throughout the beer garden. With steins raised, the energy from this toast could be felt throughout the crowd.
Food at the event was exquisite, with the best soft pretzels and bratwursts I had tasted in years. The beer, with rare craft brews such as Dunkelweiss and Hefeweizen imported directly from Germany, gave the palettes of the crowd something exotic to imbibe.
The traditional Oompah bands playing in the beer garden were talented showmen. The bands hosted many of the games such as drinking contests, bratwurst eating contests and a yodeling contest that the citizens of Jacksonville must have heard from miles around.
Of all the events I’ve experience in Southern Oregon; this one will certainly stand out in my memory. This was the second annual Oktoberfest, so I would begin making plans to attend this exciting experience next year. I know that I will certainly be a repeat guest.
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