Editor’s Note: Yes, we know October, and fall generally, are long gone. But we still enjoy a good beer and a memory, and loved this story by local writer Justice Hendrick! Maybe you can road trip to New Glarus next fall…
Autumn. The leaves turn to tumbling amber, covering the greyish-brown landscapes with the last inklings of light and color as the winds speak in a restrained whisper with chilly tones, announcing the coming winter. One can only balk at the prospect of another chilly Wisconsin winter and pray it takes its time to arrive, but what’s the point in worrying over the inevitable when you could pass the time having fun with friends and family?
These good times are guaranteed at the annual Oktoberfest festival in rural New Glarus, Wisconsin. This festival leads attendees through a traditional Bavarian celebration of marriage, specifically the marriage of Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen (say that five times fast!) in 1810. What else could there be to do with such a joyous occasion but to participate in a merry mixture of song, drink, and dance? Despite the inevitable changes that have occurred since, the original celebration’s main features have stayed true over two centuries onward. There’s something to find for everyone, even if it’s as simple as sitting in the festival tent with friends all day, listening to music, and enjoying yourselves as the tent keeps out the weather.
A rural village founded by Swiss immigrants in 1845, New Glarus predates the statehood of Wisconsin itself by three years. The village has ever since prospered by continuing the traditions of its sister city and mother country, acting as a little slice of Glarus, Switzerland to those who would choose to stay a while. This emphasis on history and tradition has also translated into the design of the village, its downtown a gorgeous display of 1800s Swiss architecture that left me feeling immersed in the rustic feel of the setting as the festival ran its course. Even if you’re not an architecture buff, there’s still a lot to appreciate there, and I’d argue the village is worth visiting any time of the year just to walk through the downtown area, but we’re talking Oktoberfest here. What do they have to offer?
You won’t have to worry about packing a picnic lunch or bothering with cold cuts for your outing here: local food vendors are at the ready to provide anything from brats to homemade grandma-style pizza, massive Bavarian soft pretzels and more. Most of it is just festival food, but there are some definite standouts you’re absolutely going to want to try. Apple brats are absolutely recommended. They’re grilled over a bed of – you guessed it – apples and absorb a lot of the tangy flavor as a result. Nothing really compares to that flavor, and it’s something I’ve truly never seen offered at a festival before, especially with the vendor’s impressive selection of toppings that included 50 different kinds of mustard. If you ever wanted to try mittlescharfer, a spicy brown mustard popular in Germany, or some other variety you’ve never heard of or tried before, now’s your chance.
Events are numerous and run throughout the entire weekend. If you’re feeling bold, you can strap on your lederhosen and participate in the king and queen contest, where the best dressed attendees receive prizes and recognition for their dedication to the celebration. You can also take a comfortable tour around the village as horse-drawn carriage rides run Saturday and Sunday, free for attendees of the festival. For those rough and tumble types who love to see a good brawl, an internationally recognized tug of war goes on all of Saturday, with members hailing from all corners of the earth coming in to compete. There are many others, but my personal favorite event had to be the live music playing all day in the festival tent. In the late morning they began with some traditional Oktoberfest tunes, and transitioned over time to local Wisconsin folk and country bands. Normally I’d skip over this kind of music, but with how immersed I felt in the festival, I was happy to just let it play on.
Taking place in the heart of downtown New Glarus, you can also enjoy the best of mom and pop shopping as local businesses open their doors to attendees. From antiques to artisan cheese, there’s a shop in New Glarus’ downtown that’s sure to have what you’re looking for. In my opinion, the highlights worth seeing include anything that shares some touch of local flavor, such as the legendary Edelweiss Cheese Shop or Maple Leaf Cheese & Chocolate Haus. These stores pride themselves on selling the best in local flavors when it comes to their wine and cheese. I feel like these businesses really show a lot of pride in what Wisconsin has to offer, even Hook’s cheese, an award winner that’s made in my hometown of Mineral Point, Wisconsin. When you’re not enjoying the festivities or shopping, feel free to take a load off and enjoy an ice cold brew in the festival tent, hailing from the village’s own New Glarus Brewery. Their traditional Octoberfest Staghorn bräu is made in the spirit of this celebration, and like its namesake features a strong amber body and spiced tones to fit the turning of the seasons. If that’s not your particular flavor, don’t worry: the brewery also features most beers from their main lineup at the event. You won’t know unless you try it, of course, but I will absolutely recommend their Spotted Cow, a farmhouse ale meeting with these orange notes that really add a lot of character and flavor when they’re included.
For those curious to see where it’s made, the New Glarus Brewery is only a couple of miles away on WI-69 S, tucked into the lovely countryside the village is surrounded by.
Here, you can take a free walking tour of their brewing facility, from the original fermentation to processing, bottling, canning, and more. It’s certainly something else when the machinery is all in motion, and a sight to behold. Turning away from the technical side, the beer garden is lovely to look at, with architecture that combines the gorgeous landscapes mentioned before with the still-standing walls of the old village ruins converted into areas for people to drink and be merry. Tastings run throughout the day, and if you buy a beer ticket, they’ll pour yours into a glass you get to keep when you’re finished, printed with the brewing company’s logo. On the way out, you can visit the bottling center and create your own 4 or 6 pack of any of the beers that the brewery is currently busy working on. I myself grabbed a mixture of their basic brews, but they also offer specialty brews that are hard to find anywhere else, such as the Spotted Cow (Grand Cru), an even smoother version of Spotted Cow with a more noticeable orange flavor. For anyone who loves the craft brewing scene and wants to get a look at how it’s made, it’s definitely worth taking some time out of your day out and giving it a look.
When it’s all said and done, I’d overwhelmingly recommend New Glarus’s Oktoberfest as one of the best festivals to attend in southern Wisconsin. The touches of personal flavor that the village provides all add to the experience feeling like more than just an excuse to get sloshed with friends and family. From its architecture to events to food and drink, the festival feels like it encompasses (for the most part) the experience one would have if they were celebrating somewhere in the Swiss countryside. No matter what day you choose to attend, there’s surely something to keep you occupied, from the tapping of the first keg to the closing ceremonies.