45th Annual Oktoberfest at the Sacramento Turn Verein

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Tonight from 6PM until Midnight, and on Saturday from 3PM until Midnight, the Sacramento Turn Verein, located at 3349 J Street, will hold its 45th Annual Oktoberfest at Turner Hall, a celebration patterned after the world-famous Oktoberfest in Munich, which has been held every year since 1810.  More historical details about Oktoberfest and Germany a little later. Now about this special 45th Annual Oktoberfest.  Many Sacramentans over the years have come to anticipate the Turn Verein’s Oktoberfest because they can enjoy traditional German music, food and drink found only at this event. The Sacramento Turners host what they refer to as “the best Oktoberfest in the Sacramento area.”  The traditional German band Gruber Family Band will be featured in the Main Hall on both nights, with AKA LIVE the rock & roll band upstairs in the Festhalle for the young at heart. The Alpentänzer Schuhplattler will perform colorful traditional German dances during the evening. Wandering accordionists will be found playing German folk music.Friday evening the doors open at 6:00 p.m. with food service and bar available, dancing from 7:00 until 11:00 p.m.

The Turn Verein’s Kaffeehaus and outdoor Biergarten will be open throughout the evening, offering German food specialties. On Saturday the Oktoberfest will observe expanded hours by opening at 3:00 p.m. with all activities available to enjoy until 11:00 p.m. Kegs of authentic Oktoberfest beer, shipped directly from Munich (m-m-m good, Prost!), will be available for all to enjoy.

And, now for that added detail about Germany’s Oktoberfest tradition:

Oktoberfest is the largest folk festival in the world and has been a Bavarian tradition for 200 years. The festival is a 16-day festival celebrating beer held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world’s largest fair, with more than 6 million people from around the world attending the event every year.  To the locals, it is not called Oktoberfest, but “die Wiesn” – after the colloquial name of the fairgrounds themselves. The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810.

So, don’t miss this great opportunity to join in and enjoy some genuine German festivities today and tomorrow at the the 45th Annual Oktoberfest at the Sacramento Turn Verein! ___________________________________________________________________________________

Beyond Oktoberfest: Sacramento Turnverein’s History & Activities

The Turn Verein is the center for German traditions in Sacramento, where folks with German ancestry and people with an interest in German culture congregate – to socialize, to study German, to party, to exercise, and to carry on some old German traditions – like Oktoberfest, Karneval, Erntedankfest, Bockbierfest, and other fun events. The German words “Turn Verein,” surprisingly mean “Gymnastic Club.”

Background of the Turn Verein started in the early 1800s at a time when the many small German states in Europe started moving toward liberation and unification. Promoters of democratic reforms began training in vigorous physical exercise (referred to as “patriotic gymnastics”) as a means toward that end. Thus the Turn Verein movement grew – and spread to America. The German nation was finally born in 1871. The Sacramento Turn Verein, founded in 1854, is the oldest still-active institution in Sacramento.

The Turn Verein has a variety of ongoing services and activities they host, including a German Language School, a German-American Library & Cultural Center, The Turner Harmonie Singing Group, a Soccer Team, and a Handball/Racketball Association.