Brewery celebrates Oktoberfest
Michael Naumann, Kimberly Helsper, Jennifer Gomez, and Jeremiah Holes show off their spirit at the sixth annual Oktoberfest celebration at the Kootenai Brewing Company.
The Quarter Moon Band kept things lively at the Oktoberfest celebration. Photos by Tanna Yeoumans
The beer taps were in constant use during the festivities, with the Oktober Ale being one of the most popular.
BONNERS FERRY — From a marriage 187 years ago, to the now worldwide celebration of beer and agriculture, Oktoberfest continues to make its way around the world as it marks the fall harvest. With the tantalizing smell of food accompanied with the lighthearted atmosphere, the Kootenai River Brewing Company kicked off Oktoberfest with a hop, skip, and a jump.
The worldwide celebration of Oktoberfest began with the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese on Oct. 12, 1810. After their marriage, one of the festivities was a horse race, which ended up being an annual event for the people in Bavaria, Germany. The grounds in which the celebrations were held was named after the Princess and is known as Theresienwiese which translates to Theres’a Fields. In 1811, the first Agricultural Show was introduced as the horse races waned in popularity, and was held every three years.
Today the Oktoberfest held in Munich is the biggest festival in the world, traditionally beginning on the third weekend in September and ending on the first Sunday in October. This year marks the 184th annual celebration, and not only those local to the region celebrate. Oktoberfest has reached thousands of people all over the world, and even Bonners Ferry participated in the festivities.
The Kootenai River Brewing Company had their sixth anniversary Oktoberfest celebration with music from the Quarter Moon band filling the air around the din of friends and family chatting and laughing, on the evening of Sept. 30.
The specials of the night were Beer Brats with Sauerkraut, and the specially made Oktoberfest Rye Beer, which flowed nonstop from the taps. In previous years, the festivities spilled outside and included a bonfire and dance, but this year, the outdoors was graced with the freshness of rain. That didn’t stop the patrons from celebrating though, as the evening progressed, the boisterous attitudes continued.
“Locals and newcomers made it a fantastic time to celebrate our sixth year Oktoberfest Anniversary. The music was great and everyone had a lot of fun at our event,” said Assistant Manager Kimberly Helsper. “We want to extend a thank you to everyone that came and made the evening special.”