WHITEFISH — The Great Northwest Oktoberfest is wrapping up its final weekend in Whitefish, bringing the community together one last time for German food, music, dancing and beer at Depot Park.
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For two weekends, Depot Park has been transformed into a celebration unlike any other — a tradition 16 years in the making.
This year's event broke attendance records, with 2 of the 3 nights during the first weekend surpassing previous marks.
"This year has been exceptional. The first weekend, two of the three nights we broke records, so we just keep busting numbers; more and more people are coming to this event," Whitefish Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Katherine Archibald said.
At the heart of the celebration is the beer. This year's event featured Hoof-Boy Brewery from Munich, Germany and Bayern Brewing from Missoula.
Bayern Brewing owner Juergen Knoeller came to the United States in 1987 and has been at the helm of the company since 1991.
"I came over here in 1987, never left, became a German immigrant, took over the company in 1991, and I've been doing it here ever since!" Knoeller said.
Bayern Brewing showcases traditional pure German brewing.
"German style, that means no official carbonation; we take our time on the maturation process; everything is back to old school how we have been doing it since who knows when," Knoeller said.
For Knoeller, the festival is a tradition that extends beyond the brewery.
"It is one of my favorite projects to support, Whitefish Oktoberfest. It is just such a cool event, bringing the cultures together in the alpines," Knoeller said.
But for Archibald, the most important ingredient isn't the beer — it's the people.
"We do this to bring our community together so that you have a place to celebrate together, to party together, to sit together, so that's the big thing; we do it for the community," Archibald said.
The Great Northwest Oktoberfest is open until 11 p.m. this Saturday.
