A packed crowd attends the downtown Oktoberfest. This year it will take place October 7, and feature a turf surface on Minnesota Street.

NEW ULM — Where there was once sand there will be grass turf during Oktoberfest this year.

Traditionally, the downtown festivities would take place on the first Saturday of Oktoberfest, October 7 on Center Street. This year, the activities are expanding to another block through Minnesota Street. This new block of Oktoberfest will be covered by artificial grass, allowing for a variety of new activities. Chamber of Commerce CEO Sarah Warmka explained the goal behind the artificial addition.

“There’s a committee called Growing Forward [involved with this],” she said. “The goal is to raise money to own this artificial turf. We’re piloting it at Oktoberfest. About $10,000 has been raised so far for it but there’s still about 20,000 to go to raise all the funds. The chamber wants to own the turf and use it more regularly next year for different events. The entire block from curb to curb [will be covered in] artificial turf.”

Creating green spaces for events such as this is an idea springboarded from the success of Spikin in the Street. After seeing the way people were able to use the sand as an opportunity to exercise and socialize, Warmka said businesses expressed interest in having a mobile park setting that could be moved downtown. This green space will serve as a trial run for that possibility.

Minnesota Street will be the site of expanded kids’ activities, including Rec on the Go, yard games, the Puppet Wagon, and a corn pit. Warmka said that even if kids don’t choose to partake in the activities, the turf-covered area provides an advantage.

“The turf part [is going to add to event safety], especially with more kids’ activities,” she said. “Kids fall, and falling on grass is much nicer than falling on concrete or asphalt.”

Warmka said the grass will be brought from a central location within New Ulm, laid down for the event, and picked back up when the events are over.

Some more new activities added downtown this year include axe throwing and Hammerschlagen, a traditional Oktoberfest game where people compete to drive nails into a block of wood.

Another fan favorite returning from previous years is grape stomping at Morgan Creek Vineyards. The practice of stomping grapes by foot to be made into wine has existed for millennia, but it had disappeared from New Ulm Oktoberfest after COVID. This year, it is making a comeback on October 7.

Stomping competitions will take place at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m., with prizes given out to the winners. Other activities occurring at Morgan Creek Vineyards on October 7 include a tasting pavilion with wood-fired pizza, a mobile sauna event, and performances by Uber Jazz.

Best Western Plus will be the most common place for Oktoberfest, as their events will take place Friday and Saturday on both weekends, the 6-7th and the 13-14th. The first weekend will see a “German Invasion” as events will center around visitors from the sister cities of Ulm and Neu Ulm, Germany.

Martin Bendel, First Mayor of Ulm, and Mayor Katrin Albsteiger of Neu Ulm will be attending Oktoberfest events in New Ulm this weekend. The two mayors will participate in the fest keg tapping at the Best Western Plus at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6. The two Sister Cities mayors will also join New Ulm Mayor Kathleen Backer as grand marshals of the German-American Day parade at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7th.

Authentic German music is also being brought over, as the 33-piece “Neu Ulm Stadtkapelle” will be performing from 6:30-8:30 p.m. October 6, and at both 2:30-4:30 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m. October 7. These performances will be the first for New Ulm Stadtkapelle in New Ulm since 1983.

The special Sister Cities visit will continue beyond the weekend.

A Sister Cities Banquet is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8th. Tickets are available for $30 each at the Chamber of Commerce and from Lisa Pelzel at City Hall. The Stadtkapelle Neu Ulm will perform as part of the evening’s festivities.

Capping off the festivities will be Schell’s Brewery on October 14. The arrival of the beer wagon at 10:45 a.m. and tapping of the first keg at 11 will kick off the celebration. Immediately after, performances by Schell’s Hobo Band and Alpensterne will give attendees a surefire reason to drink and dance.

The transportation situation has markedly improved from last year as well. An ordinance passed in June allows Uber and Lyft drivers to operate in the city, new local cab company Minne Transportation Services is offering rides, and two free shuttle vans will go between festival locations and hotels. Having these options during the two Oktoberfest weekends helps ensure that those who partake in the festivities have safe ways to get home.

For more information on the full list of Oktoberfest activities and locations, visit https://www.newulm.com/2023/08/28/coming-to-new-ulm-for-oktoberfest-2/.

The Chamber of Commerce is also looking for volunteers to help with their festivities. For more information and to sign up, visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B044CA9A82CA1FF2-downtown#/