Oktoberfest Returns to Downtown Saline

By Lindsay Nixon, STN Reporter

This Friday and Saturday, Saline Main Street will celebrate German heritage by hosting the 17th annual Oktoberfest. The event kicks off on Friday, September 16th with the Tapping of the Golden Keg Opening Ceremony at 6:30 pm. The Bier Garten will open at 5 pm and will be located at the intersection of Henry and South Ann Arbor Street. There is a $5 admission entrance fee for those 21 years of age and older for the Bier Garten.

On Saturday, the gates will open at 10 am and include free family activities and live music. From 10 am – 2 pm, kid's activities including games, art and activities related to German culture will be available.

The Bier Garten opens at 12 pm on Saturday and will offer both German and domestic brews. Downtown Saline eateries will be open with outdoor service areas, seated dining and curbside food vendors also present.

A new event this year includes the Guten Tag! Deutscher Kleider Pagent and Contest. If you’re interested in dusting off your dirndls and lederhosen, in person registration begins at 4 pm with the fashion show scheduled to begin at 4:30 pm. Following the pageant, a hammerspiel tournament is planned in the Bier Garten area. Prizes are available for first and second-place finishers.

Fifty Amp Fuse will be providing live music once again this year during the event and is scheduled to take the stage at 8 pm on Saturday night. Jedi Mind Trip will be the musical act performing on Friday night.

Although the event is pet-friendly, organizers request that any furry friends attending Oktoberfest are taken home by 7 pm. For more information or to purchase tickets to the Bier Garten in advance of the event, you can visit the Saline Main Street website at www.salinemainstreet.org.