Today is the anniversary of the first official Oktoberfest in Germany in 1810.  However, enjoying beer at a celebration, a Volksfest, in Germany considerably predates this party in Munich to celebrate the marriage of Ludwig I of Bavaria.

I hope you are making plans to attend the Fall Festival hosted by our friends at Saxon Lutheran Memorial in Frohna this Saturday, beginning at 9:00 a.m.  This wonderful East Perry County tradition exhibits all that is good about our regional social history: blacksmithing, wood working, apple butter making, traditional foods, and my favorite-wool spinning by our own, Dorothy Weinhold.

After enjoying this beautiful festival, I hope you will stop in the Lutheran Heritage Center in Altenburg.  Some members of the research team will be on hand to assist you with your genealogy questions.  We have a fun new exhibit of regional Advertising Memorabilia from the collection of Don Niswonger.  Join us!

The beer stein pictured is from the British Museum’s incredible stein collection. It is an amber tankard made in Koenigsberg c.1640.  It is a beauty!