Norfolk Oktoberfest

Norfolk’s Oktoberfest: Celebrating German Heritage and the Fall Harvest

Norfolk’s beginning lies in Germany. In the 1850s, a number of German families decided to leave their native land for new life and freedom in America, seeking out the Upper Midwest for its promise of fertile farmlands. In 1865, a group of German Lutheran families, having stopped first in Wisconsin, looked westward for a permanent home.

Just months after the Civil War ended, they settled upon the “North Fork” of the Elkhorn River – modern-day Norfolk. They made homes, built churches and schools, farmed the land, and celebrated the many blessings of their new homeland. Today we renew and continue the celebration, honoring our German immigrant heritage and celebrating - as our ancestors did not so long ago - the many fruits of the fall harvest. We invite you to enjoy Norfolk’s inaugural Oktoberfest Family Festival September 21 and 22 in the heart of downtown Norfolk.

Norfolk Oktoberfest Family Festival will be held Friday Sept. 27 through Saturday, Sept. 28 in Norfolk, Nebraska. The Foreigner Concert at Divot's, the Radtour bike ride, the Lions Club parade, the Riverpoint Arts Festival, and many other events and activities will fall under the umbrella of the Oktoberfest Family Festival, but they will maintain their individual names and traditions. The parade travels through downtown Norfolk, and the arts festival is in Johnson Park.

A special “Oktoberfest” beer will be brewed by Jeremy Kirby of Gottlieb Brewery and Pub in Columbus just for this event! Traditional German and contemporary bands will perform under a tent set up on the parking lot behind the Norfolk Are Chamber of Commerce building at Seventh Street and Norfolk Avenue. Food vendors will, serve authentic German foods. An inflatable midway will be available for children.