Where the heck is Mount Angel in Oregon?

Mount Angel lies approximately 40 miles south of Portland and 17 miles north of Salem. Click here for a map from your home to Oktoberfest

From the north on I-5 take the Woodburn exit #271 and follow State Highway #214 to Mount Angel (approximately ten miles).

From the south on 1-5 take the Market Street exit #256 at Salem and follow signs to State Highway #214. Proceed east through Silverton to Mount Angel.

What does it cost to go to Oktoberfest?

Most events at Oktoberfest are free. We are required to charge a nominal cover charge for entry into the Biergarten, Alpinegarten and Weingarten.   If you are planning to come to Oktoberfest for all four days, your most cost effective option is to purchase a four day All Festival Pass for $30.00. With this pass you will be issued a special wristband that allows you unlimited entry and reentry to the entertainment venues during all festival operating hours.  

Day Passes are available for each day of the festival and are used for entry and reentry to the entertainment venues on that day only. A different colored wristband will be used for each day of the festival.  

THURSDAY  All day festival pass $2.00 until 5:00 p.m. After 5:00 p.m. the cost is $6.00.  

FRIDAY All Day Festival pass until 5:00 p.m. is $5.00. After 5:00 p.m. the cost is $10.00  

SATURDAY All Day Festival Pass until 5:00 p.m. is $7.00. After 5:00 p.m. the cost is $12.00  

SUNDAY All Day Festival Pass is $6.00

Can I bring my pet to Oktoberfest?

Pets are certainly welcome at Oktoberfest. We expect that they will be leashed, muzzled if necessary and kept under control. Only Seeing Eye dogs and other helping animals are allowed within the venues. The venues are not a great environment for pets – noise and large numbers of people tend to irritate the pets and their presence in the venues is a major safety concern.

Pet Kennels near Mount Angel:

Jay Jays Doggie Hotel, Hubbard, Oregon, 503-982-3906

Salem, Oregon:

Deborah’s TLC Pet Care & Sitting, 503-364-5574, lovespetsitting@aol.com

Love Your Pet Sitting Service, 503-871-6519

Pet Village, Ltd., 503-363-3647, www.petvillageltd.com

Sheltie Acres, 503-393-3680, www.sheltieacres.com

Is Oktoberfest handicap friendly?

We have several free handicap parking lots at Oktoberfest. Please display your DMV Handicap card and follow the directions of our traffic control people. The most convenient lot is at St. Mary Church, only two blocks from the band stand. You may drop off your handicapped person at the Providence Benedictine Elder Care Station, across from the band stand, while the driver parks the vehicle at the church. The Elder Care Station has wheel chairs available for your use. All venues are wheelchair accessible. There are ramps for entrance into the church and for Old St. Mary's School Gym.

Where can I purchase traditional Bavarian clothing?

The directors purchase most of their traditional Bavarian clothing (Trachten) from:

          Haus of Bavaria, 1-800-388-5783, www.hausofbavaria.com  or from

          Ernst Licht, 1-800-776-3298, www.ernstlicht.com.  

Both are quality importers and would be happy to send you a catalogue. You might mention that you heard about them from Oktoberfest in Mount Angel.

At the festival itself, Debbie Grassman, a local seamstress operates a booth on North Garfield Street selling ladies dirndls. She also does some made-to-order dresses. You can call Debbie at 503-845-6204.

Alfred Planatscher’s Lederhosen Shop is located across from the Bandstand downtown. Fritz makes traditional lederhosen and has an extensive line of men's accessories.

Why do you celebrate Oktoberfest in September?

There are a couple of widely accepted versions of why Oktoberfest is celebrated in September. Even in Munich the bulk of the festival occurs in September.

Oktoberfest is a generic word meaning a HARVEST CELEBRATION. In Germany most fall festivals come at the end of the harvest when the crops are in and everything sits in the lager house. It is time to celebrate the year's hard work and praise the Creator’s bounty with a grand harvest festival. Few harvest festivals in Germany are called OKTOBERFEST. All however, are harvest celebrations. In Mount Angel, Oktoberfest always starts the second Thursday after Labor Day – about when the hop harvest is in.

Another reason for celebrating Oktoberfest in September is that the weather tends to be more salubrious. We can attest to that in Mount Angel.

I would like to operate a Food Booth at Oktoberfest, what must I do?

The purpose of our festival is to raise funds for local non-profit and charitable groups. These organizations (schools, civic, church, youth services, veteran, fraternal, service organizations, etc.) are allowed to operate food booths during Oktoberfest – no commercial vendors. You must submit with your application, a copy of IRS form 501(c)(3) tax exempt status or provide other information to establish non-profit status. If you qualify you may apply click here Oktoberfest Booth Information Page.

How do I sign-up for the Road Race?

For information on the Oktoberfest Road Race, please go to www.mtangel.net/~matthew. To register on line go to www.signmeupsports.com.

Do you operate a “Lost & Found” service?

The Mount Angel Police Department manages the Lost and Found services for Oktoberfest. Please contact them at 503-845-9294.

When is Senior Day at Oktoberfest?

Thursday is Senior Day at Oktoberfest. Entry to the entertainment venues is is only $2.00 until 5:00 p.m.. Seniors really love this day at Oktoberfest. There are many comfortable park benches and picnic tables in the festival area. All venues are handicap accessible including many toilet facilities. Across from the bandstand is the Elder Care Facility operated by the Providence Benedictine Nursing Center. Who have wheel chairs and other facilities available to help seniors in need.

What do you do with the money you make at Oktoberfest?

Following Oktoberfest when all our bills are paid, we set aside a portion of excess revenue to start up next year’s festival and pay for needed infrastructure improvements. The remainder of the revenue is distributed to worthy organizations – churches, schools and service groups in our region. With your help, Oktoberfest awarded $96,757.00 to area non-profits last year. Oktoberfest has distributed nearly two million dollars to non-profits since its inception. This distribution does not include the nearly $600,000.00 earned each year by our 60 non-profit food booths. For most of these organizations, Oktoberfest is their most important money raising event of the year.