All alcohol sales end at Midnight Friday and Saturday. Liquor available on Sunday

45th GERMAN-AMERICAN FESTIVAL INFORMATION SHEET
Download: PDF copy of the Festival Information Sheet

WHAT:
The 45th German-American Festival, the Toledo area’s Oldest, Largest and Greatest Ethnic Festival with authentic German Food, Beer, and Entertainment. Festival organizers expect upward from 25,000 paid attendees.

The Festival is operated by the G.A.F. Society, recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a §501(c)(3) charitable organization.  It is sponsored by the seven German- and Swiss-American Societies in Toledo. 

WHY:
The purpose of the German-American Festival is to promote and enhance the German and Swiss cultures as well as generates revenue to support the German and Swiss cultural center in Oregon and a wide variety of scholarship, athletic and other philanthropic programs in the Toledo area.

WHERE:
Oak Shade Grove, 3624 Seaman Road, Oregon, Ohio, just ½ mile east of Coy Road. 

WHEN:
              Friday, August 27, 2010: 6:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. (Parade and Opening Ceremonies begin at 8:00 p.m.)

              Saturday, August 28, 2010: 2:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.

              Sunday, August 29, 2010: 12:00 Noon – 11:00 p.m. with a German Language worship service at 10:30 a.m. (Alcohol sales cease at 12:00 midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.  Wine and Liquor available on Sunday)
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Featuring: (see Festival_Entertainment for more entertainment activities)

•  Continuous live music at 3 stages from local Germanic and ethnic bands, and our strolling accordionist from Germantown, Wisc.

•  Large 56’ by 40’ wooden dance floor (in the Fest Zelt – the main tent: a 100 foot by 265 foot clear span tent with no poles!  Made in Germany, just like at the Oktoberfest!) for dancing enjoyment, plus other dance floors on the Festival grounds.

•  Over 70 acres of free, lighted parking with people movers to deliver you to the main entrance gate on Seaman Street.  Parking areas can be entered from Starr Avenue, Corduroy Road or Seaman Street.  People movers operate continuously in a 27 acre parking area accessible from Seaman Road or Corduroy Road.  Other entrance gates are accessible from Starr or Seaman lots.

•  Handicapped parking available from Seaman Road.  Free handicapped shuttle on Festival grounds.

• Shuttle bus service from three Toledo-area parking lots deliver you right to the gate and safely return you to your car.

New in 2010: Rain or shine parking at Starr Elementary School, Fassett Middle School and Clay High School (East lot) lots with shuttle bus service between these lots and the Festival grounds.

•  Opening ceremony with parade featuring colorful costumes and pageantry through the Festival grounds.

•  Hummel Look-Alike Contest is a contest for all children from 2 to 10 years of age by pre-application.  The children dress like the famous Hummel figurines with prizes awarded for the most authentic look-alike.  This is the longest running similar contest in the U.S. (Sunday afternoon)

•  Scherenschnitt Artist Gudrun Wittgen of Hillsdale, Michigan will exhibit her art and demonstrate silhouette paper cutting in the Import Haus on Saturday and Sunday.

•  Schwabenhalle Outdoor Pavilion renamed the Hofbräuhalle features rain or shine entertainment throughout the day and evening.

•  Old World-style outdoor Bier & Wein Garten under the trees will feature large umbrella tables.  A wooden dance floor with continuous German polkas and waltzes featured there.  Watch for special performances by our two folklore dance groups – the Holzhacker Buam Schuhplattler and the American Turners Deutsche Trachten Gruppe – as well as other folklore dance groups from the Midwest.

•  Designated Driver Program –The Guest Services Booth will again have information on responsible alcohol consumption and will distribute coupons to the “Designated Driver” to be used for three complimentary soft drinks to enjoy while visiting the Festival.

•  Raffle – features a $2,000 Grand Prize, a week’s stay in a Florida Gulf Coast beachfront condo, a $500 BP Gift Card, two season’s tickets to the UT Football Rockets, a table for eight to the GAF New Year’s Eve party and two $250 cash prizes.  All prizes will be awarded at the drawing on Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m.  Winners need not be present.  Prizes not set

•  The Festival is spread over 10 wooded acres providing an authentic German atmosphere.

•   Returning amusement rides in 2010 include rides such as: Berry-Go-Round, Carnival Trains, Himalaya, Merry-Go-Round, Paratroopers, Scat, Tilt-A-Whirl, Atlantis Jump House, Mutation Fun House, Scrambler, Starship, Steph's Express and Swings for children and the young at heart all weekend.  Again in 2010: All Day Ride pass and discounted special pricing.

•  Children’s Identification Program – have your child complete an ID kit and keep a set of fingerprints.  This helps promote your child’s safety. This program is under the direction of Oregon Police Officer Mike Poddany who was named Ohio's 2008 Larry R. Cox D.A.R.E. Officer of the Year by the D.A.R.E. Association of Ohio.

•  Face painting and clowns making balloon animals – Saturday and Sunday

•  Swiss Steinstossen – Centuries old authentic Swiss stone throwing contest.  In this competition, men and women will throw large stones (138 pounds and 75 pounds, respectively) in a designated area and the winner will be the one throwing his or her stone the longest distance.  Prizes will be awarded on both categories.  Entry in this event is open to the public.  (The Ohio women’s record was set right here at the 2007 German-American Festival!)  No pre-entry required.  Contests start at 3:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

•   Soccer game and matches on both Saturday and Sunday.

•  Glockenspiel – While it’s not exactly like the famous Glockenspiel in Munich, Germany, come and enjoy a live version – a popular attraction for the last seven years.  Performance on the hour above the Wein Bar.

•  German-language Worship Service – Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. with special music by our own Teutonia Männerchor & Damenchor and Toledo Swiss Singers.  Free admission to Festival after the Service.

•  Import Haus – featuring imported steins, linens, and other gift items.  Master woodcarver Berndt Fehrenbach will be displaying Black Forest Cuckoo clocks and other wares.  Again in 2010:  Through an exclusive arrangement with Build-a-Bear Workshop^® we feature our mascot raccoons, Moritz and Mitzi, in stuffed animal form in Mitzi’s Hütte!

•  Trachtenzelt – features German wearable's and souvenirs by Schwarzkopf & Keilhofer of Frankenmuth, Mich.

•  ATM – is available adjacent to the Guest Services tent; food & beverage tickets available by credit/debit card in three locations on the Festival grounds.

•  Sidewalk Café – enjoy Kuchen, Strudels, cookies, and a variety of other homemade pastries.  This is a very pleasant and relaxing place to sit down at a cozy table to enjoy your favorite dessert and coffee.  Returning in 2010: German Strudel & Kuchen Baking Contest on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.  Submit entry to the Sidewalk Café (along with the recipe) on the day of the event! 
                                                                See the flyer for the Baking Contest here

•  Lebkuchenherz – our own homemade, hand decorated gingerbread hearts – just like at the Oktoberfest in Munich!

•  Swiss Essen Haus – Indoor/outdoor Swiss Bäckerei featuring many types of European-style and imported cheeses, breads, and meats.  Sausages, sandwiches and roast pork dinners are made to order.

•  Maxi-Cooker – in order to ensure that each of the thousands of chickens served at the German-American Festival is perfectly cooked, we have a chicken cooker with state of the art controls.  The Maxi-Cooker has the capability to 600 chickens, 400 servings of ribs, 1,100 pounds of pork loin or 1,400 pounds of ham.

•   Potato Pancakes – enjoy hand made potato pancakes made the old German way.

•   Schnitzel Sandwiches – masterfully made in front of you, served on a Kaiser roll.

•  And plenty of other food items – ham shanks, Bratwurst, jalapeño Wurst, smoked Wurst, Brat pattie sandwiches, pretzels, funnel cakes, Leberkäs platters, Sauerkraut, cheddar Wurst, hand made potato salad, Sauerkraut balls, hand cut Pommes Frites, ice cream, cream puffs, pickles, landjäger, sweet corn and freshly popped popcorn!  Special Sunday dinner: Beef Rouladen with Spätzle & Rotkohl.

•  Featured Beers – Returning in 2010, our light beer: Labatt Blue Light and from Germany: Hofbräu Dunkel plus Warsteiner, Warsteiner Dunkel (Dark), Warsteiner Oktoberfest, König Ludwig Weisse, Spaten Lager, Spaten Dunkel, Spaten Oktoberfest, Spaten Optimator, Franziskaner Weissbier, Franziskaner Dunkel, Paulaner Oktoberfest, Paulaner Hefe Weisse, Paulaner Salvator,  Hofbräu Original,  Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier Hofbräu Dunkel, Bitburger, Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock, Ayinger Oktoberfest, Hacker-Pschorr Sternweisse, Hacker-Pschorr Weisse, Erdinger Hefe, Köstritzer Schwarzbier and Köstritzer Oktoberfest served in the German Bier Garten and throughout the Festival!  We proudly feature one of the largest collections of German beers at any Festival!  Returning in 2010 is the German Bier Tour.

•  Our wine list includes: Schlink Haus Beerenauslese, Auslese, Kabinett, Red Sweet Dornfelder, Riesling QBA and Spätlese, Schmitt Sohne Riesling QBA, Riesling Kabinett, Riesling Spätlese and Riesling QBA.

•  Give Trash the Boot! Returning in 2010! Plastic boot shaped souvenirs for you to take home.  Drinking from a boot or Stiefel is a long-time German tradition.  Made popular in the film "Beerfest!“  Also other initiatives to reduce trash going to landfills.

Website:                   www.gafsociety.org

                                    www.myspace.com/germanamericanfestival
                                    www.germanamericanfestival.net

Media contact:        Timothy Pecsenye, Festival Chairman, festchairman@gafsociety.org

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