Oktoberfest in Lava Hot Springs Saturday, October 5th - 6th! 

Click to learn how you can volunteer!

Join the Oktoberfest festivities with 2 days of fun next to the Portneuf River in Lava to celebrate the arrival of fall and the harvest season. To keep with the theme of the festival we will offer many activities including great German food, and of course some great hand crafted beers and sarsaparilla!

ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:

FRIDAY:

OKTOBERFEST AT THE RIVERSIDE HOT SPRINGS INN - Live Oktoberfest Music & Activities

Time: 2:30pm to 6:30pm

Brats, Beer & Soft Drinks, Popcorn & Pretzels available for purchase.

Lederhosen / Oktoberfest Costume Contest and Chicken Dance.

CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES 

Time: 2:30pm - 4:00pm - Pumpkin Painting Contest, Free Miniature Golf - sponsored by the Chuck Wagon Restaurant

ADULT ACTIVITIES

Time: 2:30pm - 6:30pm

Apple Bobbing, Chicken Dance

6:00 pm "Keg Tapping Contest" - Riverside Inn's Version of Making Oktoberfest Music on a Keg - bring your drum sticks, finger picks or palms! Anything goes!

SATURDAY:

• 10k fun run/walk/bike. Raffle afterwards wins you one of our great prizes including 20 lottery tickets. Wear your favorite costume!
• Live music with authentic German music, “Rolling Rocks” and “DJ TJ”
• Duck race on the Portneuf river with many prizes including a grand prize of 20 lottery tickets. Other prizes include free nights lodging, hot pool passes, free rafting coupons, private Yoga or Pilates training classes, and many others to be announced.

Sponsored by the Lava Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce, proceeds go to a good cause, a Lava walk/bike paths trail system. Bring your friends and family for a fun day in Lava and a great cause, Cheers!

Time: 8am - 10 am 10K fun run/walk/bike around the golf course loop. $5.00 registration for a chance to win prizes. Meet at Community Center.  

        12-7pm Oktoberfest activities

        12-6pm Duck River Race Raffle Sales. $5 per duck for a chance to win prizes.

        6pm Duck River Race Starts. Good luck!                      

        7pm-9pm Lava Lions Bingo

Location: Community Building across from the World Famous Olympic Swimming Complex and outside too weather permitting.

Cost: 

$4 micro brew drafts

$15 growler (1/2gal) of your favorite microbrew

$2 sarsaparilla

$10 growler (1/2gal) of sarsaparilla

$7 Bratwurst plate (hot dogs for kids)

$5 Fun Run entry fee. Fee registers you for our raffle after the race.

$5 Duck Race Raffle Tickets

There will be other vendors as well

$13 bingo packet (15 games) specialty games sold separately

Vendors or Volunteers: If you or someone you know is available to volunteer some time for a good cause (raising money for a bike and trail system here in Lava) or would like to purchase a booth please contact Sam at 208-241-5773 or Leisha at 801-815-6205. A 10X10 booth is $50 for art or jewelry vendors. Food vendor booths range from $50 to $200. Please call Sam at 208-241-5773 for more information. Some 110v electricity is available.

Oktoberfest History

This year marks the 202 year celebration of Oktoberfest! Oktoberfest began October 12, 1810 in Munich to celebrate the royal Bavarian marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Five days after their wedding King Ludwig I called for a horse race to celebrate their royal wedding. The race was very successful so they continued the event the following year. An agricultural show was added and to honor the marriage of King Ludwig I and Therese of Bavaria, a parade was added in 1835.

In 1880 the first electric lights were added. Albert Einstein helped his uncle install lighting as an electrical apprentice in 1896. Bratwurst was first served in 1881 and eventually beer was served in glass mugs in 1892. In 1887, the Entry of the Oktoberfest Staff and Breweries took place for the first time. This event added the highly decorated horse teams of the breweries and the bands that play in the festival. One hundred years after the festival started in 1910, over 120,000 liters of beer were served.

From 1946 to 1948, after World War II, Munich celebrated only "Autumn Fest." The sale of original Oktoberfest beer, 2% stronger in alcohol than normal beer, was not permitted. Visitors had to drink the normal beer. Since 1950, there has been a traditional festival opening: A twelve gun salute and the tapping of the first keg of Oktoberfest beer at 12:00 by the incumbent Mayor of Munich with the cry "O' zapft is!" ("It's tapped!"). The Mayor then gives the first beer to the Minister-President of the State of Bavaria. Horse races ended in 1960. Traditional wear during the Oktoberfest include Bavarian hats which contain a tuft of goat hair. In Germany, goat hair is highly valued and prized, making it one of the most expensive objects for sale. A pipe bomb was set off in a dustbin at the restrooms at the main entrance on September 26, 1980 by a right wing extremist. Thirteen people were killed, over 200 were injured.

In 2005 “quiet Oktoberfest” was developed to curb violence that had developed due to loud music and large beer consumption. Music is held to 85db until 6pm. Smoking was temporarily banned in 2008 reinstated in 2009 and re-banned in 2010.

Since its beginnings the Oktoberfest has been cancelled 24 times due to war, disease and other emergencies. Oktoberfest is the largest people fair in the world hosting more than 6.5 million Bavarians and visitors in just 2 crazy weeks. 

 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR THE FOLLOWING AT OKTOBERFEST

8:00am - 10:00am – 3 volunteers 10K fun run/walk (sell raffle tickets, stop watch, directions, raffle prizes, hot cider, water, take pictures)

11:00 am – 3 volunteers set up at community center

12:00 – 6:00 – We thought we could have 1 person every 2 hours for the following spots which would equal 3 total volunteers per spot. If we don’t get enough people and you can help more than 2 hours let us know.

• Register – 3 volunteers
• Kitchen (serving bratt plates) - 3 volunteers
• Serve beer and wine – 3 volunteers

6:00 – 6:30 – Launching and catching ducks for duck river race raffle – 3 volunteers

6:00 – 8:00 – Clean up – 3 volunteers

 Prize donations for the 10k fun run/walk and river race raffles are still being accepted and would be a great help!!! So far we have hot pool passes, lottery tickets, zip line tours, private yoga or pilates training sessions and some rentals. We would like to offer as many prizes as we can especially if we have a good turnout. You can contact me  on Facebook, or my private email lhmarie1@yahoo.com or my cell 801-815-6205 with any help you can offer.