It’s that time of year again. Time to lift up a stein of beer, party with friends and celebrate the cool weather with a cool drink. The third annual Oktoberfest Northwest will celebrate German culture and the tradition of Oktoberfest and the harvest Oct. 5 through 7 at the Puyallup Fair and Events Center.
Three entertainment stages, the Miss Oktoberfest Northwest Swing Girl, the largest Biergarten (beer garden) in Western Washington, exhibits and much more is planned for this event.
On opening day 2007, Festmaster Kent Hojem will toast the entire crowd by swinging a mallet into a firkin (a large wooden keg). The opening ceremony will also feature a musical introduction by Gordanaires Canadian Alpine Folk Band.
This year’s Miss Oktoberfest, Tana Miller, is from the Pacific Northwest. She won her title by being chosen at a contest at the Emerald Queen Casino. Miller is a burlesque performer who is attending another Oktoberfest in Germany until she appears at the fairgrounds.
“She has a beautiful voice,” said Cindy Stohr, media director for Festivals, Inc., which is coordinating the event. “She’ll be singing and swinging on a swing out over the audience.
“What sets us apart is that we try to be like the traditional Oktoberfest with music,” Stohr said. “We’ll have our third annual hammerschlagen contest. It’s a bar game, but families are invited.
“It involves four to six people who drive nails into the tree trunk until the nail is flush with the wood. It looks easy, but they have to use the spike end of the hammer. It’s pretty challenging. People do a lot of cheering and it’s a lot of fun.”
LynnMarie and the Boxhounds will introduce their unique style of “rock/polka” at the festival. LynnMarie, who describes herself as “100 percent Slovenian,” is a four-time Grammy nominee based in Nashville, Tenn., where she got her foot in the door in show business. LynnMarie plays the diatonic button accordion, often referred to as a “squeeze box.”
“There are hundreds of different styles of accordions,” LynnMarie said. “They have a certain kind in Mexico and a different kind in Austria. This type is built with the mentality that you have to push or pull it a certain way to get a certain sound.”
While working as a TV producer with the Dick Clark Company in Nashville, she was playing her accordion “just for fun.” The company aired a country music show on TV.
One day she got a call from Chet Atkins, a legendary country singer in Nashville, and was invited to play on the show.
“After the show Chet pulled me aside,” she said. “He said ‘Why are you not doing this for a living? Do you see how happy you make the people?’”
LynnMarie said she grew up playing traditional ethnic folk songs as part of her heritage.
“There’s a whole underground following of polka music,” she said. “It’s mostly in the Midwest, but has little pockets here and there. When I was growing up, polka was the “dirty dance” of Bohemia. It was one of the first dances that had couples touching each other.”
Atkins’ prodding rekindled LynnMarie’s musical interest.
“As a 7-year-old I remember being at parties and I couldn’t wait ‘till my dad took out his accordion. He could light up the room and I saw what music can do. But life keeps you busy and you grow up and take jobs. Chet gave me the vision and hope that I could really do this.”
LynnMarie began working with musician Charlie Kelly and the two began blending the sounds of contemporary music with polka rhythms.
“I was able to get paired up with him and it was his vision to take today’s sounds and incorporate them with the roots of my music,” she said.
“We changed the arrangements to pull in the rock and country mentality and make it more engaging. My goal was not to take anything anyway from the traditional music. But most polka bands are dance bands – we’re the first ones to say ‘We’re going to put on a show for you.’ When we are here we’re here to say this is fun, happy music.”
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Oktoberfest/Scandinavian heritage festival schedule
> Oct. 5-7, 2007
> Oktoberfest: 11 a.m. to midnight Friday-Saturday.
> Oktoberfest: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday
> Scandinavian Heritage Festival: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day
> Admission: Free on Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Half-price tickets on Sunday Regular ticket prices: Adults, $8, children under 12, free
> Location: The Puyallup Fair and Events Center Oktoberfest: ShowPlex Hall Scandinavian Heritage Festival: Pioneer building (next door to ShowPlex)
> Information: 425-283-5050 or www.oktoberfestnw.com
Reach reporter Susan Schell at 253-841-2481 ext. 315 or by e-mail at susan.schell@puyallupherald.com.
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