Missoula's Germanfest Returns In October

Grab your stein, put on your lederhosen and enjoy the festivities of Germanfest 2024.

This year's Germanfest marks the 31st anniversary of Missoula gaining a sister (city) - Neckargemund, Germany. This year we commemorate the anniversary of the "Pledge of Friendship signed between the two cities by their mayors at the time," in 1993, per Germanfest 2024's Facebook event page.

Germanfest takes over Caras Park on Sunday, October 6 from noon to 5 pm. This year's edition is bringing the German-influenced games to Missoula. Games such as...

Fish Slapping

If you're thinking "Boy, what could Fish Slapping be? I bet it's some intricate, highly-skilled German game," you're looking too deep. Fish Slapping is where you grip a fish and slap your opponent in the face with it.

Simple as that.

Log Sawing

You and a partner flank a log and saw that thing in half.

Stein Holding

I read "Stein Holding" and thought "Do you hold onto a stein for as long as you can? Is that it?" And it basically is. There are some rules on how to hold it and how you get disqualified. According to the US Stein Holding Association's Official Steinholding rules, "The competitor who can hold their stein with proper form for the longest without being disqualified by the judge will be considered the winner." The stein must have beer in it, the competitor must grip the stein by the handle and there are several rules regarding your thumb, pinky, back arch and upper torso.

Germanfest will feature Bayern Brewing's new German beer, authentic bratwurst from Pattee Creek Market and legitimate potato salad from the Missoula Culinary School. Plus, great German music to polka to... polka is German, right?