Hayden Lake Rotary and Daanen's to host Oktoberfest

Hayden Lake Rotary and Daanen’s 25th Annual Oktoberfest will be Sept. 29 from noon to 9 p.m. at the Elk’s Lodge, 1170 W. Prairie Ave., Coeur d’Alene.

The free, family-friendly event will feature a selection of German beers including Spaten Optimator, Spaten Oktoberfest, Bitburger, Paulaner and Hefeweizen. German food will be available also, including sausages, kraut, rotkohl, potato salad and desserts. First beer is free with the purchase of a collector’s mug.

“Mark Daanen has run a true Oktoberfest in this community,” said Nannette Foster, a Hayden Lake Rotary Club member who helped organize the event. “[Daanen’s Deli] is closed, but Oktoberfest is continuing. It’s going to have the same great food and the same fun family vibe that people have enjoyed for 24 years.”

Proceeds from Oktoberfest will flow back into the community, she said. Hayden Lake Rotary’s long-term goals include raising enough money to install flashing, solar-powered beacons at crosswalks near Northwest Expedition Academy and Hayden Meadows Elementary.

During the event, Foster said, there will be a special area with free activities for children, including crafts, coloring and face painting. There will also be games for kids and adults, with prizes to win.

“Parents can sit and socialize while their kids are with a group of volunteers doing activities,” Foster said.

This Oktoberfest celebration features only traditional German food and beers, Ford said, all of it carefully prepared, in order to preserve the essence of “what Oktoberfest is about.” There will be live German music, and Ford said to expect to see some people decked out in traditional folk costumes.

“People come in full lederhosen,” she said.

For a quarter century, Oktoberfest has brought the community together for a relaxed, family-friendly celebration of German culture. Foster said volunteers have worked tirelessly to make the event happen once again.

“It attracts all kinds of people,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the Rotary Club, teachers and parents, friends and volunteers, all coming together for a great cause ...

“And I’m looking forward to the Optimator beer and the sausage with onions.”