By Jan Jackson
Mt. Angel is throwing another party and this time it is to celebrate the end of winter, the beginning of Lent and the gastronomic wonders of German sausage (wurst). The event, cosponsored by Oktoberfest and Mt. Angel Chamber of Commerce, is set to take place in the Oktoberfest Building in Mt. Angel on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 21 and 22. It will be a place for families to come, eat, drink and be merry in all matters Bavarian.
“We wanted to do something that made use of our Oktoberfest infrastructure that would also raise money for our downtown flower boxes and baskets,” Jerry Lauzon, publicity director for the Oktoberfest said.
“Mary Grant (Mt. Angel chamber president and owner of The Glockenspiel Restaurant) came up with the great idea of having a winter festival centered around German sausage.
“We picked the weekend before Ash Wednesday and the start of the austere Holy Season of Lent. It will take place inside the Biergarten building from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, and at 3 p.m. both days, anyone there can also help us sing a rousing ‘Happy 150th Birthday’ to Oregon.”
Once inside the Biergarten, festival goers will find themselves walking through a village square with neat little shops all around selling local bratwurst, bockwurst, frickadelwurst, famous Oktoberfest sausage and many other varieties garnished with sauerkraut, grilled onions and the Benedictine sisters’ award-winning Monastery Mustards.
On tap are world famous Spaten Biers from Munich – Premium Helles, Optimator, Helles Bock, Pilsner, Franziskaner Hefeweizen, along with the ever-popular Bud Light.
There will be a wide array of East Valley wines, non-alcoholic drinks and potions and steaming cups of Bavarian Gluhwein (glow-wine), the perfect drink for cold winter days.
There will be select artisan cheeses, sausage pizza, baked goods, Extreme Chocolates, roasted nuts, elephant ears and more.
“We are inviting everyone to dust off their lederhosen, starch up their Bavarian dirndls and wear them when they come to our first-ever Best of the Wurstfest,” Mary Grant said. “It is going to great fun for the whole family.”
