Hankinson attracts a big crowd for Oktoberfest

HANKINSON, N.D. (KVRR) – The small town of Hankinson attracted a large crowd of people to its downtown area Saturday.

The city of around 1,000 people is celebrating its 19th Annual Oktoberfest with tons of food, beer, games, and music.

This event is a big deal for the community; bringing people together and celebrating their heritage.

“We have a lot of German ancestry in this area so we celebrate all things traditionally German, such as the food – we have knoephla and hot German potato salad, brats, sauerkraut, kuchen for dessert, and we also have beer,” says Treasurer of Hankinson Commercial Club Beth Tiegs.

Several attendees sport authentic traditional German attire to really showcase their heritage.

“You will see a number of the gentlemen and ladies in some authentic German attire to bring back that festival atmosphere,” adds Bob Wurl, President of Hankinson Commercial Club

“This is an authentic lederhosen that we drag out in the fall and we get to use it alot, and this is a dirndl,” explains a participant at the event, Annie O’Flynn.

Bob Wurl, a member of the Hankinson Commercial Club, says this event was not only designed to embrace the area’s German heritage, but as a way for Hankinson businesses to thank the community.

“It started out as kind of a way to say thank you from the business members of the Hankinson Commercial Club; to say a thank you to the community for their support throughout the year. It is a festival that is totally sponsored by businesses,” says Wurl.

Nathan Falk, President of the Hankinson Development Corporation, has attended the event every year since his father created it in 2001. His favorite part is seeing new faces at the celebration.

Falk says, “You see so many unfamiliar faces and that’s a good thing in a small town and that is one of the big reasons we have it; exposure for Hankinson and to have fun.”

The celebration ended with a fireworks display.