FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association
PHONE: 256.350.3500 / 800.648.5381
EMAIL: info@northalabama.org
Cullman’s Tribute to its German Heritage Set for October 4-8
Decatur, Ala. – For the past 35 years, the town of Cullman has celebrated its German beginnings with a weeklong festival offering all things German, from a bratwurst-eating contest to a wiener dog race. Set for October 4-8, 2017, the Cullman Oktoberfest will take place in the downtown area and along with themed activities, authentic German food and live German music daily, this year’s event welcomes a special guest performer, up and coming country music star Riley Green.
Throughout the week, local restaurants will be serving German meals daily and merchants will host nightly events featuring beer, brats, and live music. Located adjacent to the Festhalle, the biergarten, featuring Oktoberfest beer, Alabama’s craft beers and Alabama breweries, will be opened nightly except for Sunday. A variety of competitive events, including a pickle eating contest, paper airplane contest and stein hoist contest, will also be held nightly. Additional activities to take place throughout the festival include carriage rides, candlelight walking tours, kid-friendly fun and games, a classic car show, 5K and 10K run and arts and crafts.
Opening ceremonies are slated for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 4th. Live German music provided by Terry Cavanagh and the Alpine Express will entertain the crowd from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, October 5th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is designated Senior Day. Terry Cavanaugh and the Alpine Express will provide entertainment, and from 11:30 a.m. to noon, lunch will be served free for seniors. Immediately following lunch, seniors can play bingo from noon to 2 p.m.
Music can be heard nightly from a variety of performers. Fifteen musicians and bands are slated to perform including headliner Riley Green who will take the stage on Friday, October 6th, from 10:15 p.m. to midnight.
On Saturday and Sunday, October 7th and 8th, festivalgoers can peruse for unique treasures at the popular arts and crafts show from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Depot Park. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, K-9’s For A Kause will host special activities for furry, four-legged friends (all dogs must be on a six-foot leash at all times) and the popular wiener dog race will take place at Depot Park. At noon, the charity bed races take to the streets where a $500 first place prize is up for grabs, and for those up for a food contest will want to check out the bratwurst-eating contest set for 12:30 p.m. The festival wraps up on Sunday, October 8th with a day of arts and crafts, live music, and kid-friendly activities.
For more information including a detailed schedule of events, visit www.cullmanoktoberfest.com or call 256.739.1258.
About Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA)
AMLA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and development of the travel industry within the 16 northernmost counties of the state. It is supported by 500-plus members consisting of chambers of commerce, Convention & Visitors Bureaus, attractions, campgrounds, festivals, communities, counties, golf courses, restaurants, tour operators, accommodations, vendors, financial institutions and individuals. Counties included within the AMLA region are Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan and Winston. Additional information on North Alabama destinations, accommodations and special events is available by calling 800.648.5381 or by visiting www.NorthAlabama.org. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @VisitNorthAL and like us at www.facebook.com/VisitNorthAL.
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