A four-day festival in Mt. Angel featuring music, food, dress and beverages of Bavaria. The event is used to help raise funds for non-profits and community activities in the Mt. Angel area and each year brings more than 300,000 people to the festival.

What to bring: Comfortable walking shoes and whatever money you would like to spend on food, beer, wine and the many arts and craft booths that are scattered throughout the festival. Many people are dressed in Bavarian garb, so bringing a camera is always a good idea.

Season: Oktoberfest starts on the second Thursday after Labor Day and continues through Sunday. 11 a.m. to midnight Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Getting there: From the north on I-5, take the Woodburn exit #271 and follow State Highway 214 to Mt. Angel (approximately 10 miles).
From the south on I-5, take the Market Street exit #256 in Salem and follow signs to State Highway 213. Proceed east through Silverton to Mt. Angel (approximately 16 miles).

Fees: Admission is free and parking is plentiful in lots run by non-profit organizations throughout the area. Parking traditionally is $4 for the day and the lots are secured.

Tips: Festival spokesman Jerry Lauzon says Oktoberfest traffic can be a problem, so your best bet is to check an Oregon map and find alternative routes to Mt. Angel. “Coming from the north I would continue down Interstate 5 to the Brooks or Kiezer exits and follow the signs,” he says. “If you are not familiar with the area, just realize that it’s a popular event and be patient - the drive is worth it.”

Lauzon also says that in recent years the focus of the festival - while always on beer - has tried to be more family friendly with an effort to keep people from over-indulging. So if you do attend, make sure to drink in moderation - especially if you are going to drive back to the Portland area.

History: The Mt. Angel Oktoberfest is one of the longest standing folk festivals in the Northwest and celebrates its 41st anniversary in 2006. The festival began as a traditional fall festival to celebrate the harvest. The format was changed to the Oktoberfest in 1966, following a tradition of more than 100 years of harvest festivals under various names and formats. The Mt. Angel community was founded by German pioneers in 1867, and since the surrounding area resembles rural Bavaria, organizers thought the Oktoberfest would be a natural fit for the community.