Danke schön!

The 15th annual Great Northwest Oktoberfest has come-and-gone, and we couldn't have done it without you!

Nearly 7,000 folks turned-out for this year's fest, enjoying great German food, beer, music, dancing, and fun ... and dodging the sometimes-sketchy weather to celebrate the world's longest-running brewfest in true Whitefish style!

The list of folks that deserve to be thanked begins with our loyal corporate sponsors, without whom the event truly wouldn't be possible. They include Glacier Bank, the Whitefish Pilot, Stay Montana, Celebrate Event Rentals, Grouse Mountain Lodge, Budget Car Rentals, the Daily Inter Lake, Busy Bee IV Therapy and our two beer sponsors – Hofbrau and Bayern.

Next are the local non-profit groups who manned the bar (and took home the tips!) each night ... including the Whitefish Theatre Co., the Moose Lodge, VFW, Knights of Columbus, Whitefish Legacy Partners, Powdered Soul, and Land-to-Hand (with Pursuit assisting). All told, this year's bar teams raised nearly $15,000 for local charities!!

On top of all that, another 100+ volunteers worked 6-hour shifts at the front gate, the souvenir booth, on (and around) the Main Stage, and with the set-up and tear-down crews, and each of them did their jobs with a smile on their face ... and a beer in their hand!

Absolutely essential to the success of this event are the dedicated members of our Oktoberfest Committee ... 25 hard-working folks who helped us plan, promote and produce this year's festival, and who come back year-after-year to keep our Oktoberfest tradition alive.

Last – but certainly not least – are the members of our Chamber of Commerce staff, who literally log hundreds of hours each year gearing-up for the Big Event, supervising those volunteers during the fest, and cleaning-up the mess afterward.

To all of you – and to the bands, the contest participants, the food vendors, the arts-and-crafters and our friends at the Whitefish Parks, Police and Fire Departments – a heartfelt "thank you" for a job well-done.