Celebrating fall, harvest

Visitors flock to

Octoberfest, grape stomp

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- With a cool, sunny Saturday afternoon providing a backdrop for a celebration of the fall season and harvest, handfuls of hearty locals and visitors mingled at the many Oktoberfest weekend events in and around New Ulm.

With the crowds for the shows at the Holiday Inn growing, many festgoers also showed up for the outdoor events, in sweaters and heavy jackets. Some even wore winter hats and gloves.

But Gary Wessale, a Oktoberfest veteran of eight years from Winthrop, stood confidently in lederhosen and sipped a cup of Schell's beer on the sidewalk, while the Marv Nissel Band played in front of the Chamber of Commerce office on Center Street in downtown New Ulm.

When asked if he thought it was too cold for lederhosen, Wessale said, "Oh no. It's beautiful. It's just right."

Others taking in the Nissel band's show agreed. Gary Castle and his family came to their first New Ulm Oktoberfest from Wonder Lake, Ill., a town near Chicago. Castle said his brother encouraged him to make the trip.

"We're having a great time," Castle said. "It's a cool, beautiful day in Minnesota."

Other visitors from around the country were down on Center Street to see the show too.

"We've always come to New Ulm because it's very unique," said Robert Yuhas from Columbus, Ohio. He said he and his wife Lucie visit New Ulm whenever they come to see their son in Mankato. "We visit New Ulm because it's very clean, neat and friendly."

Scott Keller, of St. Louis, Missouri, was also in town to visit family and stopped off at Oktoberfest. Like Castle, it was Keller's first Oktoberfest in New Ulm. He said he came to New Ulm to visit his son, who plays for the Gustavus Adolphus College hockey team in St. Peter.

"It's a beautiful day in a great town," he said.

Downtown New Ulm wasn't the only place festgoers were praising the weather. A few miles south of New Ulm, at Morgan Creek Vineyards and Winery, the Cambria Crush Competitive Grape Stomp was also reaping the benefits of the clear, fall weather.

"This year, we had the glorious kind of day we wished we had here every year," said Paula Marti, whose husband, George, runs the vineyards and winery. Marti said that in the past, the Cambria Crush saw heavy rain and even snow.

The grape stomp pitted two sets of 10 teams against each other. In each stomp, the teams were given two minutes to stomp as much juice out of the grapes as possible at the sound of a starter pistol. In most cases, about four people shared a plastic tub full of red grapes and stomped them with their bare feet. At the end, the team members emerged with sticky purple feet that required a brisk washing from a garden hose. The combination of cold water, bare feet and cold air was one many stompers immediately felt.

"It was really nice, " said stomper Diane O'Henry of the competition as she sat in a green plastic chair dressed head-to-toe in green and wore a shamrock name tag. "We stomped and took second place."

First place was given to the team that stomped the most grape juice within the two minute timespan. Second place was given to the team with the best costumes and third went to the most unique team name. The first place team received a case of Morgan Creek wine.

Among the things Marti said contributed to the success of the day, two were "the spirit of camaraderie among the participants, I think and the really enjoyable weather."

Here are today's fest events:

* Marktplatz Mall--101 N. German St.--Craft show from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

* The Harkin Store--Rural Route 3 and Nicollet County Road 21--Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

* Morgan Creek Vineyard--Highway 68 and Junction 47--Tours and wine tasting from 1 to 4 p.m. on the hour. Cost: $2 each.

* Schell's Brewery--1860 Schell Rd.--Brewery tours from noon every half-hour to 4 p.m.

* Turner Halle--102 S. State St.--Peter and Paul Wendinger Band. Sponsored by New Ulm Area Catholic Schools. Will run from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.