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German activities headline Oldenburg festival [The Herald-Tribune, Batesville, Ind.](Herald-Tribune (Batesville, IN) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) July 12--Oldenburg's Freudenfest has been called "the biggest little German festival in Indiana," points out fest volunteer Gary Munchel. "We provide a lot of entertainment held within a very festive, lighthearted atmosphere and there is no cover charge. We try and make the festival grounds feel like a family festival you might attend in Germany. We have a great variety of food and drink. Our biggest attribute is that we hold an authentic German festival in the authentic German community of Oldenburg, the Village of Spires." Longtime fest chairman Paul Selkirk appreciates "the manpower and the dedication of the people trying to put the fest on .... You wouldn't believe the number of people it takes to put it all together." The fun happens Friday-Saturday, July 15-16, near the town hall on Pearl Street. Live entertainment is a given. Fest committee member Troy Ilderton announces, "The Happy Valley Bluegrass Band and Pros't will play on Friday, and Die Doppel Adler Musikanten and Eureka bands on Saturday. We also have a group called Music According to Accordions that wander through the crowd entertaining. And we can\'t forget the Freudenfest Beer Drill Team, who will open the festival Friday night around 6. "Also the Donauschwaben Dancers from Cincinnati will join us this year, in addition to Die Fledermauschen Tanzgruppe dancers, who are from Indianapolis, and always do a great job." New this year on Friday night is a Beer Beauty Contest, which, Paul Brockman says, "celebrates the beauty of great draft beer. I've written a little song, and we will have people representing 11 different beers. As I sing the name of the beer, each (person) will parade across the stage. Contestants will be judged on "cheer and beer," he notes. "Judges will be tasting each beer, and the crowd will be cheering." After the scores are added up, the winner will be announced. On Saturday, from 6:30-11 a.m., Boy Scout Troop 634 members will be serving a freewill offering breakfast in the Holy Family Catholic Church cafeteria. The menu: sausage, ham, scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, baked goods, fresh fruit, juice, milk and coffee. Athletes can walk, bike and/or jog that day. The early morning 10K is a leisurely stroll through the countryside. Two distances of bike rides are scheduled. Participants should meet in front of the town hall, pay $15 entry fees and wear helmets. A free 1K fun run for children 6 and under begins in late afternoon, followed by a 5K Twister Lauf Run. Both begin at Oldenburg Academy. The 5K entry form is on the Freudenfest Web site. Fees are $20 (with T-shirt) and $15. Beer steins will be presented to the overall male and female winners, and medals will be given in many age groups. Proceeds will benefit area runners and the Holly Bruns Scholarship. The Freudenthon will challenge the physically fit. To win, one must complete the 10K walk, 20-mile bike ride and 5K and have the best time in the latter. Trophies will be presented to the top male and female. A costume contest takes place Saturday. Ilderton emphasizes, "We always encourage everyone to 'Dress for the Fest' in their best German attire. It really adds to the ambiance of the festival ... Walk-around judging will occur between 3-5 p.m., and the winner will be announced shortly after." Amateur photographers may submit one or more free entries between 4-by-6 and 8-by-10 inches by Thursday, July 14, at 4 p.m. at The Village Store Meat Department. Subjects must be snapped in or around the Oldenburg area. Prizes are cash: first, $100; second, $75; third, $50. More information can be found on the Web site. Ilderton reveals, "There will be blow-up attractions for the kids, as well as other types of games for them to enjoy. The adults can enjoy the German games, which include the beer stein slide and the stein holding contest. That's always fun to watch as well as participate in." Food is a big draw. Dinners include roast beef, fried chicken or sausage and sauerkraut; German potato salad or mashed potatoes; green beans; slaw or applesauce, according to kitchen coordinator Cindy Ziemke. The cost is $10 for adults and $5.50 for kids. Lighter fair is also for sale: brats, metts, rib eye, barbecue pork and reuben sandwiches, roasted corn on the cob, ice cream and shaved ice. And, of course, there are Rita Baumer's famous sauerkraut balls. "A great group of local volunteers met several times starting early in the year ... to make about 900-1,000 dozen. They are delicious," Ilderton stresses. The pie auction is "a great time. The bidding is quite competitive, and the people donating pies get really creative in the types they bake and also the names they put on them. Anyone wanting to enter a pie can drop it off Saturday at the firehouse," he notes. Raffle tickets are $5 each or three for $10. The grand prize is an LG 55-inch, high definition TV with a home theater system. Second prize is a handmade creche and third prize is a stocking filled with local gift certificates worth $160. The drawing is Saturday at 10 p.m. Munchel says, "Every penny of our proceeds goes to helping preserve and enhance Oldenburg and local organizations." Ilderton sums up the two-day event: "When you walk into the festival area, there\'s always a familiar feel about it, and it puts a smile on your face." ___ To see more of The Herald-Tribune or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.batesvilleheraldtribune.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Herald-Tribune, Batesville, Ind. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 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