NEW MUSEUM EXHIBIT MARKS 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF OKTOBERFEST

      Garden City's annual Oktoberfest celebration is marking 50 years in 2024, and the Finney County Historical Museum has opened a new short-term exhibit in the Front Door Gallery to tell the story of the gathering.       Hosted since the beginning by the Knights of Columbus, the local German cultural observance was launched in 1974 and museum visitors will see more than a dozen photographs and artifacts representing the event, particularly from the first 10 years it took place. During that period the celebration encompassed games, dances with visiting polka bands and religious polka masses, plus the introduction of bierocks and additional Bavarian foods to the community, washed down with quantities of beer.       Modern Oktoberfest observances now take place across the U.S., especially in areas like Finney County that once drew German immigrants. All the gatherings trace their origins to the city of Munich and a festival there in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria.       Museum admission is free and viewing hours are 1-5 p.m. seven days of the week. The museum is located at 403 S. Fourth Street in Garden City's Finnup Park, adjacent to Lee Richardson Zoo. The Front Door Gallery is a small space just inside the entrance, where displays change four to six times each year.       All other museum exhibits are accessible simultaneously and the gift shop is open the same hours. Front Door Gallery displays are supported by the Steve Stone Memorial Fund and the Oktoberfest items will remain up for viewing until late November.       Those who stop in will see musical instruments, an authentic pair of German lederhosen with Tyrolean hat; Garden City Oktoberfest T-shirts, mugs and a stein; an early local poster, plus various Oktoberfest souvenirs and news clips, including a 1974 Garden City Telegram story announcing that the event would soon be launched. Visitors may also read about Oktoberfest's Bavarian origins, discover the top five U.S. polka hits of all time and take home a copy of the celebration's 10th anniversary program from 1984.

17th Oct at Finney County Historical Museum

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