What was forecasted as a cloudy, dreary day turned out to be a stellar Saturday for Saddleback’s first of many Oktoberfest celebrations. The Western Maine mountains, aglow with the crimson colors of autumn, set the stage for the sold-out event.

Oktoberfest festivities kicked off with a keg toss and live music from Rangeley’s own Unknown Legend. Attendees dined on extra-large soft pretzels dunked in beer cheese, buns filled with brats, sauerkraut and spaetzle and sipped on traditional German imports and lots of local craft beers. Bigelow Brewing, based in Skowhegan, Maine, served up pumpkin ale and their scotch ale ‘Tin Can Sailor’ – a collaboration beer with Hight Auto in celebration of Hight’s 110-year anniversary. Hight & Saddleback matched $1 from every can sold as a fundraiser for the Rangeley Alpine Ski Club. The Dasch craft seltzer tent was a crowd favorite. The company brews homespun blueberry hard seltzer.

Cheers echoed around the base area when the stein hoisting competition kicked off. If you don’t know, stein hoisting is a traditional Bavarian strength contest in which competitors hold a full one-liter beer stein in front of their bodies with a straight arm, parallel to the ground. The last person holding the pose is declared the winner. At Oktoberfest, the winners in the men’s’ and women’s’ competition happened to be a husband and wife!

Not long after, The Mallett Brothers Band, with several of the band members sporting lederhosen and classic Ski Saddleback PBR T-shirts, took the stage and rocked the base area while the sun began to set on the perfect fall day in the mountains. Saddleback plans to hold the second annual Oktoberfest on the second Saturday of the month next year. Mark your calendar! Prost!

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