By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
In the early 20th century, an American word of ultimately unverified origin made its way into our vocabulary. It is thought to have been perhaps a description of a Spanish boat, a circus sideshow, a town in Ireland, or possibly just gibberish, and that word is “ballyhoo.” It has come to mean “loud and boisterous advertising,” and this article as it pertains to an up-and-coming celebration is guilty as charged. Athens Alehouse & Cellar is “hollerin’” that the fifth iteration of “Athtoberfest” is going to be on Friday, September 26 from 4-9 p.m., and “come one, come all” is indeed an appropriate invitation. That includes your kids, and in addition, your dogs can come and be on the patio. Ken Hill, who along with his wife, Lori, owns Athens Alehouse & Cellar and has promised that the evening will be a “ballyhoo of next-level sorts.” In other words, there is going to be a ton of fun.
Ken and Lori Hill opened the Alehouse originally on Washington Street, and this is the first celebration in the new location, whose address is 113 S. Marion Street on the east side of the courthouse square. The Alehouse is easy to recognize because it has four swings that were hand-crafted by Ken using wood found during the extensive renovation process of the new digs.
By way of history, Oktoberfest was started in 1810 when Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese, and Germany celebrated nonstop for two weeks. Since that time, the largest Oktoberfest celebration in the world is held annually in Munich. In America, the very first Oktoberfest was held in La Crosse, Wisconsin, back in 1961, and the one held in Cincinnati draws 500,000 visitors each year. Cincinnati’s, or “Zinzinnati” as it is known in Germany, is second in size only to Oktoberfest Munich. Athtoberfest will only be for the one day, and as far as anyone knows, no weddings will be part of the festivities.
What WILL be happening, however is a classic German contest known as a “Masskrugstemmen,” or in English, “stein holding,” as described by Wikipedia below:
Steinholding, also known as Masskrugstemmen, is a traditional Bavarian strength and endurance contest where competitors hold a full one-liter beer stein, weighing five pounds. The goal is to hold the stein out in front of the body with a straight arm for as long as possible without bending the elbow or spilling any beer. The competitor who can hold their stein with proper form for the longest duration is the winner.
A full one-liter stein weighs about five pounds, and the U.S. records are approximately 21 minutes for men, and six minutes for women. If you spill even a drop before you reach muscle failure, you are disqualified, and there are strict rules of the game with regard to the angle you use to hold your stein, as well as the placement of your thumb while doing so! The winner will be invited to compete in the Masskrugstemmen contest at Cullman’s Oktoberfest, which will be held on Saturday, October 4. Those winners will hold the title for the state of Alabama. The competition has grown in popularity, and 2025 is the first year that it has gone nation-wide.
Another fun feature for Athtoberfest 5.0 is what Ken has named “Operation Cool Blue.” If you bring your “Blue Cup,” (the ones that are approved for carrying around the square,) he will run it through the commercial dishwasher and sterilize it for free so you can move about to other locations that will be open for the Friday night Merchant’s Alley event. The Alehouse will be serving both German beer as well as American beer, along with bratwurst and authentic pretzels outside. The full Alehouse menu will be available inside, as will the beverage menu.
In addition, there will be bouncy castles for kids of all ages on the square, which will be blocked off from S. Marion to Market Street. The Alehouse has always featured street chalk, various outdoor games, along with an atmosphere that is truly family friendly, and this year will be no exception.
So, save the date, Friday, September 26 for Athtoberfest 5.0, and welcome autumn to Athens. You will find that fall in this town is indeed one of the best seasons of the year!
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
