Oktoberfest names royalty
Carrie Nolan (left) and Dave Wesener (right) were named Miss Oktoberfest and Fest Master for the 2024 event, which will take place on October 19. (Steve Van Kooten/Courier Press)
By Steve Van Kooten
The Prairie du Chien Oktoberfest announced this year’s fest master and Miss Oktoberfest.
Dave Wesener and Carrie Nolan were selected to fill roles for the 2024 event. It will be the 15th time men and women clad in lederhosen and dirndls have convened on St. Feriole Island for the annual fall celebration.
The fest master is the event’s master of ceremonies. This year, Wesener will be the guy that comes around making sure everything — from the bratwurst to the entertainment — is up to snuff.
“Part of it is trying to make sure everybody is having a good time at Oktoberfest and that they’re so enthused about it that they’ll come back in the future as well,” said Wesener.
Wesener came to the Prairie du Chien area in 2010 and became part of the Oktoberfest Committee after watching the event from the sidelines.
“Through my involvement in the rotary [club], I was one of the people on the committee that formed the disc golf park in the community, and then I was asked by Mike [Ulrich] if I would run the disc golf contest during the Oktoberfest each year, which I did,” said Wesener. “And I was promoting Oktoberfest and enjoying and seeing the parade go by while the disc tournament was going on, and finally, I said to Mike, ‘I’m missing a lot of it,’ and I’d rather be on the committee and be a part of it.”
Miss Oktoberfest also serves as an ambassador to the community and, as Nolan put it, needs to be “the life of the party.”
“The role of Miss Oktoberfest in Prairie du Chien is a leader in the community, someone who is outgoing and not only active in the Oktoberfest Committee but also active in the community,” said Nolan.
Every year, Nolan fills all kinds of haferlschuh for the event.
“I’ve been promoting Oktoberfest every year, and my role on the committee is photographer, videographer and managing the social media sites,” she said. “My family and I have been volunteering at the St. Feriole Island Memorial Gardens since 2005… and that’s where the first Oktoberfest began.”
Since 2009, Oktoberfest has outgrown the gardens and settled around the Firemen’s Association Shelter. On October 19, big, yellow tents will spring up on the island, and Polka music will fill the air. Unlike many other Oktoberfest events, the Prairie du Chien has found success as a family-oriented destination.
“There’s a lot of Oktoberfests in the state of Wisconsin and along the river, but I think ours is unique in that the committee considers how we can make this a family event. How can we get kids involved in the event?” Wesener said.
“Our committee takes great pride in keeping our festival very family friendly,” said Nolan. “I’ve been part of the Oktoberfest committee since the first one in 2009. Back then, my three high schoolers were toddlers, and our family would bring a load of straw every year for kids to play in. We would set up a straw maze and bring in cows for a milking contest.”
The parade on Saturday morning is an opportunity for family-friendly activities that are offered during the day. Children’s activities, including the arts and crafts tents and root beer stein holding contest, are as much a part of the PdC Oktoberfest identity as adult festivities, like the sauerkraut eating contest and the keg toss.
“Each year, as I’ve been a member of the committee and attended Oktoberfest, I’ve seen more and more family-oriented activities, games and events, especially this year,” said Wesener.
But for adults looking for suitable libations and authentic German cooking, there’s no need to worry. Just like every other year, there will be plenty of opportunities for event goers to eat, drink and be merry as they partake in hammerschlagen and two-step to the oompah band.
