The revival of Oktoberfest in Woodland Park combines games and a zany contest to raise money for the city’s youth athletics.

A celebration full of varieties, food, golf, bingo, beer and music, Oktoberfest Above the Clouds hosts the event. Formed for the purpose of benefiting youth, Oktoberfest Above the Clouds is a nonprofit organization.   

“We’ve been meeting weekly to plan this Oktoberfest,” said Seth Bryant, executive director of the volunteer board. “The money we raise is going to the kids, for equipment, tournament fees, scholarships, things of that nature.”

The experience begins Thursday, Sept. 17, with bingo sponsored by Ute Pass Kiwanis at the Ute Pass Cultural Center. The next day, the 18^th, proceeds with a golf tournament at Shining Mountain Golf Club and concludes with a Brewmaster’s dinner at Tava House.

The traditional Oktoberfest beer hall will be at the cultural center.  

There’s even a stein-holding contest to see who has the strongest arm. It goes like this: ‘They fill up a stein, hold it out in front of themselves for as long as they can,” Bryant said.

For the energetic, the event features a 5k or 10k race on Saturday morning. 

The actual celebration of Oktoberfest will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 19 over three downtown blocks, beginning at Memorial Park.  “We’ve got two bands, live music all day, food trucks, a Bounce House and the Cheyenne Mountain mobile zoo,” Bryant said.

Dana’s Dance will perform traditional German dances. The event continues with a pickleball tournament, the result of a partnership between Woodland Park Pickleball Above the Clouds and Parent Advisory Committee.

An Oktoberfest-themed brunch on Sept. 20 at Boards & Barrels restaurant puts the final cap on the celebration. “We’re advertising this event from Denver to Canon City and from Falcon to Buena Vista,” Bryant said.  “We want people to experience what Woodland Park is all about and raise money for local teams.”

While the event itself is free, the organization expects to raise money with fees for the golf tournament and the sale of beer, t-shirts and other merchandise.

“Youth sports have so many positive outcomes; kids who participate in sports tend to get better grades, have more social currency, tend to stay away from drugs and alcohol, learn skills like teamwork and perseverance,” he said. “These outcomes are huge.”

The biggest barrier for kids to participate in sports is generally financial, Bryant said. “All that gear is expensive, travel to tournaments is expensive and pocketbooks in Teller County are feeling tight right now,” he added. “People are having to make tough decisions. We want to help with those decisions.”

The beneficiaries of the event: Teller Take Down, Woodland Wolves, Game Day Above the Clouds, Woodland Park High School Mountain Bike Club, and Woodland Park High School Panther athletics.

Event sponsors include the city of Woodland Park, Teller WiFi, High Country Realty, American Furniture Warehouse, Base Camp Construction, Trout Roofing and many other organizations which are helping with details.

For information, check oktoberfestabovetheclouds.org