 The center of Mt Angel Oktoberfest at Garfield & Charles. A useful pamphlet and info booth are available here. Getting to Mt Angel Oktoberfest Traveling south on I-205 from Portland OR, there's more than one choice for getting to Mt Angel. Google says it's about a 45 min drive at best, but one day it took me an hour, and Saturday it took me an hour and a half (when I thought there wouldn't be as much traffic!) If you prefer countryside driving vs the freeway, I suggest going south on Hwy 99E from Hwy 205. It skirts Oregon City and wends its way along the Willamette River awhile, traverses Canby & Barlow, Hubbard & Woodburn (all towns I'd like to explore more sometime), and then you turn southeast on Hwy 214, which will come into Mt Angel from the north. Turn east on Palmer St to get to handicapped parking: there's parking in that first block off Hwy 214, but better than that is the parking lot of St Mary Church--take Palmer to Oak St and go south to College St. The Church is to the east, and it has plenty of paved parking, free for disabled permits. If you don't have a disability permit, parking is at a premium. Friday it was bad enough, but on Sat every street was lined with cars. Ordinarily it's a town of less than 5000. Some places offer $7 parking, official parking areas are $10. There are shuttles to and from the official parking lots (which fill fast, of course), as well as the shuttle to the Abbey, but they did not appear wheelchair accessible to me. St Mary Catholic Church, 575 E College St, Mt Angel, OR 97362
Kindergarten, across the street from St Mary Catholic Church Bouncy house, carnival rides, pony rides, etc.--all for free. Military Vehicle Display, Sat 9am-3pm at the Legion Hall, 740 E College St, Mt. Angel, OR 97362 I saw some of these vehicles down the hill in the main festival area on Fri, but didn't have a chance to get any photos. On Sat I was anxious to get up to the Abbey before the museum closed, so had to pass (opportunity cost), and by the time I returned, they were done. Cruz 'n Car Show, 9am til whenever; St Mary's Public School--590 E College St, Mt Angel, OR 97362 Rollin' down College & Church St, Mt Angel Oktoberfest 2022 One might speculate whether whoever laid out the town had indulged a bit much in the spirited festivities . . . St Mary Catholic Church is on College St. But as you head downhill toward the center of town, College St leaps north a block at Oak St, and continuing west on what was College St you are suddenly on Church St. The Center of Mt Angel Oktoberfest was at Garfield & Charles streets. From College St I turned on Garfield and worked my way north a block, past the City Hall and the Souvenir booth. At Garfield & Charles was the information booth, and a shelf of free, informative booklets with a map, schedule of events each day, info about the events and venues (like what spirits are served at each, with prices), free family fun, etc. I recommend planning to spend 2 days at least, and if you haven't been before, you can peruse the booklet even further before the 2nd day. If you plan to imbibe, I suggest making a reservation to stay over well in advance. *Note: although most places accept credit cards, there a some that only take cash. ATMs are sprinkled around in cute little "houses", but it costed me $4.50 to use one, and I had to ask a kind person to help me because it was too high for me to reach some of the buttons. People were very nice to me at the festival. Charles Street Dancers, Performers at the Bandstand, Charles St & Cleveland I took SO many photos, because obvioiusly it's difficult to get a good shot while people are in motion--especially at night. I liked some of the shots, even though there were not crisp. Organizing, labeling, and choosing the best out of over 500 shots takes a lot of time and stamina itself! I so enjoyed the beauty of the colorful costumes and complexions--it's so great when we can celebrate each others' cultural heritage. Spectators were so kind to let me up front so I could see, as they stood because the seating was packed. Hoop Dance--Webertanz, Mt Angel Dance Troupe Moms & Daughters Dance--Webertanz, Mt Angel Dance Troupe Dads & Daughters dance--Webertanz, Mt Angel Dance Troupe Boys' Dance--Webertanz, Mt Angel Dance Troupe 9th Graders--Webertanz, Mt Angel Dance Troupe Young Adults Dances--Webertanz, Mt Angel Dance Troupe Maypole Dance--Webertanz, Mt Angel Dance Troupe Marion County Citizens Band Tirolean Dancers Dances from Denmark, Austria, Germany, N Germany, Bavaria . . . including one called Horseshoes, one called King's Cross, another based on the skills of miners. "The Schuhplattler is a traditional style of folk dance popular in the regions of Bavaria and Tyrol (southern Germany, Austria and the German speaking regions of northern Italy). In this dance, the performers stomp, clap and strike the soles of their shoes (Schuhe), thighs and knees with their hands held flat (platt). There are more than 150 basic Schuhplattlers, as well as marches and acrobatic feats that are often interspersed with the basic dance in performance. They may be seen today in Europe and in German immigrant communities around the world. While the Schuhplattler is still largely performed by adults, it has become increasingly popular with youngsters, who love its colorful costumes and its bouncing, leaping, kicking and choreographed horseplay." Arts & Crafts booths were on College St between Main & Cleveland, and Cleveland St between College & Charles St, and on the north end of Garfield from College to Palmer St. The map had them colored in green and labeled, but for a first timer, there was a lot of information on the map to assimilate. Food booths and Drinking venues were mostly along Garfield Street, but a few were sprinkled about--esp snacks. A few more things to explore in Mt Angel Sorry, I didn't get a photo of the lovely fountain . . . but, here's what I did manage. Mt Angel Abbey
The museum is very different than I expected . . . it's not simply full of religious icons, but has lots of natural and local history exhibits, as well as art and historical artifacts that have been donated. If you are squeamish about the fact that in nature some animals eat others, you may find some of the displays unsettling. Nothing gory, but predators attacking or chasing prey along with more placid scenes. As with most museums, it's difficult to get photos without annoying reflections--these are only to whet the appetite to see for yourself. Not far away . . .
Old Aurora Colony Historical Museum--15018 2nd St NE, Aurora OR Exhibits from local German & Swiss immigrants $6, Th-Sat 11am-4pm, tours available
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Wheelchair WomanI've been in a wheelchair for 30+ years. It poses some challenges for traveling. Maybe others can benefit from my experiences. Archives
March 2025
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