Frugal Family: Grab Your Lederhosen and Head to Helen

If polka music, beer, brats and men in short pants with suspenders aren’t the first things that pop into your head when you think of October, you need to do yourself a favor and plan a day trip up to Helen, Ga. sometime this month to experience Oktoberfest.

This year is Helen’s 41st year celebrating what has been called the longest running celebration of Oktoberfest in the Southeast. The festival actually kicks off in late September each year with a big parade. The family-friendly party then continues every day throughout the month of October, featuring live music, authentic German food and dancing.

What to Expect

Based on the idea of Gemutlichkeit, a German word signifying the joy of community and a heartfelt sense of belonging, Helen’s Oktoberfest plays out around the FestHalle, located - appropriately enough - in the center of town. There you will find national and international bands playing authentic German and Austrian music and rows of long tables where local Helen citizens and visitors from around the country gather to enjoy the music, eat and mingle. Children are perfectly welcomed and they generally love to see the musicians dressed in traditional German attire playing accordions and performing traditional Bavarian dances. They’ll also enjoy watching the grown ups doing the “chicken dance.”

Budget Accordingly

Saturday, entrance into the FestHalle is $9 per person; this does not include the cost for food or beverages. Entrance is free every Sunday, however, so by planning accordingly, you could cut a significant part of your expenses, which will leave you more money to spend on food from the various vendors. Even being really frugal, you should expect to spend around $15 per person on food—you can cut expenses by sharing a Wurst platter, but you’ll probably want to try the sauerkraut and wiener schnitzel as well.

Some Final Thoughts

Princess obsessed girls might enjoy visiting the festival best on October 8th, so they can watch the annual Miss  Oktoberfest Pageant. If you have small children (ages 10 and under), it’s a good idea to visit early and make plans to leave before 7 p.m. as some adults can become rowdy with the extended beer sampling. Impromptu overnight stays will be hard to pull-off; hotels and motels in the area generally book up far in advance so try to leave well before you start to feel too tired for the nearly two-hour drive back to Roswell.