A new major community and tourism event was announced Thursday afternoon by Duluth-based event company Kern and Kompany. The three-day Duluth Oktoberfestival will bring an authentic German experience to Bayfront Festival Park September 13-15, 2019.

Kern and Kompany President Ryan Kern expressed an ongoing desire to bring new and different events to the community, and enthusiastically shared this new addition to the roster of events through the year that make Duluth an event destination for both tourists and residents. Duluth City Councilor Noah Hobbs spoke to the value of major events like this during Thursday's media event, sharing that events like this are significant contributors to the local economy, especially if the event can draw people into town, and keep them here for at least 24 hours.

The event will feature authentic German food, beer, activities, and vendors as part of a complete experience at Bayfront. While the event will feature beer and music going into the evenings geared toward adults, organizers with Kern and Kompany explained that they aim to have a variety of activities geared toward the entire family happening through the course of the weekend, especially emphasized on Sunday, September 15.

Jon Carlson, one of the lead event coordinators for the Duluth Oktoberfest at Kern and Kompany, explained that there is a three year plan in place to grow the event's activities as a whole, and could include things like bounce houses, petting zoos, games, and other activities.

Ryan Kern and Jon Carlson of Kern and Kompany share additional details about what to expect, and the work going into planning the inaugural Duluth Oktoberfestival in the video above.

Townsquare Media Duluth's KOOL 101.7 joins the promotional partners for this new event, and the stations of Townsquare Media Duluth and our websites and social media will be conduits for information about the new event in the time leading up to it. Townsquare Media Duluth Market President Mary Niemeyer expressed enthusiasm about the partnership and event as a whole, saying "This is clearly a fun event that the region has been missing. We're excited about what this will mean to our community, both from an economic standpoint and for the fun value it brings to our community as it grows even more vibrant every year. We're very proud to be a part of it all as it launches in 2019."

The event's website will be launching in 2019 at www.duluthoktoberfestival.com, and the event's social media pages are already live on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

 

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