OREGON, Ohio — Lederhosen, beer, schnitzel, and live music just scratches surface of what there is to experience at the German American Festival.
Oregon's massive weekend-long event celebrates all things German.
For Axel Mueller and his wife, Wendy, chairpeople for the German American Festival, it's a heritage that runs very deep.
"My parents were two of the founders of this festival - 55... er... 56 years ago, and it feels good continuing their legacy out here now," said Axel.
The festival's legacy revolves around sharing the best that Germany has to offer, giving people stateside a taste of what a celebration in Berlin or Dusseldorf is like - specifically the emotions these events stir in people.
Axel explained that his parents could describe the combined feelings of the German American Festival in one word:
"Gemultlichkeit. Which is friendship, comradery and celebration. And that's what a lot of people come out here for," he said.
Scenes of Gemultlichkeit are all over the festival - eating, drinking, dancing, everyone grinning from ear to ear.
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For the Muellers, they say that the festival and its joy creates a distillation of what makes German culture so unique.
it's a special something that's a part of their lives, and they love sharing that with others.
"It's always been a part of our life, it's just what we do. And we're really glad we get to chair some of the events and some of the different activities here, so we can bring all of this German culture that we love every day to our friends in Northwest Ohio," said Wendy Mueller.
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