Akron German Family Society

Home
United States
Kent, OH
Akron German Family Society

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

We are a non-profit, volunteer-led organization sharing our history and traditions with our community The German Family Society was founded in 1955 at St.
(1)

Bernard’s Catholic church by Danubeswabian (Folk-German), German and Austrian immigrants. In the 1960’s, we moved to the German American Club in Akron, then in 1973 to our present location (Donau Park) in Brimfield Twp. We are a non-profit, private and social organization whose charter is to promote our culture and pass down our ethnic heritage and family values to future generations. We are proud of the fact that our entire facility is maintained by members who volunteer their time and energy. We have approximately 12-15 major functions each year, including indoor dances with themes such as: Vienna Night, a Wine/Grape Harvest Festival, a Royal Ball, a New Year’s Eve Formal and even a Hawaiian Night (with a terrific, authentic Hawaiian show put on by our national prize winning Youth Group Dancers). We also sponsor Concert-Dances each year with famous performers from Germany and Austria. Of course, our best-known events are the 2-day “Old European Days-Pig Roast & Bierfest” held every year on the last weekend of June, and our 3-day “Oktoberfest”, called by local TV as the best, most original and traditional Oktoberfest in the state of Ohio.

11/03/2026

TRAUBENFEST (w**e festival)
Saturday, November 14 5:30PM
Dinner, Dance & Live Music

Reservations are required by Monday, November 9.
Please call/text Diane at 330-309-9486 or email [email protected]

Enjoy our buffet style dinner in our hall with live music. Don’t forget your dance shoes as you glide underneath our decorated trellises with w**e and prizes for all ages hanging down. Don’t get caught stealing or our “bouncers” will “arrest” you!

Traubenfest is a lively fundraiser hosted the Youth Group, where w**e thieves who get caught can pay their bail to get out of “jail”. All proceeds go to our organization.

Tickets include dinner, entrance & entertainment:
$22.00 Guests & Non-Members
$19.00 Passive Members
$17.00 Active Members
$6.00 Dancers + Non-performing Dancers, all 12 and younger

Live Music
Cash & Card full service bar
Dinner Menu: Goulash, baked chicken, spaetzle, parsley potatoes, green beans, salad, roll/butter.

FAQ
Don’t wish to play? No problem! Just join us on the dance floor, or socialize with your table and enjoy yourself.

Not a w**e drinker? We have plenty of beers on tap and bottle, as well as our full service bar.

Is it family friendly? All events at the German family society are family friendly, kids of all ages are welcome to come and participate. Must be 21 or older to “steal” or purchase alcohol.

10/27/2026

There’s no place like home. Enjoying the cozy autumn vibes at our club in the morning 🧡🍂

📸 Photos by board member Michael Rodesheim

10/11/2026

10/08/2026

We can’t wait to see you this weekend! 🇩🇪🥨

Enjoy live entertainment at the Hometown Bank Plaza this Saturday, October 10!

Noon-2pm Polka with Patty C & The Guys

1pm & 2pm German Family Society Dancers

3-5pm The Jack Fords

6-8pm Country Honk

10/07/2026

🇩🇪🇺🇸 Happy German American Day! 🇺🇸🇩🇪

Today, we celebrate the German heritage that connects us to our past and continues to shape our future. From our traditions and language to our music, dancing, food and family, we are proud to honor where we come from and share our culture with the next generation.

10/04/2026

💍✨ October is ! ✨💍

Dreaming of a wedding day filled with beautiful scenery, delicious homemade food and plenty of room to celebrate with the people you love? The Akron German Family Society may be the perfect place to say “I do”! ❤️

From an elegant indoor reception for up to 320 guests to an outdoor ceremony surrounded by our pond, fountain, wooded grounds, Pavilion and Biergarten, GFS offers a beautiful and unique setting for your special day. 🌿💐

Our experienced kitchen staff can provide a delicious selection of homemade dishes, from schnitzel and cabbage rolls to roast pork, house sausage, German potato salad, spaetzle and more! We also offer hors d'oeuvres, desserts and a variety of beverage package options.

✨ Spacious reception hall
✨ Large ballroom dance floor
✨ Outdoor ceremony options
✨ Beautiful photo opportunities
✨ Bridal party dressing area
✨ Homemade food prepared by our staff
✨ Convenient location near I-76 and area hotels
✨ Drink packages

Whether you're planning a wedding, bridal shower, anniversary or another special celebration, we'd love to help make your day memorable!

📍 German Family Society
3871 Ranfield Road, Kent, OH 44240

💍 Ready to start planning? Contact Diane at 330-309-9486 to schedule a tour or learn more!

Learn more about weddings and rental on our website https://germanfamilysociety.com

10/03/2026

We love our sister clubs! ❤️🇩🇪Donauschwaben's German-American Cultural Center • Cleveland
The Chicago Donauschwaben
The American Aid Society of German Descendants
Cincinnati Donauschwaben Society
United Donauschwaben Of Milwaukee
Trenton Donauschwaben
(And more not listed here!)

Some German families in America did not come from Germany. They came from Hungary.

They are called the Danube Swabians, and the story starts in the 1720s. The Ottomans had been pushed back out of the Hungarian plain, the land was empty, and Vienna wanted it farmed. So German families were recruited down the Danube by barge, into what is now Hungary, Romania and Serbia.

They stayed more than two hundred years. German villages, German schools, German churches, surrounded by Hungarian and Serbian and Romanian neighbours, and after a while a dialect that was its own thing.

Most of them left or were forced out in the 1940s, and a great many came to America. Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Trenton.

Which is why some families hold a German name, a Hungarian town on the paperwork, and a recipe with paprika in it.

Does that sound like yours?

Address

3871 Ranfield Road
Kent, OH
44240

Telephone

+13306788229

Website

http://www.germanfamilysociety.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Akron German Family Society posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.