Oldenburg Freudenfest

10/14/2026

We ❤️ our Oldenburg,… 🇩🇪 🇺🇸 🍻

https://www.facebook.com/share/18VPBjA8YM/?mibextid=wwXIfr

There is a small town in southern Indiana where the street signs are in German as well as English.

It is Oldenburg, in Franklin County, off the road between Cincinnati and Indianapolis. German settlers founded it in 1837 and named it after Oldenburg in northern Germany. Walk through town and the street names end in Strasse.

Oldenburg is known as the Village of Spires, because of the church steeples rising over its rooftops: Holy Family Church, the Old Stone Church, and the convent of the Sisters of St. Francis, founded here in 1851 by Mother Theresa Hackelmeier. The sisters went on to open schools all over the Midwest.

Only about 650 people live there today. But every July the town throws Freudenfest, the festival of joy, with German music, sauerkraut balls and a dachshund race, and thousands of visitors come.

Have you ever been to Oldenburg, Indiana?

10/04/2026

A little difference that two years can make. Two years ago, we had a bus full of folks at the ‘24 Cincinnati Donauschwaben Oktoberfest. Mostly Oldenburg Freudenfest volunteers. One of those volunteers was Dan Weigel. Dan passed away in May of 2025. Dan pictured in the bottom picture in the far right in the green shirt was an instrumental and pivotal community member of Oldenburg, Indiana & Freudenfest. Dan loved Oldenburg and Oldenburg loved Dan.

This year, members of the Oldenburg Freudenfest celebrated at Cincinnati Donaschawben ‘26 — A festival that Dan so loved and dear cherished to the fullest.

We haven’t been back since that 2024 year, but we know that Dan would have wanted to be there and in spirit we know he was there. In the years recent, we’ve been reminded to not only remember the years of the present, but to acknowledge the past and the future.

Dan will always be remembered. He was a cornerstone of not only Freudenfest, but also Oldenburg. Dan made us better. Here’s to Dan and all of those who make Oldenburg our place to call home.

It truly takes a village. And ours is the best of the best.

PROST! 🍻 💛❤️

09/30/2026

Freudenfesters, who says you can only get your Freud on in July? 🍂

Join our neighbors under the spires for 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡’𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 in Oldenburg, 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟒, 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟏𝟏 𝐚.𝐦.–𝟑 𝐩.𝐦.!

Come hungry for chicken & roast beef dinners & their famous turtle soup! Enjoy games, raffles, a silent auction, bakery, craft, and produce booths. Bring the family & support a hometown tradition right here in Oldenburg! ❤️💛

Looking for some Friday & Saturday fun, too?

We’re also raising a stein to our friends at Cincinnati Donauschwaben! Before you visit Oldenburg on Sunday, be sure to visit their Oktoberfest 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 or 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 and enjoy German food, b**r, and live entertainment. They helped spread the word about Freudenfest this summer, so let’s return the love! A lovely authentic German festival! 🍻🥨

Two great traditions. Plenty of reasons to get your Freud on!

𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙎’𝙏! 🍺 🇩🇪

07/31/2026

🇩🇪 Festers…

Now that the 2026 Freudenfest is in the books, it’s time to look ahead!

2027 marks a very special milestone—50 years of Oldenburg Freudenfest! 🇩🇪🎉

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲… 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧. 🤦‍♂️ 🐶👀

We’re not saying there’s a giant dachshund invasion coming to Oldenburg… but we’re not not saying it either.

We’ve got some exciting surprises in the works, and over the coming months we’ll be sharing teaser trailers, sneak peeks, and a few unexpected visitors as we count down to our biggest celebration yet!

This is Trailer #1. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it!

🐶 𝘕𝘰 𝘥𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭-𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘳… 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘸𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥. 🌭😉

The countdown to 50 years starts now…

🎬 Trailer #1: The Dachshunds Are Coming!

NEXT SUMMER ‼️

⸻

🤩 2027 Oldenburg Freudenfest
🎆 Celebrating 50 Years!
🗓️ July 16 & 17, 2027
📍 Oldenburg, Indiana
ℹ️ www.freudenfest.com

07/29/2026

Folks, our final Freudenfest post comes with a little delay—and that’s okay. Some stories deserve a little extra time because the people behind them deserve to be celebrated.

As we sign off on another incredible Freudenfest, we couldn’t do so without recognizing someone who has given so much to our festival.

As Eric Heppner concludes his time as Chairman, we simply want to say thank you. This video is our small way of showing our appreciation for your leadership, friendship, and unwavering commitment to Freudenfest and our committee.

While your time as Chairman may be ending, we’re grateful you’ll continue to be part of what makes this festival so special. Your impact will be felt for years to come.

Take a few minutes to hear Eric reflect on his journey, the memories made, and his hopes for the future of Freudenfest.

From all of us, thank you, Eric, for everything you’ve done.

As we close the book on another unforgettable festival, we’re already looking ahead to something truly special. Next year marks the 50th Anniversary of Freudenfest! For five decades, this festival has brought our community together to celebrate faith, friendship, family, and tradition—and we can’t wait to celebrate this incredible milestone with all of you.

Mark your calendars for July 16 & 17, 2027. We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate 50 years of Freudenfest and make even more memories together.

Until then… here’s to 50 years—and the memories still to come. Prost! 🍻❤️💛

07/27/2026

❤️💛 Some people don't just volunteer... 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒄𝒚. ❤️💛

For the past several years, Chris and Patrick have done exactly that.

𝐎𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐒—𝐎𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐈𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬—is a dedicated group of parent volunteers committed to supporting the needs of Oldenburg Academy Athletics student-athletes. One of its largest annual efforts is operating the OASIS booths during the Oldenburg Freudenfest, where volunteers come together to serve great food while raising funds that directly benefit Twister athletics.

For the past several years, Chris and Patrick have helped lead that effort, inspiring so many others to volunteer alongside them.

Back in 2019, Chris and Patrick stood shoulder to shoulder over the Reuben grill on a hot Friday evening. It didn't take long to realize they shared the same philosophy: if they were going to do this, they were going to do it right. They wanted to serve the best food possible while creating an experience people looked forward to every summer. What started over that grill became not only a great working relationship, but an even greater friendship. Together, Chris and Patrick helped turned that vision into a tradition that benefited both Freudenfest and OASIS.

𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐮𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐬, 𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐒 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭.

𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡, 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐣𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝, 𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧—𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩, 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞, 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤, 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐒 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞.

The Grote family also deserves special recognition. Thank you to Laura, CJ, Calvin and Gina. 👏 👏

Their willingness to serve made the OASIS booth more than just a fundraiser; it made it feel like family. Their dedication and countless hours of service have left a lasting mark on OASIS and Freudenfest alike.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐢𝐭.

Whether they were serving 𝐑𝐞𝐮𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐬, 𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬, they understood that every order represented something much bigger than a meal.

Every customer served, every shift worked, and every hour volunteered helped supported the student-athletes of Oldenburg Academy.

It all helped invest in the next generation of Twisters.

To every volunteer who worked alongside Chris and Patrick over the years—whether for an hour or an entire weekend—thank you.

As Chris and Patrick stepped away after this year's festival, we simply want to say 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

Thank you for the countless hours.
Thank you for the leadership.
Thank you for the friendship.

And most importantly, thank you for believing in the mission of OASIS and Oldenburg Academy and helping towards the betterment of the mission of Freudenfest, by providing a family-fun day.

Because of your dedication, thousands of festival guests were served, meaningful friendships were formed, and countless Oldenburg Academy student-athletes have benefited from the opportunities your hard work helped make possible.

You may be hanging up the apron, but your legacy will live on—in every volunteer who follows your example, every student-athlete impacted by OASIS, and every Freudenfest that continues to bring our community together.

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬, 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐒, 𝐎𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. ❤️💛

07/25/2026

Festers, there’s only two more posts left to make to conclude 2026 OLDENBURG FREUDENFEST , but before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we must give one more GIANT PROST 🍺 to our 2026 sponsors!

Because of their support we were able to have a successful Freudenfest!

We thank each and every one of them. Please support these businesses in any way that you can. Their contributions to Freudenfest have lasting impacts towards the betterment of our village, the surrounding communities and the overall success of the festival.

🇩🇪🇺🇸🍺

07/24/2026

Folks, we have just a couple of posts to make yet before we sign off from this year’s festival. Until then, let us continue to express our gratitude.

📸 Every year we take the same picture... but somehow it's never the same picture.

Before the crowds arrive...
Before the music starts...
Before the first brat is served...
Before the first b**r is poured...

We gather for one tradition of our own.

At first glance, these look like simple group photos.

But look a little closer.

You'll see friendships that have lasted decades.

You'll see new volunteers joining the tradition.

You'll see families bringing the next generation with them.

You'll see people who give up vacation days, evenings, and weekends—not for recognition, but because they love this community.

The faces change a little each year...
The kids grow taller...
Some friends are dearly missed...
Many new faces step in...

But one thing never changes:
❤️ The heart of Freudenfest has never been the tents, the food, or the entertainment. It has always been the people behind it.

These photos represent many of the volunteers who were there when the picture was taken—but they don't tell the whole story. Throughout the weekend, hundreds of others steped in to work a few hours, covered a shift, lended a hand, solved a problem, or simply did whatever needed to be done. Whether you volunteered for two hours or two weeks or all year, you are part of what makes Freudenfest possible.

For generations, this festival has been built one volunteer, one shift, one handshake, and one act of service at a time.

To our volunteers,
Thank you.

To our first responders,
Thank you.

To our sponsors,
Thank you.

These aren't just annual photos.
They're a timeline of a community that continues to answer the call.
They're a reminder that traditions don't continue because of b**r, tents, or stages.

…They continue because people choose to show up!

Here's to the volunteers who came before us...
Those who serve beside us today...
And those who will one day step into next year's picture.

Danke, volunteers. 👏 👏
Freudenfest simply wouldn't be Freudenfest without you. ❤️🇩🇪🍻

❤️Oldenburg wouldn’t be Oldenburg, without you💛

07/23/2026

Congratulations to Chef Chris Stange for having the highest auctioned off pie in this year’s 2026 OLDENBURG FREUDENFEST !

Chris’s homemade pie was made of 8lbs of cherries, blackberries and blueberries, topped off with Eagle Rare bourbon and labeled as “The Freudenfest Special”.

Alex Meer was the recipient of the pie, having the winning the highest auctioned off pie at this year’s Freudenfest at a stunning $1300.00! Alex said it had to weigh 30lbs! Alex is also a bronze sponsor with Health Markets of this year’s Freudenfest! Thank you, Alex! 👏 👏

Like we said, we like BIG homemade pies and we cannot lie!

🥧 🥧 🥧 🍴🍴 😋 😋 😋 👍🏻

Thanks to all that entered an entry into this year’s 🥧 auction. We had over 30 entries!

Here’s a picture of Chris’s pie along with Alex who took it home! 😉 😋

🎥 Video of this pie can be seen in the comments.

Until next year!

🇩🇪 🇺🇸 🍻