Germania of Poughkeepsie Hosts Annual Oktoberfest Celebration

Dancers in traditional lederhosen and dirndl performing at Germania of Poughkeepsie's Oktoberfest on Saturday, September 6, 2025. Photo by Ciara Molloy '26

During the weekend of Sept. 5, non-profit cultural organization Germania of Poughkeepsie held its annual Oktoberfest on its festival grounds. Celebrations of German culture were put on full display for all members of the community to enjoy.

Characterized by a wide variety of German beer and food, traditional dance performances, live music and a feeling of community and excitement, Germania’s Oktoberfest created a welcoming and cheerful environment all while emulating the spirit of the flagship Münich festival.

Originating in 1850, Germania of Poughkeepsie was founded by Adolph Kuehn, who ended up in Poughkeepsie after immigrating from Leipzig, Germany. The organization originally started as the Germania Singing Society, with a focus on German singing and music.

Over the years, Germania of Poughkeepsie has changed forms and taken on many new initiatives. They now celebrate over 170 years as an organization, making it the third-longest-running German-American culture society in the nation. 

Germania serves as an epicenter for German culture in the Hudson Valley and aims to foster a sense of community, and events like Oktoberfest do just that.

Jennifer and Mike Reichert of Pleasant Valley, New York were both in attendance at the festival on Sept. 6 and are members of the Germania Almrausch Schuhplattler Verein dance group. They performed a variety of traditional dances at the festival, donning the traditional German lederhosen and dirndls.

The couple has been members of Germania of Poughkeepsie for several years, after witnessing the kindergruppe dancing during a Friday night dinner and deciding to get involved. 

Like Oktoberfest, Germania hosts Friday night dinner events where anyone is invited to the organization's clubhouse to indulge in a plethora of German food and drinks and enjoy a night of entertainment.

“He’s 100% German,” said Jennifer, talking about Mike. “I was like ‘I don’t know,’ but everyone was so welcoming and so friendly, and it gave something for the kids to do.”

Germania of Poughkeepsie creates a space where German culture thrives within the Hudson Valley and taps into various aspects of the culture for all members and visitors to feel included and welcomed.

Talking specifically about Oktoberfest, Jennifer says, “we all contribute, all of us, as volunteers. We promote German heritage and culture in our community, and this is something that one of our former presidents resurrected in 2007, and everything is run by volunteers; nobody gets paid here.”

Volunteerism was evident at the festival as people could be seen in the kitchen making and serving schnitzel, potato salad, traditional strudel and much more, all with a smiling face, showcasing the love of the festival and the communal gathering it brings.

Though situated in Poughkeepsie, Germania’s presence is prevalent throughout the Hudson Valley and other parts of the United States, especially with the dance group that invites other groups to participate in traditional dances with them.

“We are a part of the dance group and we know people from all across the country. We know people from Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Canada and we all do different versions of dancing,” Jennifer said.

The overarching theme that exists within the celebration of Oktoberfest is the feeling of community, entertainment and of course, eating and drinking to your heart's desire.

Mike brought up the concept of gemütlichkeit, a German word that translates to “warm feeling” and describes the friendship element associated with the festival and Germania of Poughkeepsie as a whole.

“It’s about friendships. We’ve met so many people that we’re friends with that we didn’t know before that came to our picnics which are open to the community. You can come for Friday night dinners, you can come have a drink, you can try new food and we want people to join,” said Jennifer.

The spirit of gemütlichkeit was felt throughout Germania of Poughkeepsie’s Oktoberfest celebration and touched all those in attendance, whether they knew the term or not. 

“We welcome people from the community and from all over, of different cultures and denominations,” said Jennifer. “You don’t have to be German to belong. We just like the camaraderie.”