At University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Oktoberfest celebration, crowds of students were treated to a weekend of live music, crafts and German-inspired cuisine Sept. 25 and 26 at Memorial Union.
The tradition of Oktoberfest began in Germany over two centuries ago in celebration of the royal wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Bavaria. Oktoberfest has been celebrated in Wisconsin for over 60 years, but this weekend was only the second celebration at Memorial Union in recent years.
“This year's programming is different from 2025, but the idea to bring people together at Memorial Union to enjoy music, food, art and the history of our German-inspired spaces during Oktoberfest remains the same,” Memorial Union Public Relations and Communications Officer Shauna Breneman told The Daily Cardinal.
Events began Friday at 3 p.m. with a performance from the Madison Tuba Band, featuring campus classics like “Varsity” and “On, Wisconsin.” As the band performed, students and other attendees enjoyed the music on the terrace and treated themselves to schnitzl, spaetzle, German potato salad and more meals curated by der Rathskeller. Guests also created traditional German crafts, including Lebkuchenherz-inspired hearts through the Wheelhouse Art Studio.
A kids disco hosted by DJ Nick Nice, performances by Wild Rumpus Circus Acts and model pretzel making brought more Wisconsinites to Memorial Union on Saturday.
“I think we'll definitely do this event in the future,” Wheelhouse Studios Facilitator Evelyn Bot told the Cardinal. “I think it was really good to get people involved, of all different skill levels, and I really look forward to seeing people be creative again.”
While attendees helped themselves to beer and bratwurst, musician David Landau performed a variety of songs for their children, including “apples and bananas” and “the duck song.”
Landau told the Cardinal he is a UW-Madison graduate himself, and has been performing music for children across the area for over 25 years. Landau said he enjoys Oktoberfest because of how it can entertain a wide range of audiences, regardless of their age.
"At first, I thought it may not be a good idea to do a kids show at the neighborhood tavern, but it turns out it was the best idea of my life,” Landau said.
Beyond the music and meals, participants were also able to connect with German heritage through mural tours in der Rathskeller and der Sithskeller at Memorial Union. The tours were led by Tony Wise, the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Art and Literature advisor and art collection manager, who walked audiences through the design process and concept behind the Union’s murals.
Viewers also saw selected works from the Wisconsin Union art collection by artists connected to the designs of der Rathskeller and der Stiftskeller.
The celebration concluded with a “Fiesta en la Terezza” on Saturday night hosted by the Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity and WUD Music committee. The fiesta was hosted in celebration of Latine Heritage Month, and allowed guests to engage with Latin culture through the dances of bachata, reggaeton, merengue, cumbia, and music from DJ Christopher Salgado.
With this past Oktoberfest now behind them, Memorial Union looks forward to hosting more events in the future, and looks to unite the community on the terrace again.
“It's just been a fun way to connect with the community and talk to them about everything that's going on here, and get to show them pieces that don't come out very often,” said Wise.
