Willkommen to HarvestFest !
You know what goes extremely well with a nice , crisp brew ? Chili ! For over 15 years , the Chili Cook-off has been a part of HarvestFest . In the beginning , 50 to 100 Stratton employees would contribute a chili to the Cook-off , guests would taste the chili varieties and then crown the winner . “ Now we have sous chefs and chefs from our different kitchens , and we offer 10 to 13 different chilis to our guests ,” explains Brittni . As in the past , all the guests who sample the chilis get to vote on a winner . “ Our chefs look forward to the Chili Cook-off every year , because it gives them an opportunity to get super creative and competitive all at once !” says Kasey . Just like the tastings offered at BrewFest , there are a variety of chili types to delight every palate , including vegan , hot and spicy , and chicken chilis .
The Return of Octoberfest
The very first Octoberfest ( or “ Oktoberfest ”) took place in Munich , Germany in 1810 as a community wedding celebration for King Ludwig that was filled with food , music , and fun , and it was so popular that attendees clamored for another the following year . Thus , the tradition began in Bavaria , and quickly spread to other places , like neighboring Austria . When Austrian Emo Henrich and his German wife , Annedore , came to Stratton to help set up the Resort back in 1961 , they
brought their traditions with them , which included Tyrolean evenings hosted by The Stratton Mountain Boys ( SEE PAGE 16 FOR THE ARTICLE ON THE SMB ) and , of course , Oktoberfest celebrations . “ Some of our seasoned homeowners missed that festival , because it ’ s become a little more of a brew fest , and a little less of what they felt was an ‘ Oktoberfest ,’” says Brittni . “ We are bringing back the Stein Hoist and the Keg Toss . The Stein Hoist is German- you fill the stein with beer and hold it up as long as you can ,” she explains . In a true test of endurance , the last person standing with their stein hoisted high in the air , wins the prize ( smartly , the steins are filled with water instead of beer to avoid sticky
24 STRATTON MAGAZINE | STRATTONMAGAZINE . COM