Lederhosen, Oompah Bands, and Beer: Norwood Kickers Host Annual German Oktoberfest-September 28, 1973

The oompah bands will play, the beer will flow, and the dancing will be vigorous as local residents and German-heritage enthusiasts gather for a festive Oktoberfest celebration in town on October 6.

A Munich Beer Hall Atmosphere in Norwood

Sponsored by the Norwood Kickers Soccer Club, the lively event is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. at the Workmen’s Hall at 99 Wilson St. Organizers expect a capacity crowd of 500 attendees, with tickets sold strictly at the door, according to Richard Jones, an active club member.

Both the upper and lower floors of the Workmen’s Hall will be transformed into authentic Munich beer halls, complete with a five-piece German band performing on each level. Attendees wearing authentic lederhosen, dirndls, or reasonable facsimiles are strongly encouraged to come dressed in costume. Festivities will also feature decorations and posters provided by the German consulate in Boston, while musicians and waitresses will don native attire.

While hearty traditional food—including bratwurst, potato salad, and assorted wursts—will be available, Jones noted that food is not the main focal point: “Believe me, the highlight of an Oktoberfest is the dancing and beer.”

The Norwood Kickers and German Heritage in Greater Boston

The Norwood Kickers Soccer Club serves as a social and athletic organization with no political involvement. While maintaining a trophy-winning soccer team in the Massachusetts Soccer Association as its core, the club’s 50 or so dues-paying members—drawn from Norwood, Walpole, and surrounding towns—are dedicated to upholding German cultural values.

The club was originally formed in 1963 to revitalize the soccer team, which is sponsored by the Workmen’s Hall of Norwood Inc. and has enjoyed a series of championship seasons. In addition to support from the Norwood Workmen, the club receives an annual donation from the German consulate in Boston.

The Oktoberfest is one of three major annual celebrations hosted by the Norwood organization. Other traditional events include the spring Schlachtfest—a “slaughter feast” rooted in Old Country customs of celebrating spring litters by cooking suckling pigs on a spit—and the winter Fasching Ball, a carnival-mardi-gras-style costume dance held in February.

With an estimated 80,000 people of German birth or first-generation descent living in the greater Boston area, Jones emphasized the community’s strong social spirit: “The Germans love to socialize. That will be evident at the Oktoberfest.”

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger