Master of Ceremonies Jon Krager kept the evening rolling along at the 2014 Chinook Oktoberfest.

CHINOOK — Friends, family, neighbors and visitors throughout Pacific County and the Long Beach Peninsula will gather to celebrate the bounty of the season and support a sustainable future for an important historic site on Oct. 7 starting at 5 p.m. at the historic Chinook School.

All are invited and “Willkommen” to the gala event and fundraiser. Admission includes a traditional German dinner and dessert prepared by local award-winning chef Vinessa Karnofski. Live music will be performed by local favorite Brian O’Conner & Friends. The Beer Garden will be serving up beer from local award-winning North Jetty brewery.

Pull Quote

‘It’s sort of like a big reunion, many of the attendees were once students at the school themselves and the event is an opportunity to revisit the building and friends. That’s why we call it ‘Chinook Style!’’

Laura Osborne, one of the organizers

While the peninsula with its long history in tourism and hospitality is well known for its events, Oktoberfest is a little different. The focus is on community and coming together as friends and neighbors, providing an opportunity to reconnect and relax together as frenzied seasons of fishing, agriculture, and tourism are winding down. Attendees are able to celebrate the bounty of the season and support a cause near and dear to their hearts.

“It’s sort of like a big reunion, many of the attendees were once students at the school themselves and the event is an opportunity to revisit the building and friends” says Laura Osborne, “that’s why we call it ‘Chinook Style!’”

Started in 2005

The inaugural event was originally conceived and organized in 2005 to raise funds for repairs and restoration, including a new foundation and roof for the gym, by a group of early and founding board members of Friends of Chinook School, a local nonprofit dedicated to the facility. The event was held in various locations initially since the gym was not yet usable; including the Sanctuary Restaurant, the school itself, and even on the grounds in tents.

Founding board member and volunteer Osborne recalls, “we used to joke that we had a pool in the building, because we had one of those plastic kiddie pools in the middle of the gym to catch rainwater from the leaky roof.” Similarly, long-time volunteer and supporter Dwight Eager who attended the school himself as a student, recalled coaching basketball in the gym in the late ‘70’s, “I’d have to put buckets in the gym attic before practice started!” 30-some years later, Mr. Eager is hosting his father’s 98th Birthday Celebration in the restored 1924 school building now serving as a Community Building. “The party is in Classroom #2, that’s where I attended 6th, 7th and 8th grade”, he chuckled.

Keep it going

Both the fundraising goals of the event and the organization have evolved over the years. The urgent funding needed for critical repairs is transitioning to a need for long-term sustainable funding for capital projects in addition to ongoing annual revenue sources for operation and program costs.

“Oktoberfest was never just about fundraising, we always wanted it to be fun and a chance for all the people that love the school and contributed and volunteered in so many different ways to come back and see what we’ve accomplished together”, said Eileen Wirkala, a founding and current board member who played a critical role in finding and acquiring grants including from the Washington State Capital Heritage Funds for restoration of the facility.

Good food, music, beer, top-shelf live and silent auction items, along with good-natured competitive bidding are always on the agenda. The event has also become renowned for the beautiful Oktoberfest decor, the result of a herculean volunteer project headed every year by Laura Osborne along with a cadre of many helpers. “It used to take two solid weeks to get ready, now there are more volunteers and a kind of rhythm to it all. A lot of “summer people” have volunteered over the years too.” The classic stately beauty of the 1921 gymnasium is accentuated when basking in the autumnal glow of the Oktoberfest lighting and decorations, warming the hearts of all in attendance.

Buy tickets now

The event takes place at the historic Chinook School Event Center in Chinook from 5 to 9 p.m. Admission is $40 (kids under 10 are free) and includes a traditional German dinner (served until 8 p.m.), live music, a beer garden and the opportunity to bid on live and silent auction items.

Tickets can be purchased online at ourschool.auction/Oktoberfest2023.

Learn more about event, organization, and venue rental at friendsofchinookschool.org contact Andi Day, marketing, FCS info@chinookeventcenter.com 360-244-3627.