Douglas Cultural Council Votes Unanimously to Return to Oktoberfest for Fourth Year

DOUGLAS -- March 31, 2026, Douglas Cultural Council votes to return to Oktoberfest for fourth straight year. The council voted unanimously at its March 31 meeting to apply for a vendor booth at the October 3 Oktoberfest, where it has grossed roughly $300 to $400 annually over three prior years. Chair Sean Anderson said he will ask organizers to waive the standard $70 booth fee, noting the council awarded the event a partial grant this year, a courtesy extended in the council's inaugural Oktoberfest year under similar circumstances. The meeting also served as an orientation for several new members, during which Anderson warned that multiple veterans, including himself, are departing at the end of their terms, leaving the council near its state-mandated minimum of five members. Member Katie Malo, the high school librarian and NHS advisor, offered to supply student volunteers for the booth and provided an update on an active grant to the high school's Spanish music and dance class, which is working to bring a heritage dance instructor to campus before seniors leave in May. A separate Oktoberfest planning meeting was set for September 3 at 6:30 p.m.