With Linde Oktoberfest a few weeks away, River Parks Authority received Wednesday its annual donation from the event’s profits.
River Parks is getting $250,000 after what Tulsa Oktoberfest Board Chair John Hickey called a “banner year” in 2016. Hickey said River Parks has been a partner and major part of Oktoberfest’s success over many years.
"They've done a tremendous amount for the festival in terms of infrastructure, electricity, plumbing, storage — a variety of things," Hickey said.
Those funds will go to various River Parks needs.
"A new fence is being placed along the entire west end of Festival Park. That benefits River Parks. It helps all the festivals that end up producing there, and to have that money provided by Oktoberfest is essential," said River Parks Community Relations Director Tonja Carrigg, who is also the Linde Oktoberfest director.
Organizers for Linde Oktoberfest also unveiled Wednesday the poster for this year’s festival. The design features clinking beer steins at the center, one with a yellow shield featuring a germanic eagle and the other a stars-and-stripes shield. They’re backed by a larger stein and iconic downtown Tulsa buildings and surrounded by wheat, edelweiss, bratwurst and a pretzel.
Artist Mattie Gilliland said now that he’s had time to pick apart his work, he’d give it a B-plus.
"At this point, oh, probably just a matter of technique. I actually feel really good about the overall design and everything. I feel good about all the elements that were incorporated into it," Gilliland said.
Linde Oktoberfest Tulsa is tone of the largest Oktoberfest festivals in the U.S. It begins Oct. 19.
