Thousands attend Freudenfest in Oldenburg

July 19, 2022 at 7:50 p.m.
Thousands attend Freudenfest in Oldenburg
Thousands attend Freudenfest in Oldenburg

By Steven Harmeyer -

The small town of Oldenburg was filled full of festival-goers this weekend as Freudenfest returned for the first time since the pandemic. 

Among those in attendance was Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. 

"This is the epicenter of fun, this is the Freudenfest, the very definition of fun," Governor Eric Holcomb told The 812. "When you think about this town of 600 people volunteering to pull off something this big and meaningful to a lot more Hoosiers, it's not only fun here but also important."

Proceeds from this festival are invested back into the town while Freudenfest also serves as a fundraiser for Oldenburg Academy and other organizations. 

"A lot of the things you see in Oldenburg have been a result of the Freudenfest. From the brick street, to Onion Dome, May Pole and a lot of the signage you see in town. These are the things where we feel like we are celebrating the heritage while beautifying the town," said Freudenfest committee member Troy Ilderton. 

While locals enjoy Freudenfest, it also attracted people from across the globe. People traveled as far away as Canada, England and Mexico to attend this year. 

Sven Schumacher, who serves as Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany said, "I am nearly overwhelmed by the wonderfulness of this festival, so please keep it going and people from Germany should know about this." 

Freudenfest will return next year on July 14-15, 2023. 

The small town of Oldenburg was filled full of festival-goers this weekend as Freudenfest returned for the first time since the pandemic. 

Among those in attendance was Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. 

"This is the epicenter of fun, this is the Freudenfest, the very definition of fun," Governor Eric Holcomb told The 812. "When you think about this town of 600 people volunteering to pull off something this big and meaningful to a lot more Hoosiers, it's not only fun here but also important."

Proceeds from this festival are invested back into the town while Freudenfest also serves as a fundraiser for Oldenburg Academy and other organizations. 

"A lot of the things you see in Oldenburg have been a result of the Freudenfest. From the brick street, to Onion Dome, May Pole and a lot of the signage you see in town. These are the things where we feel like we are celebrating the heritage while beautifying the town," said Freudenfest committee member Troy Ilderton. 

While locals enjoy Freudenfest, it also attracted people from across the globe. People traveled as far away as Canada, England and Mexico to attend this year. 

Sven Schumacher, who serves as Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany said, "I am nearly overwhelmed by the wonderfulness of this festival, so please keep it going and people from Germany should know about this." 

Freudenfest will return next year on July 14-15, 2023. 

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