Photo: Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter
Stillwater’s “living museum” of German tradition prepares for its Oktoberfest 2026.
Since 1966, the Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter (gasthausbavarianhunter.com) has been a beloved staple for German tradition in the Stillwater area. The restaurant’s annual Oktoberfest celebrations, started by the Schoene family in 1985, have been central to its lasting legacy. “It was a big community picnic thing, like how it was back in Munich, and they brought that same feeling here, so that the community would come together,” current owner Jim Martin says of the event’s early years.
Following a devastating fire in 1987, the next generation of the Schoene family dedicated themselves to rebuilding. Now, Martin describes the Gasthaus as a “living museum” of German tradition and the legacy of the Schoene family and the St. Croix Valley German immigrant community. “I don’t really run this as a business. I run this as a community good,” Martin says. “I’m more of a steward to this place than I am a business owner.”
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This year’s Oktoberfest will take place September 18–20 and 25–27 (5–10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, noon–6 p.m. Sundays) and will feature Hofbräu and Paulaner beer, and snacks from Wir Nuts and the Wooden Paddle Kettle Corn Company. Activities include a flag raising by an active color guard, Hammerschlagen, live music, the tapping of a golden keg and family-friendly activities on Sundays. Guests can also shop for imported German goods, including ancestral items, branded clay mugs and glass boots.
