Enjoying “Old” — Excited for “New”

This is a busy time of year in the Amanas.  Oktoberfest begins the month.  This year we celebrated the 50^th Oktoberfest.  It was a wonderful weekend – great weather, fantastic food and lots of people came to the Amana Colonies to celebrate.  Now as the leaves are turning colors, the farmers are harvesting their crops, the weather begins to turn cooler – we begin planning for the next big festival Prelude to Christmas.   2015 will be the 30^th year for this festival.  Prelude to Christmas is celebrated the first weekend of December.  The Tannenbaum festival begins the week prior to Prelude to Christmas and continues until the weekend before Christmas.  Visitors to the Amana Colonies can enjoy wonderful shopping, delicious food, and beautiful sites as you walk down the sidewalks and if you go to see all the decorated trees in the Fest Halle.  The local merchants decorate the trees.  In the past we’ve had as many as 45 trees.  The Christmas Pyramid is decorated as well as the stage.  This year we will decorate 3 trees as we share the story of Zuber’s Homestead Hotel. After these two festivals are over, we settle down to enjoy the winter.

Now for some NEW and EXCITING things happening in the Amana Colonies!

In Homestead, we celebrated Apfelfest on September 26.  Visitors could begin the day at Henry’s Market with food, music, and crafts.

In the afternoon visitors came to the apple orchard across the street from Zuber’s Homestead Hotel.  Visitors were treated to three different local storytellers, homemade applesauce, they could watch apples being made into cider, there were crafts for the children, books to read (about apples), and you could bob for apples!  Everyone that came seemed to have a great time!

NEW in 2015 is “Girls Get Away Weekend”…. November 6 – 8, 2015.  A weekend full of events and activities to choose from!  In Homestead ladies can go to “Next Door” and choose to pamper yourself, shop at the Vendor Fair, or participate in the Make It and Take It activities.  For more information see our website.

NEW in 2015 along with “Girls Get Away Weekend” is a new event at Zuber’s Homestead Hotel called “Tea and Tales”.  Relax and enjoy a 3 course afternoon tea. While having your tea, I will share some history about the ‘event’ of having tea and show some different kinds of tea pots, then a local storyteller will share stories about what life was like for Amana women in the past.  The tea is on Saturday, November 7th from 1 – 2:30.  Reservations required.  For more information see our website or call Zuber’s Hotel  319-622-3911

We’re excited to offer new events to visitors to the Amana Colonies.

Enjoy the “Old” – Anticipate and be excited for the “New”