Bavarian Inn Cooks for Lions Club for over 50 years!

The Frankenmuth Lions Club is a non-profit organization serving the needs of the blind, the visually impaired, and the community as a whole for over 50 years. When the local members first started in the early 50’s, they looked for a gathering spot for their meetings. It took a little bit of time, but William “Tiny” Zehnder soon encouraged the Club to choose Bavarian Inn. The way the story goes…Tiny cut them a deal. It must have been a great deal, because for over 50 years, the Lions Club continues to hold their meetings with us. According to 47-year member Bill Varney, the meetings are social, but business is taken care of along with informational speakers.

Honorary Lions member Dorothy Zehnder loves when the Lions Club comes as she is instrumental in planning their meals. While the deal was originally cut by Tiny, nowadays Dorothy spares no shortcuts for her friends. You often find her visiting with them during the meetings. Bavarian Inn thanks the Frankenmuth Lions Club for continued patronage and we look forward to serving you for another 50 years.

Bavarian Inn Restaurant Employees Team Up To Defeat MSA!

Bavarian Inn Restaurant raised $15,403.76 in 2017 through its more than 31-year-old Company Giving Program and the benefiting charity was the Defeat MSA Foundation (Multiple System Atrophy). The year-long campaign concluded at the end of December and the grand total for fundraising was announced at the post-holiday employee party on January 8. According to Kathy Walstad, co-chairperson of this year’s Bavarian Inn Company Giving Program, employees raised funds for this charity through voluntary payroll deduction, candy sales, a holiday open house event and other activities throughout the year. “Bavarian Inn Restaurant,” Walstad added, “has over 400 caring team members who give so generously each year to help those in need. We look forward to an exciting year of giving in 2018.”

Generations Gather at Bavarian Inn!

We are proud to have so many families that come to Bavarian Inn Restaurant and Lodge for generations. Whether it’s for birthdays, anniversaries, holiday celebrations, family reunions, etc., we love creating enjoyable experiences for families over the decades.

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Here is one of our families that recently dined with us at Bavarian Inn Restaurant. The grandparents in this photo have come every December for 40 years and we are told the children are going to continue the tradition with their children. Dorothy had to stop by, of course!

New Year’s Eve at Bavarian Inn Lodge

DECEMBER 31, 2017 – Join us for New Year’s Eve at the Bavarian Inn Lodge!

We have two great parties to choose from, a family celebration or an adult gala.

Visit https://bavarianinn.com/dine/holiday-dining/   to view more information on each party or watch this video showing all the fun you can have!

Watch this video to see all the fun you can have here on NYE!

Scarecrow Fest 2017

Frankenmuth Oktoberfest 2017

On October 12, 1810, Crown Prince Ludwig of Munich, Germany, married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, and the citizens were invited to attend the celebration held on the fields in front of the city gates.  Afterward it was decided that the horse races held during this celebration would be repeated the following year, creating the new tradition of Oktoberfest.

More amusements were added to this yearly event, which generated an increase in visitors, and now Oktoberfest is known as the largest festival in the world.  In 1996, Frankenmuth’s Oktoberfest became the first to operate with the blessing of the original festival in Munich.  Now you can experience Frankenmuth’s unique German heritage and join the festivities on September 14-17, 2017 in Heritage Park.

Looking for more information on this event?  Click here to learn more!

Auto Fest 2017

Mark your calendars for Frankenmuth Auto Fest – September 8-10, 2017.  For more information visit http://www.frankenmuthautofest.net/

Join the Bavarian Inn Lodge on Saturday night (Sept. 9th, 2017) for the Prime Rib and Chicken Buffet in Oma’s Restaurant

Food Truck Festival, August 10, 2017

Frankenmuth River Place Shops presents this special event….

Join us on Thursday, August 10^th for the first Food Truck Festival at Frankenmuth River Place Shops!  Enjoy food options from 10 unique trucks as well as a beer & wine station.  There will be a live radio remote, children’s play zone, yard games, and more.  This event is also pet friendly!

http://frankenmuthriverplace.com/food-truck-festival/

 

Cass River Colonial Encampment 2017

 

History Comes to Life at Frankenmuth’s Cass River Colonial Encampment

FRANKENMUTH, Mich. June 20, 2017 — Visitors to Frankenmuth River Place Shops will have a chance to experience history like never before on July 15 and 16, during the annual Colonial Encampment.

This all-day event will feature tactical battle reenactments, a flag raising, musket firing, period concerts, games, a fashion show and many other events. Visitors will be able to tour military camps and shop at historical vendors.

With more than 250 actors, the annual event, which is free to attend, reenacts troops from the Revolutionary and French and Indian wars battling each other with everything from cannons to bare hands. Lighter moments are also featured, with historical actors playing voyageurs exploring the vast American wilderness from those times.

Frankenmuth’s Cass River property features a historic wooden bridge, which provides a perfect backdrop for this event.

“This event is a fun learning experience for the whole family,” said Michael Keller Zehnder, Cass River Encampment Event Coordinator and General Manager of the Bavarian Inn Lodge, who is thrilled to see history come to life.

If you are interested in participating in this family-fun event, reenactors can contact Brent Kemmer at kemmerc@hotmail.com Voyagers can contact Merlyn Hodge at lafalcon@tds.net.

 

About Frankenmuth River Place Shops

Frankenmuth River Place Shops (www.frankenmuthriverplace.com) is an authentic re-creation of a Bavarian village located just minutes from the Bavarian Inn Restaurant and Lodge. The outdoor mall features more than 40 shops and attractions at one location. In addition to great shopping opportunities, visitors can enjoy historic architecture, floral gardens, streams, waterfalls, a full-service day spa, video arcade, tons of fudge, candies, popcorn and ice cream.

2017 Bavarian Festival

Make plans to attend the 2017 Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival!

The finishing touches are in the works for the 2017 Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival, which will take place Thursday, June 8 through Sunday, June 11, 2017. The festival, which is Michigan’s largest celebration of Bavarian heritage, has been a Frankenmuth tradition for over 50 years.

The event, created by William “Tiny” Zehnder and his wife Dorothy, started in 1959. The initial event was planned to celebrate the grand opening of the Bavarian addition of Fischer’s Hotel (now the Bavarian Inn Restaurant).

The first Bavarian Festival Parade in 1961 was attended by an estimated 10,000 people. Today, this festival in “Michigan’s Little Bavaria” has grown even bigger and was named one of the state’s “Top 5 Festivals” by AAA’s Michigan Living Magazine. This year continues the tradition with a new twist.

(Tiny & Dorothy Zehnder were the original Grand Marshals of the Bavarian Festival)

Visitors to this year’s festival will be greeted by a different format from years past, according to Frankenmuth Civic Events Council President Russ Uphold. “This year’s Bavarian Festival will be a ‘strassenfest,’ – a street festival, which will be taking place along Main Street near the Bavarian Inn Restaurant and the Zehnder Park. We expect to have three main stages, with a different form of entertainment at each venue, such as polka music, Top 40 tunes, and more,” Uphold said. He noted the new location will include a Sommergarten, where festivalgoers can feast on traditional German fare and enjoy a frosty beverage. Children’s activities will be nearby.

(Bill Zehnder drives a group of guests in the Folkswagen tour Trolley in 1968)

The festival will be held in downtown Frankenmuth, with the main tent in Zehnder Park hosting a number of traditional German entertainers. There will also be a “rock” tent behind Tiffany’s, which will feature the Sinclairs and Bromantics on Friday and Saturday night. But that’s not even scratching the surface of what visitors can enjoy. The festival will start off on Thursday with a Princess Coronation and Keg Tapping. On Friday, guests can take part in a Chicken BBQ and Maypole Raising Ceremony. There will also be Festival Olympics at 7 p.m.

(Tiny & Dorothy Zehnder along with friends at one of the early Bavarian Festivals)

The fun starts early on Saturday, with a pancake breakfast and Bloody Mary bar starting at 8 a.m. There will be events for all ages – from Kinder Platz kids’ activities, a children’s/kids parade at 10 a.m., an Instagram Scavenger Hunt, to a brat, snacks and beer meal! Click here to view the fesitval’s schedule of events.

(Matriarchs Dorothy Zehnder & Irene Bronner pose at a recent Bavarian Festival Parade)

Everything is wrapped up with the big Bavarian Festival parade on Sunday, June 11, with more than 100 marching units making their merry way along Main Street.

Sounds like fun? Mark your calendar and celebrate the heritage of Frankenmuth. Start planning your visit by making reservations at the Bavarian Inn Restaurant and the Bavarian Inn Lodge because bookings fill up quickly as the festival dates grow nearer. Hope to see you here!