AFN Bavaria - Mission Forward News Article: German-American Partnership Celebrated at 65th Annual Volksfest

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria opened the 65th Annual German-American Volksfest on July 31 at Camp Algier near Grafenwoehr, bringing U.S. service members, German partners and local community members together for a three-day celebration of the longstanding German-American relationship.

“Every Volksfest brings something different!” said Dwayne Key, deputy commander of U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria. “Whether it’s the entertainment, the various food vendors or the partners that show up.”

The Grafenwoehr Volksfest has been a U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria tradition since the early 1960s, providing German and American communities an opportunity to strengthen relationships through shared culture, food and entertainment.

During the event, leaders from across Bavaria, including Key and Stephan Gollwitzer, mayor of Weiden, spoke about the longstanding partnership between Germany and the United States. The opening ceremony concluded with music and the tapping of a beer keg, a German tradition that signals the start of the festival.

Following the ceremony, Key and Gollwitzer reflected on the role the Volksfest plays in connecting the two communities.

“The best memory was when I was a child, viewing all the huge tanks and vehicles,” Gollwitzer said. “I was a young boy and this was great to see.”

Gollwitzer said memories like these shaped his early impressions of the U.S. military community.

“As a child, I loved the American food and drinks,” Gollwitzer said. “I really felt like an American and I got to see the partnerships between America and Germany.” Events like the German-American Volksfest provide opportunities for U.S. service members, families and German neighbors to connect while reinforcing the longstanding partnership between the U.S. military and local German communities.

For more information on this event and others like it, visit the official American Forces Network (AFN) Bavaria Facebook page at https://facebook.com/afnbavaria/⁠, or explore the AFN Bavaria Digital Visual Information Distribution System (DVIDS) page.

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