Oktoberfest Zinzinnati will add a new element to the German heritage party this year: a clock tower with bells, called a glockenspiel.
It’s two stories and 31 feet tall with a stage and a working clock, according to Chelsea York, vice president of events & experiences with the Cincinnati Regional Chamber.
“There is a clock tower in Munich, Germany, that on the hour, everyone gathers on the plaza and watches the bells ring,” she says. “It’s animated, so it’s not human powered, but it is life-sized figurines.”
The chamber says the festival glockenspiel is modeled after a traditional German one, combining "a carillon of bells and mechanical figures that move through choreographed sequences, often telling a local historical or cultural story."
The clock will chime on the hour, but the bells are artificial. They were 3D printed, and won't make noise. The sound of the glockenspiel at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati will be a recording.
The Zinzinnati stage will feature live performances throughout the day, such as comedic and musical performances.
Cincinnati’s sister city, Munich, has inspired similar clock towers around the world.
“But as you will see, this is really customized to Cincinnati,” York says. “You can see the Seven Hills in the background with some really iconic features, including the inclines and the original Rookwood Pottery building.”
York says the tower's clock is modeled on the clock on the façade of Union Terminal.
A Clermont County company built the tower and stage. Kingdom Productions owner Hank Pryor says it's been an interesting engineering challenge.
“I think we did a very good job working with the Chamber,” he says. “The biggest issue has been the safety factors. We just wanted to make sure it was safe, because it could potentially be a big windsail.”
Pryor says it will stand up to the weather.
A beer garden is beneath the structure. It will be at the Schott Amphitheater in Sawyer Point. Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is September 17-20.
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