Odessa is a small town in Eastern Washington (population 882), but when Deutschefest rolls around the third weekend in September, thousands of people flock here to enjoy delicious authentic homemade German food, a biergarten stretching a city block, parade, live music, and even helicopter rides.

Odessa’s Deutschefest, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2021, is hosted by descendants of the German-Russians who settled in the area in the early 20th century. The entire community pitches in for this event, and the cooking starts weeks before the event. Follow along on Odessa’s Deutschefest’s Facebook page as the preparations unfold. The last time I checked, members of the Christ Lutheran Church had started baking the apple strudel.

The 2021 festival is Friday-Sunday, September 16-19.

Odessa is located 75 miles southwest of Spokane and 223 miles east of Seattle. For more information about the festival, visit deutschesfest.net.