Prost! Vail celebrates 50 years of Oktoberfest. Meet the yodeling, accordion-playing, alpenhorn-blowing celebrity at the heart of it

By Michael Hughes
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3min 03sec
Photo shows a man seated on stage playing an accordion. He is in front of a blue and white checkered background and he is wearing a blue and white checkered shirt, lederhosen and a Bavarian hat. He is smiling.
Courtesy Oktoberfest Vail
Helmut Fricker performs at Vail's Lionshead Village in 2023. Fricker has been a staple of the festival since the first year in 1975.

Image shows a man in traditional lederhosen holding a stein to the left of a bronze sculpture of a man named Helmut Fricker. On the right is a woman in a green dress with a beige coat. They are in front of a stone pillar with plants on left side of the photo.
Courtesy Oktoberfest Vail

Image shows two women in traditional Oktoberfest dresses standing on either side of a bronze sculpture of a man named Helmut Fricker. They are in front of a stone pillar with plants on either side.
Courtesy Oktoberfest Vail

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