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OrenKoFest: Culture & Legacy

Post Date:08/30/2023

Tirolean Dancers

Image: The Tirolean Dancers of Oregon perform at folk festivals around the state including OrenKoFest.

On the surface, OrenKoFest may be about beer and lederhosen. There will be a beer stein holding contest (Masskrugstemmen), and folks may don traditional Bavarian garb while engaging in revelry.

But the event held every fall at Jerry Willey Plaza at Orenco Station actually goes much deeper, paying homage to the cultural – and agricultural – roots of two Hillsboro-area enclaves: Helvetia and Orenco.

Atfalati-Kalapuyans

Five Oaks

Image: The Five Oaks Historic Site off Helvetia Road, also called Chatakuin, was a seasonal harvest area for the Atfalati-Kalapuyans.

Starting with the people who have called the Tualatin Valley home since time immemorial, the area north of Hillsboro now known as Helvetia has been a gathering place for food and people for thousands of years. The Five Oaks Historic Site, also called Chatakuin, was a seasonal home to the Atfalati people who harvested acorns and camas bulbs nearby.

Swiss German Settlers

Helvetia Tavern

Image: Local landmarks reveal the Swiss-German history of the Hillsboro area, including chalet-style Helvetia Tavern.

After disease, assimilation, and removal, only a few members of the tribe remained to meet the Swiss German farmers who made homes in the foothills of the Tualatin Mountains. More than 70 families of Swiss and German heritage moved to the area starting in the 1870s, bringing traditions like yodeling, Schwingen (Swiss wrestling), and alphorn playing.

The Swiss community is still very active in the area today, hosting cultural celebrations and socials. The Swiss German heritage of the area can also still be seen through architecture of prominent landmarks like Helvetia Tavern and Bethany Community Church.

Oregon Nursery Company

Orenco Apple

Image: At Orenco Woods Nature Park, Seeds of Orenco by rhiza A+D is a tribute to the Oregon Nursery Company which had more than 1,200 acres of orchards.

OrenKoFest — also known as Hillsboro’s harvest festival — is not only a nod to Hillsboro’s neighbors to the north, it’s also a tribute to the rich agricultural history of the Oregon Nursery Company, later Orenco.

At the turn of the 20th century, Orenco was more than 1,200 acres of fruit trees, nut trees, shade trees, berries, and shrubs. Today at Orenco Woods Nature Park, the McDonald House and Seeds of Orenco — the giant green apple sculpture — are tributes to that legacy.

OrenKoFest 2023

So when you’re raising a glass — or a stein — on September 23 at Hillsboro’s OrenKoFest, know that you are toasting more than the chicken dance; you’re honoring past stewards and heritage of the land.

OrenKoFest, Hillsboro’s free family harvest festival, returns Saturday, September 23, 12 to 7 pm at Jerry Willey Plaza at Orenco Station. This event features vendors and artisans from event partner Tuesday Night Market, a beer garden by Golden Valley Brewery, and live music all day long!

Masskrugstemmen