Odessa's Deutschesfest, is expected to draw from 10,000 to 20,000 visitors. The numbers vary, with a conservative average set at 14,000 for the Fest's three-day run. Warm, sunny September days usually greet Fest visitors.

Falling as it does on the last weekend of summer, the Fest is for many the last getaway of the vacation season, especially those who travel in RVs. Click here to see various pictures of all the RV's around town!

As many as 600 RVs of every shape and size begin rolling into Odessa, some of them coming up to a week in advance of the Fest. The main wave of RVs flows in on Friday. By then, the Odessa School District's Finney Field is open, providing a grassy and in some spots tree-shaded expanse, which quickly fills up with more than 300 motor homes, creating a veritable "RV city".

The school district for a fundraiser, charges $30 for those arriving Wednesday (after 5:30 pm only!) or Thursday, and $25 for those arriving Friday. The fire department runs around the clock via donations, a shuttle bus around town, from the downtown activities to the RV park.

The Odessa High School gymnasium will be open on Saturday and Sunday morning for those who wish to shower. The earliest arrivals get the preferred spots for their RVs around Reiman Park and the Odessa Tourist Park. The Odessa Golf Course has hookups for mobile homes but is always booked well in advance of the Fest.

By Saturday morning, Odessa streets are teaming with visitors. The late Lawrence Libsack, one of the founders of the Fest, used to say that when cars were parked as far south as his house on West Sixth Avenue on Saturday morning, it was a sure sign that Odessa was welcoming a capacity Fest crowd.