On Friday, Ogden City sent out a press release announcing that the city will be sending a delegation to Ogden’s sister city — Hof, Germany — later this summer.

“The Ogden City Council and Mayor Benjamin K. Nadolski have accepted an invitation from the elected officials in Hof, Germany to travel to Ogden City’s sister city this summer to participate in the city’s annual Volksfest,” the release said. “The trip will take place in late July to early August and is the next chapter in a historic relationship between the two cities.”

Ogden City Council Assistant Executive Director Glenn Symes told the Standard-Examiner on Friday that this trip is a continuation of the relationship Ogden and Hof have had since being designated sister cities in 1954.

“Over the years, a lot of people from Hof have come to Ogden,” he said. “We’ve got the Hof (Germanfest). We’ve had a number of people who have continued this relationship and built it up over the years and we had a fantastic visit from the Hof delegation that came in January 2024. … In return, they have our delegation over to Hof to celebrate their Hofer Volksfest that happens towards the end of July, first part of August.”

He said that Mayor Nadolski along with the entirety of the Ogden City Council have committed to the trip.

The press release added that there has been a fairly significant cultural exchange between the two cities through the years.

“Over the decades, Ogden has hosted nearly 2,500 visitors from Hof and sent delegations to Germany, including visits by elected officials, firefighters, musicians, athletes, and educators,” the release said. “Notable initiatives have included the creation of Hof Germanfest in Ogden and the addition of a Hof Rathaus replica to Ogden’s Christmas Village.”

Symes said, to his knowledge, this will be the largest delegation Ogden has sent at any one time to Hof.

“We’ve had a handful of people go over, really just as individuals,” he said. “I know the mayors have gone over back in the ’80s. We actually had a trip planned in 2020, and of course, that didn’t happen because of COVID.”

He said the delegation will meet with officials, spend time at a local university, explore the city with Hof officials and, of course, visit the Hofer Volksfest.

Symes said there is a real significance to this visit and to the long relationship between the two cities.

“This was the first of these sister city relationships in the 1950s,” he said. “We’ve had the longest sister city relationship of anybody in the country, so we’re really proud of that. Over the years, it kind of waned a little bit. The last 10-15 years, this relationship has picked back up again, so we really feel it’s important, not only to keep that tradition, but to keep those relationships and really be proud of this relationship that we’ve had for so long.”

The Ogden delegation’s official visit is set to begin on July 29, with the delegation slated to return to the U.S. on Aug. 4.

Hof city’s English website describes the Hofer Volksfest as the “biggest and most beautiful festival in the region.”

“The Hofer Volksfest is one of the largest of its kind far and wide and has long been an integral part of the Hof calendar,” the website said. “With attractions for young and old, a cozy atmosphere, a great music program and, above all, many culinary delicacies, it delights thousands of visitors every year.”

This year’s Hofer Volksfest will run from July 25-Aug. 3.