2026 Elk Toss Information

The 75th Annual Danville German Society Elk Toss, Winter Festival, and Charity Auction will be held at the Wagner Farm in Danville on February 28, 2026.

The general schedule of events can be found here. Events will begin at about noon and continue throughout the afternoon. Exact event times will vary depending on weather, attendance, driveway conditions, etc.

This year's events will again benefit the Gate House shelter in Danville and another organization to be determined.

We request again that you to bring cans and other non-perishable food items to donate to the
Danville-Riverside Food Bank. 

Also, please bring pot-luck food to share with others at the Wagner Farm. The Elk Toss will once again be BYOB as we have not been able to secure donations from local breweries.

Please bring items to donate to this year's charity auction, and make sure you bring money to buy stuff in the auction. Please bring auction items that you think that someone would actually want.  Please do not use our auction as a way to take out your trash.   

 

Feel free to dress up in your best German or Pennsylvania Dutch outfit. This is not a requirement, but be prepared to be ridiculed if you don't look German.  

To reduce the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease, please refrain from bringing your own elk or other cervids.

After the Elk Toss, we have arranged for entertainment at the Old Forge Brewing Company starting at 7pm. Music will be provided by Mexico Road. Fred Iobst may also magically appear.

The Danville German Society recommends anyone who has enjoyed fermented and/or distilled beverages to book a room at the Pine Barn Inn (800-627-2276 or 570-275-2071). Information about other hotels (not within walking distance of downtown Danville) can be found here.

Journey of the Elk

In 2018, one of our elk was severely injured during the Elk Toss, and we sent it to a rehabilitation facility in New Jersey to heal. It took much longer than anticipated, and the journey of the elk back to Danville took a long and convoluted path.. Click on the image below to find out more about how the elk returned to its home.**

 **UPDATE: The elk sustained significant antler injuries at the 2025 Elk Toss and is now in State College being treated.

Save the Date

The 75th Annual Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026.

Mark your calendars. Spread the word. Start your elk toss training regimen.

Note that this schedule is subject to change, so check this blog or our Facebook page early in 2026 to confirm the date. 

2025 Elk Toss Results

Once again, the 75th Annual Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival was a success. Our events raised over $2300 which has been split between the following organizations. 

• Gate House, Danville: $2027 ($1800 from the Elk Toss and $227 from Old Forge Brewing Company)
  
• Association for Inclusion, Respect, and Equity (AIRE), Catawissa: $312

We also collected about a shopping cart full of food for the Danville-Riverside Food Bank.

If you have photos or videos that you would like to share, feel free to email them to us at danvillegerman@yahoo.com or share them on our facebook page. If you have any updates to hometowns, names, etc., let us know.

Men's Elk Toss

1st - Calvin Wagner, Danville -54'6"

2nd - Nolan Frantz, Danville - 50'9"

3rd - Isaac - 46'11'

4th -Jesse Jones, Philadelphia- 46'8"

5th - Micah Willy, State College - 46'4"

 

Women's Elk Toss

1st - Tamara Wagner, Danville - 32'2"

2nd - Julie Snyder, State College -27'0"

3rd - Brooke Shellenberger, State College - 21'0"

Children's Doe Toss

1st - Luke Zerbe

2nd - Kenzo

3rd - Mary

Boys Hog Toss (12-17 Years Old)
Not Contested

 

Girls Hog Toss (12-17 Years Old)
Not Contested

 

Elk Bugling Competition

1st - Ben O'Shoemaker

2nd - Karl Shellenberger, State College

Salad Toss

1st -Nicole and Mitchell

Beard Competition

1st - Cory Weyandt?

Scrap Iron Toss

1st - Matt O'Rourke

2nd - Van Wagner

 

Driveway Conditions Update - 2 Days Until Elk Toss

 Update from the Wagner Farm:

"please stress that the driveway is quite bad and even four-wheel drive will struggle to get up. I'm serious."

The driveway is currently covered in ice. Getting up the driveway is very difficult. Temperatures will be below freezing until Saturday afternoon, so there is not much improvement expected. You have been warned.

2025 Elk Toss Reminders

Recycled and revised information from old blog posts with a few reminders for people planning to attend the 75th Annual Elk Toss (February 22, 2025)...

1. Bring items to donate to the auction.
2. Bring non-perishable food to donate to the Danville-Riverside Food Bank. 
3. Bring wine bottle corks to help with a Danville High School project.
   
4. Bring Pot-Luck Food to share at the Wagner Farm.
5. Bring cash or checks (or bitcoin?) for the auction and event entry fees.We will also accept payment to DGS officers' Venmo accounts.
   
6. Bring a Drinking Vessel and your own beverages. The DGS was not able to get donations from local breweries like previous years, so we are requesting that this year be BYOB.
7. Wear Lederhosen or a Dirndl, or wear warm clothes and boots since we will be outside much of the day.
8. Please do not bring your dog to the Elk Toss.
9. Organize a carpool and drive an AWD/4WD vehicle. The Wagner Farm driveway and parking area could be snowy, icy, muddy, wet, hard, soft, rocky, grassy, or moist. Driveway updates will be provided as necessary.
10. Reserve a room if you want to spend the night in Danville.
11. Prepare to have fun while supporting some great organizations.
12. If you have a trophy from last year, please bring them back with you so that we can present it to this year's winner in that event.
13. Check this blog often for updates on driveway conditions, weather, entertainment, etc. 
14. More information about the Elk Toss can be found on the blog, especially here.

Valentine's Day Driveway Conditions Update

Happy Valentine's Day to all who celebrate. Only 8 days until the Elk Toss. Be prepared. 

We recently received the following update on the conditions of the driveway at the Wagner Farm... 

"The driveway is the worst it’s ever been. The new administration has eliminated 3,735 positions formerly responsible for driveway maintenance. I no longer have any federal assistance with my driveway and have no choice but to do everything myself. I recommend something with tank / bulldozer treads if you come to the elk toss."

 

Elk Toss in 30 Days

It is only 30 days until the extra special anniversary year for the Elk Toss. 

The 75th Annual Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival is scheduled for February 22. 

It is time to make your plans to attend. Don't be this guy:

via GIPHY

2025 Elk Toss Information

The 75th Annual Danville German Society Elk Toss, Winter Festival, and Charity Auction will be held at the Wagner Farm in Danville on February 22nd, 2025.

The general schedule of events can be found here. Events will begin at about noon and continue throughout the afternoon. Exact event times will vary depending on weather, attendance, driveway conditions, etc.

This year's events will again benefit the Gate House shelter in Danville and the Association for Inclusion, Respect, and Equity (AIRE).

We request again that you to bring cans and other non-perishable food items to donate to the
Danville-Riverside Food Bank. 

We also request that you bring wine corks to be used for a Danville High School class project.

Also, please bring pot-luck food to share with others at the Wagner Farm. The Elk Toss will once again be BYOB as we have not been able to secure donations from local breweries.

Please bring items to donate to this year's charity auction, and make sure you bring money to buy stuff in the auction. Please bring auction items that you think that someone would actually want.  Please do not use our auction as a way to take out your trash.   

 

Feel free to dress up in your best German or Pennsylvania Dutch outfit. This is not a requirement, but be prepared to be ridiculed if you don't look German.  

To reduce the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease, please refrain from bringing your own elk or other cervids.

After the Elk Toss, we have arranged for entertainment at the Old Forge Brewing Company starting at 7pm. Music will be provided by Van Wagner and Mexico Road Rockibilly. Fred Iobst may also magically appear.

The Danville German Society recommends anyone who has enjoyed fermented and/or distilled beverages to book a room at the Pine Barn Inn (800-627-2276 or 570-275-2071). Information about other hotels (not within walking distance of downtown Danville) can be found here.