Saturday will be filled with the sounds of clinking glasses, and cheers of Prost!
The German Society of Westman is hosting the first Oktoberfest in Brandon in a long while.
I can see the confusion coming over your face, Oktoberfest?
But it’s only September. I had this exact reaction when I first noticed the date on the poster. It turns out that Oktoberfest is traditionally celebrated over the days leading into October. I used my savvy journalism skills to find out the origin of the event… or I looked on Wikipedia. The original “Oktoberfest” occurred in Munich, on Oct. 18, 1810: For the commemoration of their marriage, Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese. Since the first celebration it has turned into a world wide event with people traveling from every corner of the world to make their way to Munich.
In 2008, I had the pleasure of experiencing the actual Beer Halls in Munich where I dinned on the traditional dish Haxn (pork knuckle) and Knödeln (potato dumplings) and had perhaps the largest glass of beer I have ever seen. Although it wasn’t Oktoberfest at the time I could certainly tell that these people knew how to have a good time. The same can be said about the group right here in Brandon.
The German Society of Westman officially came to life on April 12, 2004. In Nov. 2003, Wolfgang and Janice Monin approached Manfred & Penny Wicht to become involved with The City of Brandon’s Lieutenant Governor’s 2004 Winter Festival. Manfred had a vision, which with the help of a handful of volunteers developed into one of the most popular venues of the Festival.
From that event a desire evolved to come together with other people in the community to create a German Society and promote and enjoy the German Culture. Crowds gathered early on at the German Pavilion each and every Winter Fest to the point that they no longer had a large enough venue to participate in the annual event.
I sat down and chatted with one of the founding members of the German Society of Westman, Penny Wicht to find out more about the upcoming event.
JJ: What brought about the idea for another Oktoberfest?
PW: We have been approached many times about putting on an Oktoberfest and since we cannot participate in Winter Festival due to the lack of an appropriate venue and so many have expressed how much they miss us, we put our heads together and came up with Oktoberfest. But, we have not given up hope of being able to participate in future Winter Festivals!
JJ: Having been to the German Pavilion every year as well as a Sommerfest I know that you provide a lot of entertainment, what can we expect at Oktoberfest?
PW: We will have the Alpine Express Show Band which will feature traditional German music and feature the playing of cowbells and alpenhorns. There will be a dance floor which has always been a request from previous functions and of course, we will be treated to some great German dancing by the Regina Edelweiss Dancers. For those that enjoy games they can try their hand at our “Test Your Strength”, “Nail Pounding” and “Can Toss” games.
JJ: I’ve seen those games, and I have participated (poorly) at a few myself. They are a great time, but let’s be honest, the real reason everyone loves the German Society is because of the food! What is on the menu?
PW: We have had a Schwenkgrill built – can’t remember if it is six or eight feet wide but, you’ll have to see it to believe it. Our fabulous Chefs Larry deVries, Matt Otten and Joanne Canada-Somers will be grilling Bratwurst, Chicken and Pork on it and of course they will also have Sauerkraut, a delicious array of salads and breads to accompany and I do believe there will be a dessert assortment if you have room. Don’t forget our wonderful soft pretzels which will be on sale from 9:30 until we run out of them.
They better not run out of pretzels, they are my absolute favourite part! Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and goes until 8:30 p.m. and is included with the cost of your ticket. The entertainment will last until 1 a.m., so be prepared for a whole evening of fun.
Oktoberfest is at the Riverview Curling Club on Saturday, September 11th. Tickets are $25 and are available through Manfred (729-7597), Wolfgang (724-0385) or Darrell (761-6020).