Oktoberfest
The 24th annual Cape Coral Oktoberfest will begin Friday, Oct. 16, featuring entertainment, food, drinks and dancing for the entire family to enjoy.
Oktoberfest originated in 1810 in Munch, Germany, after a royal wedding took place followed by an unforgettable party – an event many enjoyed and wanted to return year after year.
Cape Coral German American Social Club President Gerhard Veith said the Oktoberfest has pretty much caught on everywhere since then and similar festivals are now being held all over the world by German communities.
Veith explained that the Cape Coral club got the idea of hosting Oktoberfest 24 years ago from its Florida sister clubs.
“We got the idea of doing it from our sister clubs in Miami, Hollywood and Palm Beach,” Veith said. He explained that those clubs began the first Oktoberfest in their areas.
“We thought we would get it over to the west coast, our sunshine coast off the gulf, so we started holding it here as well,” Veith said.
Oktoberfest Chairman Paul Mills said when it first took place 24 years ago, it was only a one-day event, attracting a couple thousand people.
Five years after Oktoberfest first began, the club saw an increase in attendance, which influenced the city organization to host the event for a full weekend then later for two full weekends.
Mills said the event now attracts 30,000 to 35,000 people, over six days from Cape Coral, neighboring counties and out-of-state.
Oktoberfest can accommodate quite a few people, due to the German American Social Club’s capability of spreading the activities over 25 acres of land, Mills explained.
“I have been to Oktoberfests in Ohio – nothing compares to this one,” Mills said. He said it’s a great event for single people, married people and children.
“This is the best one I have ever been associated with. This is the biggest event in Florida, I don’t know if anybody else has an event like this that can compare to it,” Mills said.
Mills said a new Ms. Oktoberfest is chosen every year by a non-German American Social Club member panel. He said about six different gals are interviewed for the spot.
“It is almost like a beauty pageant,” Mills said. “It is really a marvelous event.”
This year’s 2009 Ms. Oktoberfest is Diana Holden. She lives in Naples and works as a 5th grade teacher and team leader at Corkscrew Elementary School in Collier County.
“I really enjoy working with the kids,” she said.
Holden was born in Bad Kreuzhach, Germany, and moved to the United States when she was 15 years old. Before moving to Florida eight years ago, she lived in Aschaffenburg, Germany; Maryland; and Virginia.
Holden said she has been married to her husband for 17 years and she “enjoys doing anything outdoors,” which includes such activities like hiking, biking, kayaking, sailing and camping.
She said she entered the pageant because she has enjoyed attending the Oktoberfest for the past eight years, due to her spending her childhood in Germany.
“I enjoy the music, the dancing, the food and the whole atmosphere of it,” Holden said.
She said in order for her to be considered as the Ms. Oktoberfest for 2009, she had to fill out information about herself, along with answering two questions in front of a panel before she was chosen and pronounced as this year’s finalist.
She said as Ms. Oktoberfest she hopes to have a really good time during the two-week event.
“I hope to meet a lot of people and meet a lot of new friends and enjoy the festive atmosphere,” Holden said.
The entertainment portion of Oktoberfest will feature seven different bands rotating from the big tent to the Bavarian Gardens.
The German American Social Club’s own 22-piece brass band, Hafenkapelle; Peter & Edith; Manni Daum and Son Jason; Eddie Korosa Jr.; Alpen Diamanten; and Alpine Express will be performing multiple times throughout the two weekends of Oktoberfest.
Zimmererkapelle Biberach, a band directly from Germany, will be performing at various times during both weekends, also.
Mills said this is the first year the Germany-based band will perform at Oktoberfest.
The music will constantly be going in both the big tent and the Bavarian Gardens, Mills said.
There will also be a very large dance floor located between the stages in the big tent for those who wish to dance.
The Oktoberfest will have an abundance of German favorite foods, with such traditional favorites like sauerbraten and schnitzel. Veith said they will also have German beer during the celebration.
Full course meals will be served in the air-conditioned clubhouse in the “von Steuben Hall,” where guests will be greeted and served by waitresses at decorated tables. There will also be two kitchens located in the Bavarian Gardens serving half roasted chickens and potato pancakes with applesauce.
In addition to the German favorites, Veith said they will also have vendors serving pizza, Greek food and ice cream.
Oktoberfest will also have rides and games for participants of all ages.
The Oktoberfest Kiddie Train will be making its way around the club’s grounds for those children who wish to take a train ride.
A bell with a huge mallet will be at the celebration for those who wish to take try it. A smaller version of this is also available for children.
Hand-made crafts by the German-American Social Club and souvenir items will be available for those who wish to purchase them.
The Oktoberfest will be held Oct. 16, Oct. 17, Oct. 18, Oct. 23, Oct. 24 and Oct. 25. The celebration will be open from 4 p.m. until midnight on Fridays, noon until midnight on Saturdays and from noon. until 9 p.m. on Sundays.
A church service will also be offered in the large tent at 11 a.m. on both Oct. 18 and Oct. 25.
Pre-sale tickets can be purchased for $5 per person until Oct. 15. They can be purchased at German American Social Club; all Hess locations in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties; Tribing Tile in Cape Coral; the Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce; and all 5/3rd Bank branches in Cape Coral.
After Oct. 15, tickets can be purchased at the gate the day of the event for $6.
The German American Social Club is located at 2101 S.W. Pine Island Road.