Oktoberfest is coming to town!
That’s right. The “holiday season” is still several months away, but that’s not an issue for Choctaw because Oktoberfest is a holiday season all its own.
A “fun, family friendly atmosphere with great food, music and drink!”
Those are the words of Mike Turek, the owner of Old Germany Restaurant and Event Director for the 2016 Choctaw Oktoberfest.
The nine days of celebration are fast approaching—only a few weeks away now—and Choctaw is swelling with anticipation. But as with many big events, few seldom realize the sheer amount of planning and effort that go into making the magic happen.
A year in the making
For Mike Turek, Oktoberfest has been a year-long endeavor.
“I start scheduling bands, tents, tables and chairs at the end of the fest for next year,” Turek said. “In May I meet with all the beer companies so they have time to ship beers direct from Germany to OKC to make sure we have enough beers available for the fest.”
When you’re planning a time-honored event for more than 50,000 people with local and international components, sometimes a year can feel more like a week. I guess there really is no rest for the weary.
“It is an all-year project, but the last two weeks before the event are the hardest,” Turek said.
With everything coming together at once, Turek will have a laundry list of mental and physical challenges. For starters, there are electrical and plumbing hurdles, decorations to be put up and loads of equipment that have to be brought in by tractor trailers.
Then, things get a bit trickier.
“Getting the 6000 lbs of potatoes cooked, peeled and cut for the potato salad is a challenge,” Turek said. Wow, and I thought preparing a double portion of Hamburger Helper was hard.
Add to that the act of balancing the kitchen heat with the extensive air conditioning required to cool the grill tent and it’s starting to feel a little David-and-Goliath-esque.
Of course, Turek can’t do it all alone, but he doesn’t have to. Although Turek says it’s sometimes hard to find enough volunteers, Ashley Bower, the Volunteer Coordinator has done a great job of making sure Turek has a team of volunteers to back him up.
Still, there’s a lot that can go wrong.
“Unforeseen challenges include power failures, storms or big news events that might detract someone from coming,” Turek said. But Turek and his team are ready and more than able to take on every challenge in order to make Oktoberfest a reality.
So, what should you expect this year?
Nine days of pure fun
Well, if you enjoyed last year’s Oktoberfest, then you’re not going to want to miss this year.
“Much like the Munich Oktoberfest we try not to alter this traditional German festival,” Turek said. Oktoberfest is steeped in culture and tradition that reflect hundreds of years of celebration. Though there will be a few new additions to get your mouth watering.
“We will have several new beers on draught. We will once again have the largest beer selection of any Oktoberfest in the USA,” Turek said. As if the beer wasn’t enough, attendees can enjoy a plethora of wine and delicious German food.
As for the entertainment, there will be live music played every day during the nine-day festival.
With music comes dancing, and with dancing comes smiling faces and great memories. According to Turek, “Alex Meixner Band will again join the Walburg Boys, Alpen Musikanten and Das ist Lustig in the music lineup.” That’s not all either! Joe Nichols and his band will perform on Sunday, Spet. 4 (listen to Jake FM for more details).
Kids will be sure to have a great time too as there is a huge kids area, so be sure to bring your whole family.
Expect to see all the same great attractions you know and love from past Oktoberfests.
Your invitation is waiting
The fun and excitement at Oktoberfest continues to grow each year, and this one promises to be the best one yet. A lot of hard work has gone into making Oktoberfest happen this year, but what really makes Oktoberfest is you, some good beer, some great friends and nine days of honest fun.
Turek and everyone else who has worked so hard for Oktoberfest want to extend an open invitation to you:
“We encourage everyone to come and get a small taste of German culture in a safe and friendly environment where you can dance, kids can play and adults can enjoy that moment far away from all the bad we hear on the news every day.
The festivities officially open on Friday, Sept. 2 and will run all the way through Saturday, Sept. 10. Make sure to show up on Wednesday, Sept. 7 for Sponsor Night and give a big thank you to everyone who sponsored this year’s Oktoberfest.
Parking is free. Admission will be $5 per person. Kids under the age of 12 may attend for free.