Jason Cregier: Dancing, brats, beer and much more. It’s October in the Midwest.
This Saturday the town of Delavan, Wi celebrates with its Oktoberfest.
Joining us to discuss the day’s events is Rachael Miskie of Delavan Friends of the Park, which is hosting the festival.
Rachael, thanks for joining us.
Rachael Miskie: Thanks for having me, Jason.
So, my favorite math equation as a visitor to the state of Wisconsin this time of year is fall + party = beer.
Now, your Oktoberfest seems to have that in great volume. There is a “stein hoisting” competition. I definitely need to hear more about that.
So, we fill up our big mugs of beer, and you must put your drinking arm straight out and see how long you can hold your beer outstretched without bending your arm.
And you do this while not shaking, spilling or dropping the beer. The last man and woman standing still hoisting the beer are the big winners.
And then there is a brat eating contest…
Yep, and the winner is determined by how many brats they can eat in a two-minute period.
There will also be a costume contest for the best authentic German wearable outfit. That will take place in the afternoon as well.
I have to say, we all see the Fourth of July hot dog eating contest every year, a brat is a little heartier than a hot dog…
It is a little heartier and that is what makes it fun to see.
Rumor has it the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile will be making an appearance at Oktoberfest. Is that true?
Yes! We have the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile making a stop at the event from noon until three. If you have never had the chance to get up close to the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile it is a great opportunity. Fun for kids and adults and it makes for great pictures too.
Seeing the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is almost like seeing a mirage in the desert.
I randomly spotted it on the interstate years ago and did a double take. I would love to see it up close. It is almost like American folklore.
Yeah, if you get a chance to stop by to see the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile it will be worth it.
There is German dancing, German food and polka too. Right? There must be polka.
There will be two traditional groups of music.
We have the Milwaukee Alpenbläser which is a nine-piece group that will play traditional music, including polka. And the other group is the Steve Meisner Band who have performed at the festival for a few years now. They play traditional music as well.
The music will be in a big tent at Community Park in Delavan and will feature a large dance floor. We encourage folks to bring their “dancing shoes” because there will be plenty of great music.
Also, from Milwaukee, we will have a traditional youth group, The Milwaukee Kinder group. It is a German dance group whose members range from the ages of 3-12.
They too will demonstrate some traditional German dancing for us as well.
And on top of all of that, there will be pumpkin painting, a Porsche display… Where would you send someone for more information on the Delavan Oktoberfest?
It is a free event, and you may find us on Facebook or at Delavan F-O-P D-O-T Com.
That is Rachael Miskie of Delavan Friends of the Park, which is hosting Oktoberfest festivities in Delavan, Wi on Saturday.
Rachael, thanks for joining us.
Thanks for having me.
