Oktoberfest = fun-fest
By Michael Morrison
What do bratwurst, beer, bands and traveling Kyrene Corridor teens have in common? Oktoberfest.
The 31st annual Way Out West Oktoberfest is coming to Tempe Beach Park this Oct. 3-6.
Though it's known for its adults-only Bavarian beer garden, Oktoberfest is made for the entire family.
Three musical groups will perform for the fundraising festival, including an authentic German polka band and the classic rock group Mogollon, with a special performance by the Kyrene Corridor-based youth dance troupe Dance Dynamix.
Mogollon is a local band whose members started performing classic rock cover songs, but has since begun composing its own variety of music. The group will be juicing up its classic sets with the members’ own compilations each day of the festival.Dance Dynamix will be putting on a one-hour show for the whole family featuring jazz, pop and more.
Anyone who has been to Oktoberfest will tell you music isn't the only reason to go. Parents and kids will appreciate the carnival rides, cotton candy, a ferris wheel and a plethora of prizes waiting to be won at the game booths throughout the event. This year's event will also feature a Kinderfest section even larger than the beer garden. Youngsters will love to cool off in Splash Playground, the Town Lake waterpark, while young adults can get their thrills climbing the rock wall.
While your family is eating, drinking and screaming its way through the park, they’ll helping the Sister Cities program in Tempe. A portion of the food proceeds from Oktoberfest benefit the program, which sends Tempe teens to places like China, France, Germany, Ireland, Macedonia, Mali and New Zealand through a student exchange program.
The mission statement of the Sister Cities program is to bring the world together, "one friendship at a time."
Corona del Sol student Aaron Seiter has done his part to help make that happen, and it shines through when he recalls his experiences in New Zealand.“New Zealanders are a laid back people, easy to get along with and very personable. They are really enthusiastic about getting to know you," says Seiter.
It seems that many New Zealanders are curious about other cultures, "especially if you tell them you're an American."
He also wanted to pass on to any future visitors to New Zealand not to make a common faux pas, and mistake them for Australians. "Their accents are very close, and they have people mistake them for Australians a lot."
"New Zealand also has it's own indigenous people, the Maori, kind of like the Native Americans over here," said Seiter."Meeting the Maori was a big event...you could call it diplomatic...the Maori did this big greeting, lots of songs."
"I went to one of (the Maori) communities that was built around these natural hot springs."
He seemed in awe of their use of the springs, which included "washing, cooking with it...but the weird part was the whole area smelled of sulfur."Naturally, Aaron's participation in the exchange has enticed him to attending the Oktoberfest fundraiser.
"Corona put on a great drama production for Oktoberfest last year. It was really great, I still remember it."
Through Oktoberfest and other fundraising activities, the Sister Cities program also sends wheelchairs, water and other essentials to the participant cities around the globe.
Tempe Town Lake is on the southwest corner of Mill Avenue and Washington Street. General admission and many of the events are free.Oktoberfest is one of the ways that Kyrene Corridor residents can help support these philanthropic efforts--and have a blast.
