This coming Saturday, Oct. 5, UD’s Campus Activities Board is bringing a slice of Europe to Irving by hosting a traditional Oktoberfest celebration. The evening will kick off at 5 p.m. with an opening talk by UD’s own Bavarian native, Dr. Julia Fulmore. Following the talk will be a night of drinks, dancing, dirndls and more.
The tradition of Oktoberfest originated in Munich, Bavaria in 1810 when, to celebrate his marriage to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, Crown Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria invited all the residents of the city of Munich to a grand wedding festival.
The event was so popular that ever since then, the city of Munich has continued to host an annual folk festival complete with games, traditional food and costumes and barrels and barrels of local beer. The event has developed over the last two hundred years into a major cultural celebration. Today, the Munich Oktoberfest is one of the largest festivals in the world and hosts millions of visitors every year.
UD has a great appreciation for German culture and heritage. Many UD students themselves have German ancestry and find a home for their cultural expression in UD’s popular German Club and the rigorous German program led by Herr and Frau Drs. Eidt. However, whether German or not, anyone at UD can celebrate the region’s rich traditions at the annual campus Oktoberfest.
Isabella McHugh, junior English major and the CAB Traditions Intern, is planning and hosting UD’s Oktoberfest this year. She said, “The reason we have Oktoberfest at UD is because we want to celebrate other cultures, and especially since the semester abroad is so important for our university and students, because so many students go to the Munich Oktoberfest, we like bringing that tradition onto UD’s campus.”
UD’s Oktoberfest will offer traditional food such as bratwurst, sauerkraut, soft pretzels and a chicken dish called hendl.
For those 21 and up, there will be a beer tasting featuring three of the six traditional breweries that are allowed at the Munich festival and have been providing beer to the Oktoberfest since it began. For those under 21, there is a non-alcoholic option called Apfelschorle, as well as plenty of games and activities to make the night a blast.
There will be a bouncy house, flower crown station and disco dance dome. Other activities will include a German spelling bee judged by Provost Vorwerk, a traditional German costume contest, stein holding contest and barmaid relay race, where contestants will run with a full stein and try not to spill. UDers will have the chance to win prizes like Cap Bar cards and Winter Cotillion tickets.
About the plentitude of activities at this year’s celebration, McHugh said, “Oktoberfest used to be really big at UD and it’s kind of died down, so we’re really trying to bring it back and make it even bigger and better than years past.”
Events like Oktoberfest are a big part of UD life and community, and a great way to get UDers together on the mall and beyond. With efforts by Isabella McHugh and CAB to revamp UD’s Oktoberfest and highlight the traditional aspects of the German festival, this year’s celebration is set to be a night to remember.
So ladies get your dirndls, gentlemen don your lederhosen and prepare for this weekend’s volksfest where UD will celebrate community and tradition – Bavarian style.