“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
Benjamin
Franklin
Another
day, another adventure. We went to Fort Gordon, Georgia today for
the annual Oktoberfest was happening and we really wanted to get some
tasty German food and listen to authentic German music. This is the
place for that. We ordered our food from a vendor and they made a
very good schnitzel which Joe loves and I love their brats. The
Oktoberfest originally began on October 12, 1810 when Crown Prince
Ludwig who later became King Ludwig I, married Princess Therese von
Sachsen-Hildburghausen and was celebrated in Bavaria. The
celebrations continue today to celebrate good times and good friends
and family.
This
is a great place for a family to come as they have rides for the
kids, activities, food, entertainment, and shopping. You do not have
to be military to come to this event and it really is a lot of fun.
They have a huge yard sale on the same day where people can bring
their prized possessions to sell on Barton’s Field. There are
some amazing finds if you look close. It is set up right next to
the Oktoberfest so it is easy to shop and then go and sit and enjoy
the activities of the day.
They
set up a huge white tent set up on Barton Field as the beer tent and
the entertainment area. We were there early so there wasn’t much
happening yet. Last year, we came on the first night where they
have a Beer Tapping Ceremony that is a lot of fun to see. Before the
keg got tapped, they said a prayer and gave thanks to the German
military in attendance. It is quite the ceremony to see as they roll
in a small keg on a fancy cart, directly from Germany and they tap it
with a small hammer to start the keg. It gives a bit of authenticity
to the actual Oktoberfest from Munich, Germany. After it is tapped,
they share the beer with those who are there and would like a glass.
When everyone had a beer in hand everyone sings the German song that
is shared worldwide in Oktoberfest's - “Ein Prosit.” The
translation of the song is, “A toast” A toast, a toast, to
cheer and good times. A toast, a toast, to cheer and good times.
One! Two! Three! Drink up! The song was composed by Bernhard
Dittrich. The song became a staple at Oktoberfest and was modernized
by Gerhard Jussenhoven and Kurt Elliot in 1957. Joe enjoyed the
German beer.
There
is entertainment all day long with many great bands to hear. Some
are local bands that play things other than German music. The
military band plays and they are always excellent to hear. There is
so much talent there. There is always a German band that plays and
they German Club members all dress in their German outfits and dance.
It is a pleasure to watch them preform.
There
was a bounce house, small kid rides, pony rides, and an arts and
craft tent for the kids to show their artistic talents. They also
made a maze out of hay bales and a bowling game between hay bales.
It brought back many memories of when our children were small. They
loved coming to these events on post. We so enjoyed watching the
young families chase their kids around and squeal with delight as
they rode the rides. We so enjoy being around military folk.
We
had a nice day and it was a nice event. If you are looking for
something to do, it is an enjoyable time for all. Prost!
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