Students and community members participated in traditional German festivities at the Oktoberfest Wednesday.
Held in the Ballroom of the Bowen Thompson Student Union, students and community members listened to polka music in both English and German by Squeezebox, comprised of Mollie B and Ted Lange. Lange played accordion while Mollie B rotated between vocals, trumpet, keyboard, and saxophone. Couples danced the traditional German polka dances to Squeezebox’s music.
Many attendants and German Club members were dressed in dirndl and Lederhosen, traditional German attire. Attendants also had the opportunity to eat traditional German foods like Brats and pretzels.
The University’s German Club has worked for months on pulling together this year’s Oktoberfest, the biggest celebration since it began 18 years ago.
“We start planning the moment Oktoberfest ends,” German Club’s Vice President Paul Rowinsky said.
President Zach Custenborder said the club really starts kicking the planning into gear starting in August.
“We’re doing everything we can to find more ways to make the event better,” member Molly Closson said.
To make the event bigger, the German Club has been advertising, reaching out to the community, inviting outside German communities, and making moves to attract the younger crowd.
“The last couple of years we’ve been gunning for community support,” Custenborder said.
Some of the outside communities the German Club invited include those of Deshler and Hamler Ohio, home to the Bavarian Haus and Summerfest respectively.
One of the Bowling Green community members in attendance at the event was Associate Professor in the German department Christina Gunther.
“The idea is to bring together the local community…This is a wonderful event for Bowling Green and the community to join together and break down the generation gaps,” Gunther said.
The club sold out of its 300 food tickets, after Dr. Wally Pretzer, a former University English professor and community liaison to various German organizations, sold 100 tickets prior to the event’s doors opening.
Custenborder estimated between 400-500 people attended Wednesday’s event.
