Fort Leonard Wood's Oktoberfest is just around the corner with a new venue and a great entertainment lineup. Set for Oct. 4 at Nutter Field House, Fort Leonard Wood's Oktoberfest will feature a community festival with traditional beer, food, contests, and live music.
It pays to arrive early in order to experience the festivities up close and personal. The event, hosted by Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, kicks off at 3 p.m. with a family-friendly community festival featuring food, live music, German-style contests and fun activities for the entire family. The family activities, including games, bounce houses, face painting and balloon animals, will also begin at 3 p.m
The FMWR Oktoberfest will envelope all the senses, from the traditional German band, whose music will lift the spirits, to the enticing aromas of and sweet smells of traditional foods.
Entertainment will begin with the 399th Army Band at 3:30 p.m., followed by Die Spitzbuam, a five-piece German band from St. Louis, Missouri, who will rock the stage starting at 6 p.m.
When the Oberbürgermeister (lord mayor) taps the first beer keg and yells the traditional O'zapft is! ("It's tapped!") this marks the opening of the traditional Biergarten (Beer Garden) and the start of the evening festivities.
The fun doesn't stop at the Beirgarten, there will also be competitions held throughout the night, to include a barrel toss, stein holding and chicken dance competitions.
This year's Oktoberfest will include a Volksmarch, sponsored by U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School. Enjoy the outdoors in a social setting on either a 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) or 10-kilometer (6.2 mile) walk beginning at 3 p.m. at Nutter Field House. Participants can choose to walk either the 5K or 10K. The course will close at 7 p.m. Volksmarch -- literally "the people's walk" -- traces its roots to the mid-1960s in Germany, where it became a popular, stress-free way for people of all ages to exercise in a non-competitive, fun environment.
Fort Leonard Wood's Oktoberfest continues to grow each year because of what it gives to every member of the community. The Spirit of Gemuetlichkeit (friendliness) touches everyone and binds friends together. The Fort Leonard Wood FMWR Oktoberfest is open to the public and is a celebration of gemeinschaft (community), freundschaft (friendship), and of course Spaß (fun).
For more information, contact the FMWR Installation Wide Events office at 573.596.6913 or check online at www.fortleonardwoodmwr.com.
(Editor's note: O'Donoghue is the Fort Leonard Wood FMWR Marketing director.)
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