Oktoberfest at Cape Harbour to feature music twist
From Friday through Sunday, visitors can taste traditional German food, try German beers and even take part in a yodeling or beer hoisting contest. Those will all be a part of the Oktoberfest at Cape Harbour, which will have a modern twist – rock music versus the traditional German.
The Joint and J.J. Taylor Distributing have teamed up to sponsor the event. On Friday, Oct. 12, at 6 p.m., there will be the ceremonial “Tapping of the Keg” to kick off the festivities, then the local band PUSH will perform from 6 to 10 p.m.
“We’ll doing a yodeling competition Friday night as well,” said Bob Mulroy, The Joint’s general manager. “Blue Moon is the sponsor and will have great prizes for the best yodeler.”
It’s called the “Howl at the Moon Yodeling Competition” and begins at 8:30 p.m.
There will also be a national contest on Saturday night.
“That’s the Samuel Adams Stein Hoisting Contest,” he said. “In that competition, they fill the stein with beer – a 24-ounce stein – and you have to hold it out without bending your elbow the longest time without spilling. It is certainly easier said than done.”
In that national competition each individual location hosting it will send in a winner.
“We will give prizes to the local winner and they will be sent to the national event, with the grand prize being a a trip Munich for Oktoberfest next year,” Mulroy said.
That competition will be held from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday.
Beer is a big part of the festivities. There will be a “bier garten” with special tastings of over a dozen premium imports and craft beers. That will include Abita, Blue Moon, Paulaner, Samuel Adams, Sierra Nevada and Warsteiner.
“We will set up a tasting tent with roughly 20 varieties to try, and with a Beer Passport you can get 10 tastes for $15.”
Mulroy said what he is looking forward to is all the food.
“I’m looking forward to all the great food we are preparing, including the traditional German dishes,” he said. That includes sauerbraten, spaetzle, braised red cabbage, sauerkraut, bratwurst and more.
Musical entertainment, besides PUSH Friday, includes George Lewis on Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. and Sunday Chris Workman from 2 to 5 p.m. and Diane Russell from 5 to 8 p.m.
The bands are all local and rock n’ roll, Mulroy said. “We are having a modern twist on a classic German Oktoberfest.”
He is looking forward to great weather for the event. “This is our second year,” he said. “We had a little bit of rain last year, but we’re expecting a great weekend.”
For information, call Cape Harbour at 945-6116.