Unnoticed
Weekly Update #245 9/29/2024 to 10/5/2024
The amount of unnoticed work that goes into the Oktoberfest each year is always amazing, and this is the week I am reminded about it. Enjoy a look back at last week and a view of the festival from my tired eyes.
For a board member or two the first piece of the festival this week was at 8 a.m. Sunday morning. This is when the parking lot closes for the rides to begin setting up for Oktoberfest. As they get rides situated and set up begun over the next few days, it begins to look like fest time. Really they come by to measure and mark the area a few days before that to make it smoother when Sunday comes. The set up is much more time consuming than the tear down late Saturday night. Thank you to everyone for the cooperation on clearing cars out in time this year.
Tuesday night is always interesting to me. We have around 116 vendors with 72 in the food side and the remaining in the arts and crafts side of the Oktoberfest proper. That isn’t counting the additional sites outside the festival boundaries. The seasoned vendors are always patient and do a good job of understanding what it takes for all to get their equipment set in place and ready to go for the upcoming days. Things like which side of the trailer the windows are located are probably never thought of for most, but can play a big role in who should drop first on a block of choices. Shout out to everyone who wore their “patient pants” on Tuesday night as it makes everything go smoother as things take shape for the upcoming week.
Wednesday local non profit vendors are allowed to open up and serve as other vendors are setting up. This has really turned into a lunch meeting and pregame planning for many. Most of your craft vendors are setting up as well, and the streets start to bustle with more and more activity along the day.
Then comes opening ceremonies where almost 300 Seymour Marching Owls and Guard take the north stage area to get things officially kicked off. At this point everything really starts rolling along. Prince and Princess contest results are shared. Thursday night live music really kicks up, and time and time again, events are happening all over the community. Be it the Balloon Glow on Friday night or the 5K Run on Saturday morning, you have plenty of choices of what to participate in. All of which have had more planning over the previous year than you can ever imagine. A group of dedicated board members have taken the challenge of Oktoberfest 51 times now, and I don’t believe that will change, but they are looking for those that absolutely eat, sleep, and breathe the festival year after year. Those that want to roll up their sleeves and be a part of something bigger than themselves. Those that are able to give thanks for their blessings. If this is you let me know, and I will pass your contact information along. Thank you to the great group of volunteers who make each Oktoberfest happen. Today, I will leave you with a quote from opera singer Robert Breault, "Get involved. You don't want to look back on your life and realize that you successfully managed to stay out of it."