Kitchener Waterloo Oktoberfest

[Zana]

Mike,
The Mennonite Beans (WCMPB's) have done quite well....better after the heat eased off in mid August. The funny thing, is that I'd left most of the remaining pods on the vines for seed. Well what do I find this morning - at least a dozen new flowers! Who knows if the weather with hold, but I'm crossing my fingers for a number of reasons. Most of the toms are just starting to ripen in the past 10 days (except for the cherries). So have been getting to taste some of the varieties of seeds you sent me back a year or more ago now for the first time. Yummmmmmm so far. Thanks. I've got about 25lbs of beans stashed in the freezer.....I decided to grow more for seed than freezing this year....although I did eat quite a bit of the early stuff. Not bad all things considered...Planted about 20 plants in two huge containers. It got more than 9 ft high before I had to create supports for the supports or they fall over.

I'll toast ya when I'm all done with Oktoberfest...unless I go out when our Festhalle is dark. But that's almost like taking coal to Newcastle...lol....maybe I could call it research???

[MikeH]

8) 8) 8) .Hope the weather holds out for you!!!!

[remy]

Hi Zana,
So sorry I took so long to respond. I was hoping I would find someone who would want to go out that way on Monday, but no luck: ( My sis-in-law, Sheryl who you met, who would normal say yes is going to Florida! My one friend has off, but so does her kids, lol. Others are still working though it is a holiday. Since you are doing the door thing, I guess it isn't the end of the world, because you will be busy, but still I would of like to have gone.
Remy

[Zana]

Hi Remy,

I just got back from set up at the Festhalle. We open about 18.5 hours! I'm still shaking my head....wrote a cheque for $53,000CAD for the beer alone today! Wow....oh wow!

That's a bummer. But plan for next year. I think we're going to have allot more coming. And maybe even a seed swap too. LOL

BTW picked my first of the Cherokee Purple, Yellow Pear, Riesentraube, Tidwell German, and Black Krim today. Wow these Indian summer temps are great. We're expecting a high of 28C on Saturday....who ever heard of that for Oktoberfest - Thanksgiving Weekend? We usually get snow flurries! Hoping my remaining varieties ripen up over the weekend. There is allot of fruit still on the plants.

[Zana]

Good Morning All....at least I think its morning...

We're having freak weather here for Thanksgiving and Oktoberfest. Think we were over 34C with the humidex added in yesterday! Crazy indeed.

After over 18 hours working at the Festhalle yesterday....and over about 1700 through the doors (including staff and guests of Honeymoon Suite - last night's headline act)I came home, let the dogs out for a bit, barely remembered to let them in, and fell face first into my bed. Only the need to wake the dogs and hit the farmer's market to pick up the pre-ordered turkey got my butt out of bed, and me semi conscious at this time. Very successful night....few incidents and judging my the condition and mood of those I saw leaving, a good night was had by all. One Day of Oktoberfest down, 7 operating days to go. I'm thinking sleep..........sleeeeeeeeeep.....sleeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeep, is a highly underrated commodity and activity at the moment. Sighhhhhhhhh....chuckle. Tonight is PrideToberfest....and ticket sales have been good. Somebody suggested that I google it...and it came back with over 15 pages....many repeats, but allot all the same, considering that its only the second year of the event. Even made something new to wear tonight....its quite colourful, and I have an even better idea for some "pride-wear" for working the front door. We try to have at least one person in "tracht" (Lederhosen, Bundhosen or Dirndls) in each work area.......mine is the front gate entrance. Its going to be allot of fun and highly entertaining. Our headliners the BGirlz had informed us that they've been writing new material just for tonight and are bringing a camera crew too.

Time to go check out my toms and beans, I didn't get near them yesterday. Too busy. With this heat, I'm getting new flowers...go figure.

For my fellow Canucks, best wishes for a very Happy, Safe and Healthy Thanksgiving. For my neighbours south of the border, Happy Columbus Day! And for the rest of TV, have a great weekend too.

[Zana]

Ok...have to go rethink the going out to check on the toms and beans. Its coming down like cats and dogs and with plenty of thunder and lightning. Think I'll wait a bit. LOL

[Zana]

Well another Pridetoberfest has been a great success. Although a smaller than expected turn out it was one that came out to par - tay! Our headline act the BGirlz brought the house down. They had their own film documentary crew following them about.

We had guests that came from as far away as Tampa, Florida, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Michigan, New York, Los Angeles, California, Quebec and Ohio....and those are the ones I know about. We had media visiting from all over the map, including Germany.

But after getting home and sleeping for about 5 hours, I got up to feed and medicate our Westie, check on the tomatoes and beans (we had thundershowers here last night with hard driving drains and high winds) - all are doing well. This heat wave has fast forwarded the ripening on the tomatoes. Plants that had fruit that were barely blushing last weekend, are almost ripe. I picked about 5 quarts of cherries, saladettes and pear tomatoes this morning....about the same last Thursday. I'm not knocking it, but for the past 4 out of 5 Thanksgiving weekends, we've had snow flurries - so this is awesome to say the least!

Have to go finish stuffing the bird. And take another nap. LOL

[MikeH]

Glad to hear your festival was a great success Zana!I was looking over one of the links you provided and wow,what a shindig!!Just have one little question(and cyber-slap me if it's a stupid one,lol)who are the BGirlz?Singing group?Burlesqe?Enquiring minds(or at least mine)wants to know the scoop,lol.

Really odd weather here also,high of 91F today.The toms are about spent but looks like a few ripe ones will be had before frost.And the peppers are making a third comeback this season.It's all good,yep it is !

Have a good one and try to catch up on your sleep .

[Zana]

Mike,

Pridetoberfest is just one night of 6 at our Festhalle. Its the only official Oktoberfest Pride event. Although as of this year, there is also a Pridetoberfest Bowling Tournament. We held our first Pridetoberfest last year, and we think it will take a few years to build up to full capacity.

The BGirlz are entertainers....in drag....female impersonators. Totally glam and outrageous...they're definitely a hoot. Our past chair of our Festhalle and I were at Windsor Pride in July to promote Pridetoberfest and saw them perform there. They were great. So we booked them for Pridetoberfest.

I'll be back at the Festhalle tomorrow for Bands on Parade. The many of the marching bands from the Oktoberfest Parade come and perform at our Festhalle for most of the afternoon. Its a family event - all ages.

And yeah, I'm thinking sleep is going to come early tonight.

[Zana]

"the Party is over......" for another year, sighhhhhhh

We closed the festhalle last night to the second night of capacity plus attendance. We're licensed for 2300 and we had over that both of the last two nights. We're talking allot of people to process through the front doors. And that's where I work mainly. I'm chair of admissions. Friday night being University Night, almost all the tickets were sold by the Sigma Chi Fraternity Chapters at the University of Waterloo and Sir Wilfred Laurier University. All of whom definitely have to have their ID's checked at the door.

After seeing some of them, even before entry, I have to wonder at some of the youth of today. Many may be book smart, but they're seriously slow or low on the practical skills or common sense quotient. I think we set an all time high for those that arrived already too intoxicated to admit. Many of whom, compounded their error by refusing to return home quietly, and were ejected by either myself, our staff or the paid duty officers from our Festhalle. Which begs the question, when do they teach these brainac's that it doesn't pay to argue with an officer?

On Friday night I got my work out too...lol. Some of my staff said they're never seen me move so fast....and I freely admit I think the last time I descended the stairs, deliberately, at 3 or 4 steps at a time was while living in London, England and running to catch the tube. We'd had word that somebody was trying to use the elevator to re-enter after being already ejected from the Festhalle. I met the elevator at the bottom and greeted him as the doors opened, blocking his exit from the elevator. He wanted to know why I thought I had the right to block "his return to the party"....to which, I replied that since I was co-chair of the Festhalle, I had every right to restrict his access. I stood facing him blocking his exit, reached over pushed the button for the lobby floor and let the doors close again.

It's a sllllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooowwwwww ride at any time in that elevator....which probably why I beat it to the bottom in the first place, but I digress. Anyway he was leaning towards me arguing, and I'd like to give him a benefit of a doubt that he over balanced, but the sight/feel of his fist going over my shoulder and past my ear, definitely gave the impression that he'd taken a swing at me. I just "pushed" him backwards....as his balance wasn't his best skill at the time. The doors opened to one of our volunteers....and more importantly, a police Sgt. , who escorted him out of the elevator.

While falling back to back up the officer as he led him out, I spotted a glass mickey bottle (about a 12oz bottle) in his back pocket (it was almost falling out) and removed it. He'd already been calling me a series of what he obviously thought were "creative" descriptives , but this put him into high gear and he stepped it up a few notches, calling me everything under the sun , and lunging towards me. At which point the Sgt., put him into a half nelson and frog marched him out of the Festhalle. When they got to the double set of exit doors, they were met by some fellow officers entering, including a senior member of the local SWAT team. ...the "restrained" patron showed his disdain and opinion of the local constabulary and began resisting ejection again. At which, the SWAT officer slapped the bracelets on him and took him for a ride.

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice. Definitely a case of liquor logic and stuck on stupid.

Yep, been a while since somebody took a swing at me.... . Afterwards, the staff were talking about it. The newbies at the front door who saw me take off flying down the stairs and then return accompanying the officer and ejected patron were surprised I caught him. The staff at the bottom of the stairs, where the coat check is located opposite the elevator were mostly high school KEY Club members and our security. Most of which were freaked out that I went into the elevator alone with the guy. I'm told that they were saying security should've accompanied me, and one of the more experienced staff, laughed and said, she knows what she's doing..... . But I can't blame the newbies, too much. After all....I'm only 5'1 and I wasn't wearing high heels and I was dressed in an "evening dirndl" which is ankle length and is corsetted....

I am glad that I'd had a "refresher" course in restraint holds by some of my more unusually skilled security volunteers the first weekend. One of those assigned to me at the front door is a 3rd degree black belt. I learned a few new ones for repelling or restraining...hehehe.

By the time that I left the Festhalle, after the final night staff party, it was about 0330. I was back at the Festhalle for teardown at 0750 and didnt get home until about 1630. After a 15 hour day at the Festhalle the day before, I was more than a little tired when I arrived home. LOL Went to bed and got up in time to watch about the last 6 innings of the Rockies and Dbacks.

So Oktoberfest is over for another year. We made up for the slower first weekend in our Festhalle the final weekend and should come out about the same as the previous year. All proceeds go to our Kiwanis Club's projects and the community groups that assist us putting on the event. It's allot of work but if we didn't do it, we wouldn't be able to contribute the over $5 million CAD we've raised through our Festhalle over the past 38 years, back into our local community and beyond.

Next year, I'll try to coordinate something earlier for any TV-er's who might wish to check out the largest Oktoberfest anywhere outside of Munich. Ours is only one of about 17 Festhallen in Kitchener Waterloo. Might even be able to do a seed swap, since most people will have put their gardens to bed by then. Unless of course they're far enough south that they put in a fall crop.

Now I think I have a date with my long neglected pillow. G'nite...lol....or should I say, Guten Nacht und schlaffen Sie gute!

[remy]

Zana,
That is too funny about the drunk and you, reminds me of my old bartending days! They were just as stupid then.
I'm glad Octoberfest was a success. That is great all the money you've raised.
Next year, I'll have to work on a travel partner sooner!
Remy

[Zana]

Well Folks....its closing in on that time of year again....Oktoberfest!

2008 is the 40th Anniversary of the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest. There are lots of extra special events going on. Our Festhalle is even hosting something new....when we'd normally be "dark". The Oktoberfest Muay Tai (sp?) will be run in our Festhalle on the afternoon of the 12th of October. There will be teams from all over North America and the German National Team is expected to join us. This will be an official qualifying tournament for the "Worlds", so the calibre of entrants will be very high.

This year, Oktoberfest starts officially with the Keg-tapping ceremony at Kitchener City Hall on Friday October 11th and goes until Sunday October 20th when the closing ceremony takes place. Our Festhalle is open on the following days during the 9 day Bavarian Festival:
Fri Oct 11th evening with DAVE FM / regular Oktoberfest with The Saxons and House DJ, JP Renaud

Sat Oct 12th afternoon Oktoberfest Mauy Tai Tournament
Sat Oct 12th evening regular Oktoberfest with The Saxons and House DJ, JP Renaud

Mon Oct 14th after the Oktoberfest Parade to 430pm All Ages / Bands on Parade (all the marching bands perform along with the multi award winning house band The Saxons and House DJ, JP Renaud

Wed Oct 16th BEATtoberfest The BEAT/ artists to be announced, with The Saxons and House DJ, JP Renaud

Fri Oct 17th University Night regular Oktoberfest with The Saxons and House DJ, JP Renaud

Sat Oct 18th Closing Night regular Oktoberfest with The Saxons and House DJ, JP Renaud

If anybody is interested, I can arrange hotel packages info, etc. The first weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving / Columbus Day Weekend, depending upon whether you're in the the States or Canada. Our Oktoberfest starts the weekend after the Munich one ends. There are a number of events that go on during the day, that are family style oriented. There was an idea put forward that our Kiwanis Youth (Circle K or KEY Club) could run a babysitting service for those interested in attending with young children and coming for the weekend.

For those that are not aware, the drinking age is 19 not 21 in the Province of Ontario.

A possible seed swap could be done on the Sunday October 13th for Tomatovillians interested in coming.

If you want to come to the Festhalle that I am part of, please pm me and I can arrange a discount on tickets for my fellow Tomatovilians. However, if you're interested in the final Saturday night, which sells out by around Labour Day normally, or the final Friday night, I'll need to know so that I hold back tickets because it sells outtoo.

[tomatoaddict]

I'm going to be there sister!!!!! Already made plans to stay with Desmond..... whooo hooo!

[remy]

Zana,
Hopefully, everything works out this year and I can get up there!
Remy

[Zana]

Remy,
We'll definitely be looking for you....and is your sis in law still thinking of joining you? LOL I seem to vaguely remember you mentioning that last time. Either way, you're always welcome and it should be a blast! I'll have a VIP pass that I can get people into other halls...and can get my hands on at least one more....for a total of 7 people other than moi....lol. Maybe we can get Caz's husband to be our D.D.? Hope to see you there!