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More fun on tap

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More than 15,000 people attended the German American Social Club’s Oktoberfest celebration last weekend, 15,426 to be exact. Officials said the fun will continue this weekend, and they expect to break their records with more than 35,000 in total attendance.

“We had a very good turnout, especially on Saturday,” said club president Hubert Prem. “We are replenishing right now, the bier, the brats – everything.”

“That includes 2,000 pounds of sauerbraten and 6,000 pounds of schnitzel for the total event,” said club chef Guido Polman. “Already it is a fantastic event.”

That’s not to mention the 35,000 potato pancakes total he and volunteer cooks plan to make.

Besides the food and beers, music was a highlight of the weekend, said Prem.

“People enjoyed the music very, very much, the German Band especially – the ‘Maselheimer Musicians’ – they don’t just play the German Oompah music, they also played a variety including swing and pop music.”

He complimented Cape Coral Mayor John Sullivan on his beer keg tapping skills, which formally kicked off the event last Friday.

“Our mayor did great with the official tapping of the keg,” he said. “He did it with one hit; the mayor of Munich needed three!”

“We think the first weekend was fantastic,”said Steve Amann, who is chairman of the Oktoberfest celebration. “In attendance, we were equal to other years, and that’s considering all the events going on around town, Zombicon and everything else. This coming weekend we are not in competition with anybody, so we think we will have a spectacular weekend.

“The weatherman is promising us good weather and we’re going to hold him to it.”

This weekend they will also have more contests and random drawings with great prizes, several each day. “One is our Chicken Dance Contest, and the Bier Stein Holding Contest and also a polka contest,” he said. “There will be several of those as well. We have some great giveaways for prizes for the contests, including trips to Key West on Key West Express, golf rounds at Coral Oaks Golf Course and tickets to the Red Sox training games.”

Also on Friday and Saturday, there will a trip to anywhere were Jet Blue flies, and on Sunday Night – two trips to Germany for couples donated by Air Berlin, he said.

Members of the German American Social Club are all encouraging everyone who can to attend the inaugural Oktoberfest 5k and Tot Trot Saturday, Oct. 27 at Jim Jeffers Park.

LCEC and the German American Social Club have teamed up to present the event, and your entry will include you getting two free tickets to attend Oktoberfest and $6 worth of food coupons. For information on that event, see the story in today’s Cape Coral Breeze and go to uw.lcec.net/5k.html.

“Again come hungry, come thirsty and be prepared to have a good time,” said Amann. “We’re looking forward to seeing you there.”

Gates open on Fridays at 4 p.m. and the fun goes until until midnight, on Saturday festivity hours are noon to midnight and Sunday noon to 9 p.m.

There will be continuous music and dancing and all the German food and drink favorites, a kids area and more.

It is the 27th Annual Oktoberfest here.

The cost of admission is $5 in advance and $6 at the gate, with children under 11 free.

In Cape Coral, advance tickets can be purchased at the German American Club, all Hess Express stations, the Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce and Trebing Tile.

The German American Social Club of Cape Coral is located at 2101 Southwest Pine Island Rd. For information, call 283-1400.