{"id":14657,"date":"2025-10-21T22:08:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T22:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/14657\/"},"modified":"2025-10-21T22:08:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T22:08:09","slug":"40th-oktoberfest-opens-to-crowds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/14657\/","title":{"rendered":"40th Oktoberfest opens to crowds"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n Festivities continue Friday, Saturday & Sunday at the German-American Social Club <\/p>\n

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Oktoberfest Fest 2025 continues through this weekend \u2014 Friday from 4 p.m. to midnight; Saturday from noon to midnight; and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

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Ms. Oktoberfest, Sara Skorak, stops for a photo during Oktoberfest at the German-American Social Club on Saturday. The event celebrates 40 years.<\/p>\n

CHUCK BALLARO<\/p>\n

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Knappenkapelle, a 40-piece band from Germany, performs during Oktoberfest at the German-American Social Club on Saturday. The event celebrates 40 years.<\/p>\n

CHUCK BALLARO<\/p>\n

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Klaus Kohl, seeing the crowds the German-American Social Club was getting for its spring Bierfest, decided he wanted to start an Oktoberfest and did so in 1986.<\/p>\n

Four decades later, the festival is one of the most popular events in Southwest Florida, bringing in tens of thousands of people from all over to drink beer, listen to music and raise their steins and say \u201cZicke, Zacke, Zicke, Zacke, Hoi, Hoi, Hoi.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oktoberfest kicked off Friday night and continued throughout the weekend under blue skies. It was a little warm, as it usually is this time of year, but that made whatever anyone was drinking a little more refreshing at the event that will continue for a second round this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.<\/p>\n

Susie Zimmer, former publicity chair of Oktoberfest and the club, said things have gone smoothly this year. not surprising since the club has done this for 40 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a great crowd and a lot of TV stations here. We\u2019re happy to celebrate the 40th\u00a0year of Oktoberfest and grateful to Teresa (Kohl) and her late husband who started all this,\u201d Zimmer said. \u201cWho would have thought we would have such a huge crowd?\u201d<\/p>\n

As for Teresa Kohl, who has been involved for more than 30 years, she stepped back this year and decided to come strictly as a patron.<\/p>\n

Recent Oktoberfests have been a team effort at the top. Ed Freund chairs the event along with John Wagenhoffer.<\/p>\n

Freund said he expects the biggest Oktoberfest to date with nearly 40,000 coming through once things wind down Sunday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s warm now, but we have beautiful evenings, a nice breeze and you can\u2019t ask for anything better,\u201d Freund said. \u201cThere\u2019s plenty of food, plenty of drinks and a lot of things to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oktoberfest brings in some of the best bands from Germany. Knappenkapelle comes every year to perform (it\u2019s their fourth trip to Cape Coral). The 40-piece band plays everything from ballads to the ever-popular Chicken Dance.<\/p>\n

There is also the house band Hafenkapelle, Kabegl from Switzerland, The Manny Daum Trio, as well as rock bands such as Soapy Tuna and School of Rock which play American rock favorites.<\/p>\n

But what would Oktoberfest be without Ms. Oktoberfest? Sara Skorak won the crown this past July and will represent the club and the event this year. Her job is very important as she is the face of the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll make my rounds, greet everyone and take photos. I do a lot of news interviews and will help with the sign contest, make some announcements and be the ambassador of the club,\u201d Skorak said.<\/p>\n

Many of the previous Ms. Oktoberfests come for the weekend to help out. Angela Telewick was the 1998 Ms. Oktoberfest and is an annual fixture. She said the event has changed so much in that time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s getting busier and it\u2019s more fun. I see people who I haven\u2019t seen in years and I\u2019ve made many friends,\u201d Telewick said. \u201cThe food is great, the music is great and there\u2019s a variety of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s the customers who come that really matter. Whether it\u2019s their first time or 20th, it\u2019s always a great experience and a great reason to party. Andrea Graener, who has come on and off since 2006, said her favorite thing is the potato pancakes, to which one of her friends asked where she could find them.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the beer is very important. It\u2019s from Germany, so yeah.\u201d Graener said. \u201cI\u2019ve been to five of these. I like these round tables where the ladies come and meet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Graener added that, unlike many who brought out the lederhosen and fancy dresses, she didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t wear those in Germany. Why would I do it here?\u201d Graener said.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Starrach, her friend, was attending for the first time. Allison Kummery and her husband Kyle came from Sarasota.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe came down for a soccer tournament and this was happening, and (Mike and Many Davis) invited us and they said they would already be there,\u201d Kummery said. \u201cWe had the soccer tournament, the hotel room and I was like I\u2019m there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI love it. It\u2019s everything I think it should be and more. It\u2019s the people like (Andrea) who make it special,\u201d Kummery said. \u201cWe\u2019ve met so many great people while we\u2019ve been here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oktoberfest continues Friday from 4 p.m. to midnight, Saturday from noon to midnight and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the gate with children 12 and under admitted free. For more information, including locations for advance tickets, visit\u00a0www.capecoraloktoberfest.com .<\/p>\n

The German-American Social Club is at 2101 SW Pine Island Road (SR 78). <\/p>\n


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