There is no doubt how Barb Schneiderat feels about the success of the Penticton Oktoberfest on Saturday.
“The event went super,” said Schneiderat, who helped organize the event.
“The food was great, the hall was decorated great, everyone said they had a really good time,” she said. “They were dancing from the minute they started playing until we closed it down at midnight.”
Schneiderat said they got lots of positive feedback about the event, which was the second annual in Penticton. However, there was one item featured in many of the comments.
“Everybody loved the size of the mug,” said Scheiderat, laughing. At 15 oz., the souvenir mug was twice the size of last year’s, and there were three breweries on hand to fill it up.
It’s too early yet to know how much income the event generated, but Scheiderat said the organizers will be meeting on Nov. 9 to discuss how the money will be used.
“By then we should have all the tally in on what it cost us for the different things and know what we have in the kitty for a project,” she said, adding that part of the money will go to pay the city back. “The city gave us $10,000 seed money. We paid back $5,000 last year and we’re going to pay the balance back this year and we’ll know what we have to put aside for a project.”
Schneiderat credits the volunteers — there were 60 of them — for the success of the event, as well as the Heidelberg club, who came out in full costume, singing and performing a slap dance for the patrons.
The organizers are already planning for next year, and have already booked the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre for Oct. 27.
“It’s an event that we are finding the old people are coming early and leaving early. The young ones are coming later and staying to the end,” said Schneiderat. “I think it’s great, it’s a good mix for everybody. And we raise a little bit of money to work on a project that we all enjoy.”
Our volunteers were fabulous, we wouldn’t have been able to hold the event. We had close to 60 volunteers and they are great.
We’re finding that more people are going into their closets and bringing them out, it’s the one time of year they can get dressed up in it and go out.
Just a big thanks to the Heidleberg club for coming out and doing the slap dance and singing songs for us.