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Community Corner

Food, Fun Combine For Festive Oktoberfest

Schwaben Verein of Chicago hosts its annual festival in Buffalo Grove.

Despite a distance of more than 4,500 miles, a little bit .

The event, organized by the , is one of the largest German festivals in the Chicagoland area. It is also one of the oldest; this year was the 134th annual celebration.

“We are expecting about 3,000 people this weekend. In the past, we’ve had about 2,000 people. This year, though, we added celebrations for Friday night,” George Boehm, president of Schwaben Vererin of Chicago, said during Saturday's festivities. “We have a mix of bands playing new songs for the younger crowd, and bands that play traditional German music.”

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"We have a lot of great bands lined up for this weekend," Mike Hartel, first vice president of Schwaben Verein, said.

In addition to bands playing more contemporary music, the event included traditional German band Paloma, which performed in the beer tent and took requests to play specific songs. People in the audience raised their glasses and sang along with the band, while some waltzed and polkaed on the dance floor in front of the stage.

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The three-day Oktoberfest festival also included German food, such as leberkasse sandwiches, bratwurst, thueringer, weisswurst and sauerkraut. Imported and domestic beer was served, and carnival rides and games were offered. A buffet featuring traditional German foods was available inside banquet hall. People of all ages attended the event.

“We want people to learn about the German culture,” said Schwaben Verein member Maria Nuemann, who sold German candies and chocolates with fellow member Marion Wimmer.

The emphasis on learning and sharing an appreciation for German culture was emphasized throughout the evening.

“Oktoberfest in August is an old tradition,” Irma Weber said as she handed out tickets at the entrance to the festival. “People have come to the Oktoberfest for years, and it’s a fun tradition. People can celebrate together and have fun.”

Ray Quitschau, director of Schwaben Verein, directed traffic in the parking lot across the street from the festivities. As drivers navigated through the muddy grass and gravel, Quitschau said that he hoped everyone would have a “great time” during the festival. directed traffic on Weiland Road, enabling pedestrians to cross safely.

Schwaben Verein was founded to assist emigrants from southwest Germany, according to its website. The group also exists a social and charitable club for people with middle European origins and connections.

The Buffalo Grove-based club relies on events such as Oktoberfest to raise money to upkeep the four soccer fields on Weiland Road.

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