Oktoberfest kicked off on Friday, August 30th, with a lively celebration of fun, food, and music.
Held on a scenic beach, the event features a diverse lineup of vendors, live bands, and traditional activities that embrace the spirit of the season.
With its history and dedication to giving back, Oktoberfest is a must-attend event for both locals and visitors.
Terry Geetham, the events director for the City of Michigan City, is thrilled about the festivities and excited to be a part of it again.
"I started with the city just over three years ago," said Geehtham. "Oktoberfest was always the biggest festival of the year when I was growing up here in Michigan City. However, after a while, it went away for some reason. When I took the position as Director of Special Events the most frequent question everyone asked me was, 'When are you bringing Oktoberfest back?' Then, in my second year, I decided to bring it back."
Michael Garcia, the manager at Sunset Grille, is ready to kick off the festivities. This is his second year participating in the event, and he knows the preparation and work required to ensure a successful festival.
"This is my second year at Oktoberfest here on the beach," said Garcia. "As far as activities go, there are a lot of food vendors. We have multiple stages with tons of bands performing all weekend long. We also have a buffet running all weekend upstairs, with a full bar both upstairs and downstairs. We always hope for good weather and a great turnout this year."
One of the sponsors for the event is J & B West Roof and Construction. They have made it a priority to give back to the community. Justin Giordano was reached out by Geetham and decided to join as a sponsor for the first time this year.
"This is our first year," said Giordano. "Geetham brought it to my attention at the beginning of the year. We reached out to him at Michigan City City Hall and said we wanted to participate in community events this year. We asked how we could become a premier sponsor, and he mentioned Oktoberfest and Singing Sands as two of their biggest events. We eventually decided we wanted to sponsor them and give back to the community."
Geetham wanted to preserve many aspects of the festival that he remembered from his childhood. It means a lot to him to see the smiling faces and the familiar atmosphere that brings back memories of his youth.
"We tried to keep some of the traditional parts of Oktoberfest that I remember from when I was a kid," said Geehtham. "The Together band always played on Sunday night, and Duke Tumatoe was always the last one on stage on Monday. For me, it's a bit personal because I have so many memories of my mom and dad at Oktoberfest. Bringing it back is exciting because it's great for the community, but it also brings back those memories of my parents."
J & B West has many plans and ongoing initiatives aimed at making a significant impact on their community. They are dedicated to actively contributing and making a positive difference through their efforts.
“First it’s about being able to put on the event, securing more vendor spots, bringing in better food and drink vendors, and booking better bands," said Giordano. "But it’s also about giving back. We've had a lot of storms in Michigan City and the surrounding areas lately, so we're offering free inspections, doing raffles, and giving out gifts for the kids. We're just trying to give back. Plus, we have a partnership with Habitat for Humanity."
Geetham feels that the best part of the gradual growth of Oktoberfest is seeing the goals being achieved over time. They have reached a point where the number of vendors has doubled and the number of bands has increased significantly.
"We started with twenty-three art, craft, and merchandise vendors, eight food vendors, and about thirty bands," said Geehtham. "Last year, we increased it to sixteen food vendors, forty-five art, craft, and merchandise vendors, and fifty-one bands. This year, we're up to sixty-four art, craft, and merchandise vendors. We've reduced the number of food vendors to give them a better chance of making money.”
This is a special year for Garcia at Oktoberfest, as he can participate more in the activities than he has in previous years.
"In the past, I did not have the chance to do any of these events because I was always working in my second job," said Garcia. "Last year was actually my first one, and I enjoyed it, so I'm back again this year to be a part of it. Last year we saw quite a few thousand people come through here, and we're hoping for the same this year."
Geetham is proud of everyone who has supported him, including Michigan City Mayor Angie Deuitch. Now it is ready for a fantastic festival this year.
"I just want to thank all of our great sponsors who have been a part of this," said Geetham. "I want to thank Mayor Deuitch. She has been a huge supporter of us, as well as the city council and all of the city departments, especially the park and recreation department. They have twenty-five parks in Michigan City to take care of, and just look at the size of this one. Our park department is amazing, and I appreciate all the city departments coming together to help us."
For more information on Oktoberfest please visit sunsetgrilleatthebeach.com/events/
