It’s always wonderful when communities bring back old traditions while simultaneously setting out to make new ones. On Friday, September 1, Michigan City kicked off the first day of its revamped Oktoberfest weekend. People from all over the Region headed out to Sunset Grille to enjoy some delicious food, catch up with old friends, and dance the night away.
Michigan City used to hold an Oktoberfest event every year, but 12 years ago it dissolved. When Terry Greetham became Michigan City’s director of special events, the first thing everyone begged him to do was bring back Oktoberfest. That’s exactly what he set out to do.
The first thing Greetham had to figure out was the location. There was no better place to hold the new and improved Oktoberfest than Sunset Grille. With a lower pavilion and an upper deck, multiple bands could perform at one time. The Sunset Grille team was more than happy to take part.
“We really like to work closely with Michigan City’s event planner, Terry Greetham. We support him and all the great things he does here out at the park. He puts on the Singing Sands festival out here, he puts on this event, he’s involved with the boat races and the parades--everything. We enjoy helping him out however we can,” said Julie Krause, events and catering manager for Sunset Grille.
The first Oktoberfest Greetham planned was held last year. The four-day event event featured 42 bands, nine food vendors, and 20 craft vendors. In just one year’s time, though, the event has grown tremendously. This year’s Oktoberfest features 53 bands, 18 food vendors, and 46 craft vendors.
“It’s growing. Our goal is to make it a little bigger and a little better each year and try to get it back up to the size that it used to be. This is one of those festivals that was a big part of my life growing up and I’m glad we were able to bring it back and that people are embracing it,” said Greetham.
Because of the event’s long hiatus, Friday was many people’s first time getting to enjoy the Michigan City Oktoberfest. Michael Garcia, Sunset Grille’s general manager, explained that it meant a lot to him to see the city bring the event back for the community so people could have an excuse to get out on the lakeshore and have some fun.
“I’m really excited to be here. This is my first Oktoberfest, and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the weekend goes and how busy it gets. I’m just glad to be a part of a community like this and help out in any way I can. I think it’s really special that the city has given the community an opportunity like this to get together and socialize,” said Garcia.
People certainly had fun. Everyone had their choice of three different bars, three different stages, and any type of food or craft vendor they could think of.
What really made the event special, though, was the memories it brought back for the people who do remember Oktoberfest the way it used to be. It’s not often that we get the chance to re-experience treasured things from our childhood.
“Oktoberfest is special not just because it’s a fun event and it’s a great way to celebrate our beautiful lakeshore, but because so many people have so many memories as children coming here. Even as I grew up and went away to college I always made to sure to come home for Labor Day weekend so I could go to Oktoberfest. When the event went away it was really disappointing because the memories are just so valuable,” said Greetham.
Of course, the Oktoberfest isn’t exactly the same as it used to be. Greetham made sure to create an event that would bring back the nostalgia of the old Oktoberfest, while also giving people something new to enjoy.
“I want people to embrace some of the traditions that we’ve brought back from the past, but I also want people to embrace some of the newer things we’re doing. We’re trying to switch up the music--we have everything from country to rock 'n roll to Latin and Celtic. We have all kinds of food vendors that are new to the area. I really just want people to start making their own memories so they can look back in 10 years and remember all the times they went to Oktoberfest,” said Greetham.
Looking at all the smiling faces as people swayed to the music and threw their arms in the air, it was clear that this year’s Oktoberfest couldn’t have gotten off to a better start.
Greetham is thankful to everyone who helped him put on such an astounding event. He’s thankful to his assistant, Eric Williams, for helping take off some of the pressure and to Tim Bauer, a volunteer who coordinated all the bands. Lastly, he’s thankful to the city for being supportive of his goal to get the event started again.
The event also wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the community. Countless sponsors including Horizon Bank, Visit Michigan City La Porte, NIPSCO, Sunset Grille, WIMS Radio, and Michigan City Port Authority donated their time and funds to make this year’s Oktoberfest a success.
For everyone who missed out on tonight’s event, don’t worry! The Michigan City Oktoberfest will continue throughout the entire holiday weekend. On Saturday, September 2, and Sunday, September 3, the event will run from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. The event will start back up strong on Monday, September 4 at noon and finish at 6 p.m. There are plenty of more unique bands to be heard and much more fun to be had, so grab a friend and head on out to Sunset Grille to make a weekend full of memories.
“It’s local and representative of our Region. It’s a great way to see all kinds of different styles of music and meet different people. We have some wonderful vendors here and the weather’s going to be beautiful. What can possibly be better than that?” said Krause.
To learn more about Sunset Grille, visit www.sunsetgrilleatthebeach.com.
