Fort Rucker Oktoberfest

Get out your Lederhosen or Dirndl because it’s that time again - Oktoberfest at Fort Rucker!

Traditionally Oktoberfest starts the third weekend in September and ends the first Sunday of October. The first Oktoberfest was held to celebrate a royal wedding in 1810. The festivities were so popular, the local population decided to celebrate again the following year. Since its origin, the Oktoberfest in Munich is one the world’s largest fairs with more than 6 million visitors annually! Like in Germany, we celebrate Oktoberfest at Fort Rucker with German food, music, activities and, of course, beer. Does this sound like fun to you?  Then join us at the 10th annual Fort Rucker Oktoberfest on September 28th from 4:30 – 9:30 p.m. at the Fort Rucker Festival Fields.

This 10th annual event will be bigger and better than ever with over 3,500 revelers expected to attend! Featuring live German music by Sonnenschein Express, German food and beer, vendors, games and activities for all ages, rides, this is a don’t miss event!

For the 5th consecutive year, Sonnenschein Express will be entertaining the Ft. Rucker community. Their performances include sounds from the Alpine region including ringing cowbells, horns, and yodeling.  And don’t be shy, crowd participation is always a big part of the performance, so be prepared to do the Chicken Dance!

In addition to the Biergarten and live music, there will be Keg Toss competitions, Bier Barrel Rolling challenges and ‘Don’t Spill Your Bier’ contests. This is event is more than just a beer fest, there are activities and fun for the entire family. Children will enjoy the kids free inflatables area and craft activities will be available for their entertainment. For the more adventurous at heart, there will be carnival-type rides, pony rides and a petting zoo, pumpkin patch, and an RC stock car racing booth activity available for minimal fees.  A variety of food and craft vendors will also be on site for your enjoyment. So join us in celebrating Ft. Rucker’s 10th Annual Oktoberfest! Prost!

Admission to the event is FREE and open to the public. Please no coolers or pets. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to The Landing. Stay up to date on event schedules on Facebook with Fort Rucker FMWR .

Through The Eyes of a Flight School Spouse

Time flies when you’re having fun. When you’re not having fun, well that’s another story. The day my husband left for SERE I decided it was time to take advantage of some more Family & MWR events, otherwise it was going to be a long three weeks. I paged through the Fort Rucker At Ease magazine and the first thing I noticed was that the Auto Skills Center was offering free holiday vehicle inspections in the days leading up to Labor Day. What a perfect opportunity for someone who is without her handy man! I took my car in and after offering me a chair they checked the fluids, lights, and all the other essentials. They even answered my questions about a funny noise in the car. I was thrilled to find out that my car was in tiptop shape and I shouldn’t be having any problems with it any time soon. To my surprise, I also found out that should I have any problems with it, they have a mechanic on staff with whom you can schedule an appointment to have any issues fixed. That could prove to be very helpful someday!

After getting my car’s clean bill of health, I headed over to the Arts and Crafts Center next to the Exchange for a lesson on framing. I wasn’t aware that they offered framing classes until one of my friends recommended it to me, and I am so glad that she did! It was a one on one lesson and Beth was a very patient instructor, ensuring that I knew how to use the machines well enough that I could come back any time and use them by myself. For the lesson I brought in my husband’s commissioning certificate, picked out two colors of mats and the frame, and then we built the entire thing. The whole process took about two hours and included cutting the frame pieces, gluing and stapling them, cutting the mats, assembling the finished product, and finally filling in any rough corners with putty. When I looked at my finished product I felt like a little kid who had just completed their first finger painting. I was so amazed that I could make something that looked so professional! The best part about doing your own framing is that you only pay for the materials, so you save an incredible amount of money by framing it yourself. Now everyone can afford custom framing. Beth suggested that in order to keep my newly learned skills sharp, I should come in and frame something on my own within two weeks. I plan to be back there even sooner!

Thanks,
Kathleen Montion, a military spouse.