By Joyce Coronel
October might seem like a long way off when slogging through the sweltering days of August, but organizers of Four Peaks Oktoberfest are meeting weekly in preparation for the big day this fall when the festival makes its 45th return visit to Tempe.
After last year’s less-than-hoped-for turnout, organizers decided to revisit the event’s roots, again featuring free admission and local, family-friendly entertainment as it did for the first four decades of its existence.
The fun begins Friday, Oct. 13, but before the beer gardens and food booths spring up and musicians stand before microphones, months of preparation and legwork lie ahead to make sure all goes smoothly.
The annual Oktoberfest celebration draws throngs families and individuals for three days of fun in support of the Tempe Sister Cities program.
Larry West, who’s been involved planning the event for many years, said organizers are optimistic. “It’s all local entertainment and I think we’ve got a great lineup,” West said.
That includes The Wes Williams Band on the main stage Friday night and Fayuca, a rock-reggae band, on Saturday night. Mogollon, a country rock band, closes Sunday night.
The ever-popular dachshund races are back this year, too, after an absence at last year’s celebration.
Having suffered an exodus of free help last year when a management company took over the event and hired paid staff, going back to the original concept is taking a bit of work.
“We still need volunteers,” West said. “Most of them will work a four-hour shift either in a beer or food tent. We also need volunteers on Saturday morning for the Frank Kush race.”
Most Oktoberfest volunteers are giving of themselves, West said, because of their gratitude to the Tempe Sister Cities program and what it taught their children. They also earned points toward expense-paid trips, an approach that will be restored for this year’s event.
Ultimately, it takes about 1,500 volunteers to make sure Oktoberfest runs smoothly. Proceeds after expenses are split evenly between Tempe Elementary School District and the Tempe Sister Cities organization, amounting to around $5,000 for each.
Every year, the Tempe Sister Cities program relies on the proceeds from Oktoberfest to send the 32 summer seniors—students who are between their junior and senior years—to one of Tempe’s 11 Sister Cities.
After four decades, more than 900 young people students have participated in the Sister Cities program that stretches from Regensburg, Germany, to Timbuktu, Mali and other far-flung regions.
Students spend time abroad with a host family, learning about the culture, history, language and flavor of their particular Sister City. They then return the favor later in the summer when their Sister City’s host student visits Tempe.
“These students are Tempe’s best and brightest,” West said. “They’re smart kids and highly motivated. This foreign experience gives them depth to carry on when they go to college.”
President Dwight Eisenhower began the Sister Cities program in 1956.
“As he understood the ravages of war, he thought citizen diplomacy might be a positive alternative,” West said.
For more information about Oktoberfest or to volunteer, visit http://www.fourpeaksoktoberfest.com/
