German club is bringing Oktoberfest to Niles West! The club held multiple events from history trivia to eating different German foods. Oktoberfest is an annual festival starting mid-September and ending the first Sunday in October. It is held in Munich, Germany, celebrating the anniversary of King Louis I & Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810.

In Munich, people celebrate by dancing in colorful parades and hangout in different themed tents. The largest tent can hold 10,000 people while the smallest one holds just under 100. Each tent is very unique, the Pschorr-Festzelt Bräurosl has yodelers performing interludes while the Käfer Wiesn-Schänke tent is set up like a Bavarian log cabin to give guests a cozy and rustic atmosphere.

“I’ve never been to the real Oktoberfest in Munich, but I love celebrating it at school with the students. It’s just a really fun day; we get to learn more about the culture, we get to dance and sing and eat delicious pretzels from our local bakery Schlegl’s in Lincolnwood which is always a lot of fun. So although I’ve never been to the real one, it fun to learn about, and maybe one day, I’ll get to go,” club sponsor Natalie Rodriguez said.

German Club has been enjoying these fun events, and it has encouraged more people to join. Being in the classroom, surrounded by classmates, has made celebrating this festival much more exciting. This year, students have been learning German dances, participating in trivia on the history of Oktoberfest and enjoying traditional treats such as pretzels, cookies and Apfelschorle, which is apple juice with sparkling water.

“We’re having a really great year with German Club this year, lots of members attending, so we are really excited after being remote last year. We did our club meetings over Zoom, which was also well-attended, but it is great to be in-person, able to eat, drink, dance, play games, and have fun together,” club sponsor Caroline Adducci said.

Students in German club and those taking a German language class are all enjoying the activities surrounding Oktoberfest.

“My favorite part is getting to know all of the different students, some of which are in German class and some are not, but everyone coming together here to celebrate German culture,” Adducci said.

German Club has many more activities that they learn about and participate in throughout the year. German Club has meeting every Wednesday after school. Email sponsors at [email protected] or [email protected] if you are interested in joining.