Oktoberfest is a German festival that is celebrated across the country and around the world every autumn, and for the fourth year now, this festival has been brought to C-U.

On Saturday, Oktoberfest swept through downtown Champaign, uniting the community through local and traditional food, wide varieties of beer and lots of great music.

The C-U Oktoberfest is organized by the Developmental Services Center, which is committed to enhancing the lives of individuals with disabilities. All proceeds from Oktoberfest remain within the Developmental Services Center so the organization is able to continue its mission of providing services and support that will allow individuals to achieve the best lives possible.

Oktoberfest was rocking early in the night and only became livelier as the evening progressed. This year’s festival featured a mid-morning Oktoberfest Dirndl Dash 5k in Crystal Lake Park, which is the newest element of the festival. A dirndl is a traditional German dress, so this run allowed people to further immerse themselves in the theme of Oktoberfest. After a little morning exercise, the real party started at 3 p.m. Some attendees dressed in spirited dirndls and lederhosen, while others chose to stick with more traditional American autumn attire. 

Janice McAteer, director of development for the Developmental Services Center and co-committee chair for Oktoberfest,  oversaw the entire event. McAteer has been involved with this fundraiser since its first year, and spoke highly of its growth over the past four years.

Since 2013, profits have increased by about $10,000 each year. Last year, Oktoberfest raised about $50,000 for the Developmental Services Center, and this year the goal was to raise about $60,000.

Attendance has grown every year as well, with about 4,000 people in attendance at last year’s Oktoberfest, and McAteer predicted that at least 4,500 people would attend this year’s event.

Awareness has also grown over the past four years as people in the C-U area learn more about the Developmental Services Center and all the work the center does to help fellow community members. There were well over 100 volunteers working all day at the event, drawing largely from community members.

Some local businesses make Oktoberfest their main sponsorship event of the year and donate their time, money and effort. Students from both Parkland College and the University volunteer at Oktoberfest as well. The number of volunteers are a true testament to the community’s commitment to this fundraiser.

“The entire community has wrapped its arms around this event,” McAteer said. 

McAteer said one of her favorite aspects of the festival is being able to see people enjoy one another’s company. What started out as a way to raise money for the Developmental Services Center has transformed into a festival that unites the C-U community and allows members to give back. She said the community looks forward to this event every year because Oktoberfest is a fun celebration that brings everyone together in one place at one time, and so she is proud of how far this fundraiser has come.

Eric Robeson, co-committee chair of Oktoberfest, is a volunteer who was one of the original people involved in bringing Oktoberfest to C-U.

Robeson and his good friend, Achim von Bodman, have attended Oktoberfests across the world, eventually making their way out to Munich, Germany, for the most authentic rendition.

After attending so many, they decided to introduce an Oktoberfest to Champaign and have since been involved with the festival every year.

Robeson said one of his favorite parts of being co-chairman is putting all the pieces together so local brewers can be in one place for people to sample the different beers. He also said his favorite aspect of the C-U Oktoberfest is the environment of the festival and how the event changes throughout the night.

Earlier in the evening is family friendly, offering games and activities for children. As the night progresses, a different mix of people come and the festival becomes more lively and a bit crazy, especially on the dance floor.

“The people who are still partying at midnight are having more fun than they know what to do with,” McAteer said. 

Robeson said that one of the best parts is the spirit of the crowd because there is something for everyone to enjoy and everyone is having fun together.

 The lineup for the event featured Die Musikmeisters, The Polkaholics and The Bolzen Beer Band. Each band plays traditional German music, but has its own feel.

Robeson said a cool aspect is that the music is universal at Oktoberfests around the world. Bands played their German polkas, but they also mixed in pop music as well as some rock ‘n’ roll. Traditional polkas and waltzes were performed along with popular American songs such as “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond and “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles.

This engaged attendees who may not have known the steps to the German music but who love to dance, which really affirms Robeson’s claim that there is something for everyone at the festival.  

Both McAteer and Robeson said that one of the most challenging aspects of overseeing the entire festival is the planning and all the little details that mean a lot in the big picture. As the event grows each year, so do efforts and goals to offer new entertainment and activities to keep community interest. The coordination of so many details, such as setting up tents for the evening and having adequate power sources, requires significant time and effort.

McAteer said that hundreds of hours go into the preparation, with the very first meeting being held in May. By the time August and September roll around, those involved are vigorously preparing for the event. There are a lot of moving parts that all need to function properly in order for the event to be a success, so people such as McAteer and Robeson work tirelessly to make sure that happens.

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