Oktoberfest Tradition Brings Community Together For Fall Fun

When Amy Dell and her husband moved from their Arnold waterfront community of Bayberry on the Magothy to West Severna Park (WSP) in 1996, she recognized many similarities in the neighborhoods. Those similarities included kind neighbors, active families, a beautiful beach and mature trees that turned brilliant colors in the fall. But something was missing, and that something was an event she was eager to bring to WSP.

“Bayberry hosted an annual fall oyster roast, and it was fabulous,” Dell said. “We have a beautiful beach (in WSP), so I spoke to several people about hosting a family-oriented event right here and we decided on an Oktoberfest. We’ve been hosting it ever since.”

On October 24, roughly 300 West Severna Park residents gathered for brats and beer, games and contests, silent auctions and live music - and new this year, a stein-holding contest.

Dell coordinated the Oktoberfest for more than 20 years before turning over the planning to Kristin Gagnier and Hanni Monroe three years ago.

“There really isn’t much we’ve added or changed,” said Gagnier. “The Oktoberfest is perfect just the way it has always been.”

For the first few years, Dell purchased bratwurst from a local wholesale food chain and husbands fought for the grill master title at the beach. Neighbors across roughly 250 homes were asked to bring a side dish or dessert, depending on the first letter of their last name. Soft pretzels were added to the menu and baked at home before appearing at the event. As the celebration grew, neighbors volunteered to take on different aspects of the Oktoberfest.

“At one point someone said, ‘Why don’t we get brats from Binkert’s?’ Someone else suggested purchasing soft pretzels from a German bakery, and someone else said they had a relationship with a local brewery for Oktoberfest beer,” Dell said. “Many of the original ideas may have come from Bayberry, but we have certainly put our own spin on it.”

Because the event is one of the most popular family gatherings of the year, the WSP Oktoberfest committee asks that each family planning to attend help by volunteering in some way, and there are plenty of ways to help.

“We really want the Oktoberfest to benefit not just WSP families, but greater Severna Park as well,” Gagnier noted. “Our silent auctions help raise money for beach maintenance, and we ask each attendee to bring a canned good, which we donate to SPAN. A volunteer coordinates the pickup and delivery of the food to SPAN, and we recently purchased Adirondack chairs for the beach.”

Gagnier said a portion of the low ticket cost is donated to the Good Neighbors Group, which is run by a WSP resident.

Social media and email groups have replaced flyers that once had to be stuffed into mailboxes to announce the event, but by and large, the Oktoberfest is just as festive as it was in 1996. Residents laughed, lounged, and polkaed the day away to the music of Aiden Hayward and MD Polka, an oompah band that plays traditional German, Austrian and Bavarian folk music.

“My family moved here 10 years ago, and we’ve attended every Oktoberfest since,” Gagnier said. “It’s an investment in the community that every resident looks forward to.”