German food, entertainment among features
By Michael S. Hoey
Correspondent
The Town of Delavan and the town’s Friends of the Parks group will host the first Oktoberfest celebration at Community Park from 5 to 10 p.m. Oct. 26.
Friends of the Parks members Patti Marsicano, director of the Delavan Historical Society, and her husband, Chris Marsicano, a Delavan Town Board member, said Oktoberfest will be an annual event in the town.
“We are trying to put on four events per year,” Chris Marsicano said about the long-term goals of the Friends and the town. The town hosts the annual children’s Halloween party slated for the day after Oktoberfest at Community Park and the Fourth of July festivities. The town added Lake Fest this spring.
“Other communities have one, and we are always looking for new ways to utilize the park,” Chris said.
Chris said the date might change in the future as most Oktoberfests are earlier in October, but the group and the town might decide having it later is a benefit. Marsicano said the event would have less competition from similar events if it is held later in the month.
The event is a collaboration between the Friends and the town. The Marsicanos said the Friends is a non-profit organization that formed about two years ago to raise money to make improvements to town parks. The Celebration of Freedom event at Community Park last June was the first event the group got involved with.
Chris Marsicano said the Friends have also helped to remodel the kitchen in the Community Park building, helped fund the statue of a soldier in the park, donated money to buy Halloween candy for the children’s party, and volunteered at various town events.
“We try to do things that are not in the town’s budget,” Patti Marsicano said.
“We want to raise money with annual fundraisers to beautify and upgrade the parks,” Chris Marsicano said.
Membership in the Friends group is $15 for individuals or $25 per family with the proceeds going to projects the Friends are trying to fund. The group has eight members and is open to new members.
The Oktoberfest celebration is free and will offer entertainment and German food. Catering will be provided by Tall Guy and a Grill Catering and will include schnitzel, sausage, side dishes, German beers and wines, soda, water and desserts. Pastries will be provided by Biel’s Bakery.
The D’Waldstadttaenzer Dance Troupe will perform traditional Bavarian folk dances at 6 p.m. followed by The Steve Meisner Band at 7 p.m. Meisner is a lifetime achievement winner in the Cleveland Polka Hall of Fame and is on the ballot to get the same honor with the Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame.
Remember When of downtown Delavan will have a gift haus with Christmas items for sale.
“It will be food, music, and fun for everyone,” Chris Marsicano said.
“We want to provide entertainment and fun things for the community and raise some money for the parks,” he said.
A future project the Friends are working toward is new disabled-accessible playground equipment at Community Park. Chris Marsicano said the equipment can be very expensive and no parks in the county have accessible equipment. Providing it could give people another reason to visit Community Park.
Chris Marsicano also said the group would like to help fund some upgrades to Kirkpatrick Park’s baseball facility.
People who enjoy Oktoberfest on Oct. 26 can come back the next day for the traditional Children’s Halloween Party from 3 to 5 p.m. at Community Park. Events will include hay rides, a magician, games, a costume contest, snacks and candy, J.D. Huggs the Clown and face painting.
