Tyndall hosts annual Oktoberfest

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Andrea Valencia
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Tyndall hosted its annual Oktoberfest Oct. 19, with more than 1,000 people from Tyndall and the surrounding community attending the event.

"Oktoberfest is a community happening where everyone can come together and enjoy themselves out of uniform and get to know each other," said Wendy Poppell, Community Activity Center director.

The event featured food, live music, a car show, games, pony rides, a bratwurst eating contest, German beer, arts & crafts booths, and activities for children.

The car show included classics, antiques, hotrods, muscle cars, low-riders, tuners and motorcycles.

"There were 20 arts and crafts booths from local vendors," said Poppell.

Among the helpers were the 325th Security Forces Squadron Community Police and base booster clubs, while students from the Rutherford High School Junior ROTC program directed parking.

For those who brought kids, there were several activities to keep them entertained.

"This year was geared toward the children," said Poppell. "We had bouncy houses and pony rides and bales of hay for them to climb on."

The Hofbrauhuas supplied authentic German food and beer, as well as T-shirts, mugs and stuffed animals.

The event featured live music from the German band, Krankenhaus.

A highlight of the evening was the Oktoberfest bratwurst eating contest. Contestants had eight minutes to consume as many bratwursts as possible. This year's winner was Senior Airman Matthew Hordeski, 601st Air and Space Operations Center red switch technician, who ate eight bratwursts.

"Oktoberfest is huge in Germany," said Poppell. "It is a six week festival that starts in mid-September, but we are giving people a little flavor, a little touch of it here."