Exploring Oktoberfest
Last Saturday two Weekender staffers set out to find the meaning of an authentic German Oktoberfest in Kansas City
Brennan Stebbins
Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: Weekender
The keg had been tapped. The mayor's cup was one of the first to be filled, and he stepped to the side of the crowd and triumphantly sipped on his frothy beverage.
"I like beer," Funkhouser said. "It's an opportunity to drink beer, for free."
Of course, being mayor, he had to talk about culture.
"What I like about Oktoberfest is that it's celebrating all the heritage of all the various ethnic groups that we have," he said. "This kind of stuff keeps the fun and the vitality of the old cultures alive in our community and makes our community so much more interesting to live in."
I asked Funkhouser about his prior keg-tapping experience.
The man knows how to swing a mallet, but 12 swings to get the job done? Could this be his first time?
"Oh no, but that's a first time with sort of a modern tap," he said. "The other ones were wooden with a wooden spigot and everything.
It takes practice."
Security at these things is incredibly tight. To purchase beer, you must have a white paper bracelet around your wrist, and most of the cops were armed with bratwursts throughout the night. It isn't difficult to fish out a couple bracelets from the trash and drink High Life in the parking garage, though.
By 7:30 we had given in to subliminal pressure from the police force and were sitting by the stage with a couple sausages and some kraut. The band on stage kept rapping about World War I between songs, eliciting harsh responses from members of the audience.
"What is this asshole raving about?" an inebriated twentysomething next to us shouted. Considering the $27 felt hat with peacock feather he was sporting, I felt the same could have been asked of him. Almost immediately he pulled up a chair to talk about the festive atmosphere.
"I guess I like Oktoberfest because it's really just an excuse to get drunk," the man, who went by Justin, said. "I have German heritage so I guess that makes it okay. I don't really have any valid reason."
"I like beer," Funkhouser said. "It's an opportunity to drink beer, for free."
Of course, being mayor, he had to talk about culture.
"What I like about Oktoberfest is that it's celebrating all the heritage of all the various ethnic groups that we have," he said. "This kind of stuff keeps the fun and the vitality of the old cultures alive in our community and makes our community so much more interesting to live in."
I asked Funkhouser about his prior keg-tapping experience.
The man knows how to swing a mallet, but 12 swings to get the job done? Could this be his first time?
"Oh no, but that's a first time with sort of a modern tap," he said. "The other ones were wooden with a wooden spigot and everything.
It takes practice."
Security at these things is incredibly tight. To purchase beer, you must have a white paper bracelet around your wrist, and most of the cops were armed with bratwursts throughout the night. It isn't difficult to fish out a couple bracelets from the trash and drink High Life in the parking garage, though.
By 7:30 we had given in to subliminal pressure from the police force and were sitting by the stage with a couple sausages and some kraut. The band on stage kept rapping about World War I between songs, eliciting harsh responses from members of the audience.
"What is this asshole raving about?" an inebriated twentysomething next to us shouted. Considering the $27 felt hat with peacock feather he was sporting, I felt the same could have been asked of him. Almost immediately he pulled up a chair to talk about the festive atmosphere.
"I guess I like Oktoberfest because it's really just an excuse to get drunk," the man, who went by Justin, said. "I have German heritage so I guess that makes it okay. I don't really have any valid reason."
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