Oktoberfest board, Smith Farms still hashing out event proposal

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Oktoberfest biergarten organizer Rodger Turner, left, and Oktoberfest board member Ernest Hauk, right, celebrate the keg tapping last year at the Cullman festival — the first to feature alcohol sales. The two are now ironing out a joint proposal for Oktoberfest 2012. file

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July 11, 2012

Oktoberfest board, Smith Farms still hashing out event proposal

By Trent Moore The Cullman Times The Cullman Times Wed Jul 11, 2012, 09:10 AM CDT

After last year’s Cullman Oktoberfest shattered attendance records due to a perfect storm of buzz and the addition of alcohol sales, organizers have spent the past nine months trying to figure out how to follow-up. It seems that process hasn’t gone without its share of growing pains.

With the event just three months away, the Oktoberfest board and biergarten organizer Rodger Turner, with Smith Farms, are still hashing out a proposal for how the 2012 edition will work.

The planning issues came to a head Monday night at a pre-council meeting, with both Turner and the Oktoberfest board showing off separate event proposals.

The Oktoberfest board has asked the Cullman city council for a massive funding increase — from $6,000 last year to as much as $80,000 this year — though city officials say they are still waiting on a final proposal combining both ideas before making a decision.

“We believe the success of last Oktoberfest hinged on a partnership that was formed, and I believe city officials would love to see that partnership continue,” council president Garlan Gudger, Jr. said. “We believe the community is expecting a larger, better celebration than last year, but one that still celebrates our German heritage.”

The Oktoberfest board has organized the downtown festival for decades, bringing in traditional German festivities and music, and officials on both sides are still figuring out the logistics of the newly-introduced beer sales.

Turner funded and hosted the event’s first ever biergarten last year at the rotunda in the Warehouse District, following the recent legalization of alcohol sales in the city, and paid the Oktoberfest board a cut of his profits. The festivities ranged from live rock music on an outdoor stage to an NFL football party, and attracted thousands throughout the week-long festival.

With alcohol sales expected to be a big draw again, a debate over which beer distributor to use this year has also become a bone of contention.

Logistics

Several ideas have been pitched in recent months, including a large event tent that could be set-up beside Festhalle Market Platz in downtown. The board met with Turner about possibly using the tent for his events, though he has currently opted to stay in his site at the Rotunda.

Last week the board had a preliminary meeting with an event promoter to test the viability of booking more traditional acts themselves at a potential event tent.

“The Oktoberfest board has been trying to meet the requests of representatives of the city, and we continue to work out details to accomplish that goal,” Oktoberfest board member Ernest Hauk said. “The Oktoberfest board is strictly voluntary, made up of citizens who want nothing more than to provide a festival the city can be proud of.”

Turner said he would prefer to handle the traditional acts and alcohol-related events himself, as he did last year.

“I proved myself last year, so why bring in an outsider?” he asked. “Let the Oktoberfest committee do what they do, because they do a great job with it, and let me do what I do by selling beer and planning an event.”

Board members and organizers plan to meet early next week to discuss plans for a potential joint proposal, which could be submitted to the city council later this month.

“I’m sure we can work it out, and make it bigger and better next year,” Turner said.

Oktoberfest is scheduled for October 6-13.

* Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.

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Oktoberfest board, Smith Farms still hashing out event proposal

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