The University Program Council and the German Club hosted the first Bavarian Bash on the lower quad lawn on Sept. 8, an Oktoberfest-inspired event with food, games and polka.
From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., attendees could decorate Oktoberfest cookies in between games of spikeball and cornhole, enjoy a soda beverage meant to emulate the popular German drink Spezi and eat German cuisine courtesy of the food truck from German Food, Gifts, and More out of Phenix City.
Bavarian culture, games and food come from the southeastern state, of Bavaria, in Germany.
The event was planned by Carter Strennel, UPC director of holidays and traditions, who wanted to capture as much of the spirit of Oktoberfest as possible.
“Even though it’s not called Oktoberfest, it’s to celebrate that season,” Strennel said.
The name change from Oktoberfest to Bavarian Bash was made to avoid any connotation that the former has with beer, as UPC provides alcohol alternative events according to Strennel.
One of the alternatives UPC came up with added a signature Auburn flavor to the festival. A popular Oktoberfest competition is the “Masskrugstemmen,” or stein-holding competition. Participants hold a liter mug of beer with an outstretched arm for as long as possible without letting their arm fall. At the Bavarian Bash, mugs were swapped for jugs of Auburn’s own Toomer’s lemonade, and the winner of each round got to take home a gallon or a plush toy of their choice.
Stephen King, junior in the business analytics major, prevailed in the test of endurance and chose his prize, a Shadow the Hedgehog plush.
“It was fantastic. I loved it. I was in it for the win, and for the little Shadow. It was a necessity. It wasn’t a want, it was a need,” King said grinning after his victory. “I was just relying on my German ancestry.”
The light and playful atmosphere could be felt across the lower quad lawn, with dozens of filled tables and picnic blankets, people jumping around to a full playlist of polka and an uproar after every round of the gallon jug competition.
The Bavarian Bash was also an outreach opportunity to get students interested in German culture and language and the associated academic offerings at Auburn.
The German Club on campus seeks to promote fluency in the German language and understanding of the cultures of German-speaking countries. Bavaria, a region in southern Germany known for its folk traditions and culture, has hosted the Munich Oktoberfest at the Theresienwiese fairgrounds since 1810. UPC and the German Club wanted to bring a piece of d'Wiesn, the local name for the event in Munich, to the Plains.
“Events like this, they’re fun but they also give people a little bit of exposure to something different," said Robert Stone, a visiting assistant professor of German and current faculty advisor of the German Club. "I think there's an important function to that."
“Carter deserves the very most credit for everything involving this event.” Stone said. “He was very concerned about making it as accessible as possible, while also being very true to a Bavarian experience. He made sure that there were authentic German minds behind the cooking of the food and the music also, and it’s all inked with a very traditional idea of Germanness.”
The feeling of a traditional Bavarian celebration with an Auburn twist was present throughout the evening at a well-attended event. The next event hosted by UPC is Field Day, held at the campus green on October 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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Jack Fawcett is a sports production major from San Diego, California. He started with The Plainsman in January 2023.
