How to Improve the Oktoberfest Celebration at LSL
 

Perhaps it was better at Spanish Springs but the Oktoberfest Celebration at LSL this year was pretty poor in my mind. Maybe others have some ideas on how the event (and other ethnic celebrations) can be improved next year.

- get vendors to offer a better variety of ethnic food (there were just 2 vendors with anything remotely German and they both offered Bratwurst) and sauerkraut
- how about schnitzel, currywurst, Schwenkbraten (German pork steaks), kase spaetzle, ****offelbrei (mashed potatoes), and Rote Grütze
- hand out words to the favorite German drinking songs and cheers
- on cooler days, Glühwein would be a big hit
- sell a small glass on a strap that goes around your neck and hold a Wein probieren where people get to taste a different wine (at no additional cost) at each corner of the square
- polka dancing instruction

Food for thought...

Events
 

Good ideas.

It's going to get worse. All the residents will gravitate to the square that has the parade and the other square will become less popular. The vendors will not want to set up if all the residents are at the other square.

Entertainment Dept. is making a big mistake having only one parade. There are plenty of clubs that want to participate, but the E.D. saves by having 1/2 the staff for each event and moving the parade to 4 PM. At SSTS they rented the street to an auto dealer to display his new cars. It's getting to be a big infomercial.

Skip

We went to Spanish first, for the parade. We hung around for a couple hours and there was quite a lot of activity [and people] there. About 7:00, we headed back over to LSL. Even though there were still folks on the square, the vibe was totally different...much more subdued. The music has a bit to do with that too....they had a good "capella" band in SS. ..and the drinking songs were frequent and had participation.

As for the food, I think you'll need to head back to Munich for the real Oktoberfest. SS had food, but mostly brats. However, they did have some very greasy k@rtoffel puffers (potato pancakes).

All in all, we enjoyed it....

Tschuss....

PS: We just moved back from Kiel, Germany. Where were you in Germany?

Maybe LSL was more subdued because so many folks went home during the power failure? :shrug:

I'm not sure Phillips "rented" the space. If you look at the Octoberfest ad, the parade was SPONCERED by Phillips. I may be wrong but I think reading between those lines means Phillips picked up the cost for the insurance for the parade. The ad for Italianfest read the same way.
Yes the staff is definately reduced but hardly enough to make much of a budget difference.
It'll be interesting to see how St Patricks is handled. Because of the population in TV at the time, that holiday draws the biggest crowds I've seen over my 5 years. If you don't get to the squares 2-3 hours before the parade you will have a very hard time finding a good spot. Four years ago I went to SS about 3 for the 4pm parade and parking was out of signt. Had I stayed I would have had to park half way between Publix and WinnDixie in La Plaza Grande.
I think insurance is the big reason for only 1 parade.
:Screen_of_Death:

Rumor
 

At last years St. Pats parade I overheard some of the event staffers talking about Polo Grounds being used for future events due to the overparking and lack of parking during these big events. Guess it would be similat to the Christmas parade. We'll see how the Chili cookoff works out because from what I heard that's at the Polo grounds this year.

It should be held in September like they do in Germany.

if somebody had half a brain and instituted the use of the villages trolleys to take folks from and back to the parking areas, there would not have to be the parking hassle that exists when special events are run in the squares!

Ja. Is that spelled right?

You spelt it good :a20:

How much more positive your post would have been if it read "what a great idea it would be to have the trolley transport people back and forth to the parking areas" instead of reading, "if someone had half a brain."

you are absolutely RIGHT! and it would have been easier to post it that way if myself and others had not been making the same suggestion for several years and been told, "that's a great idea! we'll look into it."!

why do the suggestion takers ask for my name, address and phone number and never get back to me much less implement such a good idea?

We met friends early and left around 8, at LSL, there was nothing going on at all. They did loose electricity for a while. The band was so so, no parade. The vendor for german food ran out of brats, no variety in german food either.The normal vendors were not even there.:rant-rave: We ended up getting a hamburger at City Fire. Really no reason to be there, absolutely nothing to hold people there. Last year was nothing like this one. What are the "powers of be" doing?

SS parade goo, but...
 

Enjoyed the parade but after could not get a drink or food for along time. Two extra bars didn't put much of a dent in the lines.
It's also disappointing to see the logos for all of those fine German brews in the parade and getting stuck with a Bud Light or something similar at the square.

We were at SS for the parade, but afterwards, it was so busy, you couldn't even get near the entertainment. We have a person in a wheelchair in our family, and it was impossible to get through anywhere. I saw several other people in scooters that couldn't get food, or drink or a place to simply enjoy the entertainment.

We went to LSL, but as the other posters stated, there was very little food there. The band inside the tent set up near the lake was very good, but we were afraid to go inside,because I thought we needed to buy tickets or something. Also, impossible to push a wheelchair through the grass anway.

All in all, I think it could have been more organized.....

You sure hit the target with your suggested German food. Having lived in Germany for a few years the suggestions had my mouth watering. Good german food is not very available and tough to find most places in the US. Bratwurst and saurkraut or red cabbage does not a german meal make, I'm sorry. I have yet to try the german restaurant in Ocala and am holding out hope for them, I understand I won't be disappointed. Tried Orang Blossom this past week and it fell considerably short. Tried the german restaurant in Fruitland Park and the seervice was so bad we left before being served. Hey Gracie, how about the Black Forest in Cincy? - too bad it is no longer. Oklahoma City area has a couple of the best I have frequented. Sounds as if there is another entity falling under developer budgetery cuts? Thanks for the reminder of great German food.

Too crowded
 

Very much need to go back to both squares having the parades and holiday celebrations.
Can't understand as the numbers get larger and larger cutting back to one square.
I'm sure its cost cutting as has been stated in this thread.
Seems more and more residents just aren't going as they know about the crowds.
One again it was just wonderful in 2004-2007. Been more and more cut backs every year since. Much to do with the third generation now running this development.
Polo field is a great idea but when polo is in season, like now, can't be used.
Many many good comments in this thread.

Parade at Spanish Springs lasted about 10 minutes...tops!

Nothing to get too excited about... I don't believe the parade is limited by the developer; it's limited by the number of folks that signup to have floats, etc...

I'd say there's not enough participation to have 2 parades...maybe not even one...

Part of groups deciding to not march is its no fun anymore and the participants can't even find parking etc. Once even separate villages, put in floats and marched.
If you know the workings of this place, what is in the squares is completely dependent on the wishes of the developer.
Sorry, can't continue this conversation as I won't be on the computer again today.
However believe me the town squares and holiday celebrations are set by the developer.
Have a great PM as I always do.

I admit I am new to TV and so have no history with "the way things used to be", but I was very impressed with the parade. And by my watch it was much more than 10 minutes. For a local "small town parade I thought it was great fun. Still not sure yet how bagpipers in kilts fit in but I loved them! I look forward to other parades and celebrations in the future.

Suzanne

How To Improve Octoberfest
 

Invite more Italians:1rotfl: Better off to celebrate in your neighborhoods doing a pot luck, etc

Cheerleaders, twirlers, etc
 

I am hesitant to bring up this subject out of my respect for the likes of others, but why do we have the festival music interrupted every hour for performances of clubs such as cheerleading, twirlers, stompers, etc.? I am sure their spouses and friends enjoy it but I thought clubs were for that purpose rather than for public performances at the squares. I will now duck so I don't get hit with all of the arrows headed my way.

Sorry Bob. Dumb question.

You don't enjoy that?

I kinda do.

It adds to the flavor of this-is-a-retirement-place and we have mature cheerleaders, twirlers and stompers.

Gracie, who didn't join the cheerleaders but doesn't feel left out.

I enjoyed them too. They were having a good time and so was I. I guess this just goes to show you that when you have 85,000 living in one area you can't please all the people, all at one time. :sigh: We all have different likes and tastes and for the most part we all get along. That's what I think makes TV such a wonderful place to live.

Well said momesu......... :agree:

When I was visiting TV in October, I was fortunate enought to be there during the Italian Fest parade at LSL. Even though the weather wasn't the greatest, I really enjoyed that parade. And I enjoyed watching the twirlers, dancers and cheerleaders -- you go girls!

I like it too, it makes TV seem more people friendly......

I know Sanford is a long drive for food, but I was talking to a friend today and she said the German restaurant in Sanford has great food and a great show. we are going to try it soon.

My first Octoberfest in TV. Didn't get to see the parade. Some company came to visit & I suggested we walk downtown to SS. They thoroughly enjoyed the program, especially the music. We never made it back to Calumet G for dinner, but ate on the square. While the cheerleaders wern't dressed in German costumes...I enjoyed them.

The traditional German band is hard to find & good ones even more so. We should realize that SS is not the Munich Hofbrauhaus!!

As someone who is still living in Germany ( and has for the last 40 years), some other friendly suggestions for easily prepared typical German fest foods might be soft pretzels, spit-roasted chicken halves, pommfrites w/mayo, German (oil & vinigar to stand the heat) potato salad, just to name a few of the delicious choices of goodies...

:wave:
Excellent suggestions, all of them but the problem is that the vendors are the same ones all the time and they may not know how to make Deutch ****ofel Salat or wouldn't have the equipment to make soft pretzels (but now that I think of it, they could buy frozen and heat them somehow) or know where to get large quantities of Black Forest Torte or know how to pickle a Sauerbraten..so what is offered is not too great Brats and Metts und a little not vunderful sauerkraut.

Ach!:lipsrsealed:

Well lookie there, will ya? The automatic exer-outer ruined my word that means potato salad in German because the first part are the same letters as the last part of the conveyance that everyone uses here that begins with golf but starts with a K not a C. I'll be darned.

As everyone knows,German Potato salad is wonderful warm with bacon and vinegar and fried onion and a touch of sugar.

Well ****, Cart, Cardt!

This was the first year we were fortunate to be down for Octoberfest....Just wanted to day the we went to SLS and we had a WONDERFUL time. Hope to be there again......for us newbees you are still doing everything right.:wave::jester: