Beer, brats and sauerkraut were in high demand Tuesday afternoon as the German Parade marched into Spanish Springs Town Square.
Jim and Bonnie Houdek of the Village of Santiago have visited Germany during the authentic Oktoberfest.
“When you can’t get the real thing, this is the next best thing,” said Jim Houdek.
He and his wife were dressed in Austrian clothing in honor of the day.
Walter Schubert is from Germany and now makes his home in the Village of Winifred.
“No, it’s not exactly Germany, but you can close your eyes and for maybe a moment it takes you back,” he said.
Golf carts were decorated with beer steins and pretzels. German music filled the air.
You can watch a one-minute video from the parade at the link below:
http://villages-news.com/german-parade/
The Swinging Bavarians entertained the crowd during the parade and later from the Del Mar stage.
District Manager Janet Tutt rode in the parade in a Villages Public Safety Department golf cart and smiled and waved to the crowd. The cart was driven by Gina Lambert of the Villages Public Safety Department.
This was the third parade staged by the Resident Parade Committee. The first was the Irish Parade in March and then there was the Italian Parade two weeks ago.
Volunteers in red shirts do all of the work for the parades including setting up the staging area, acting as parade marshals and cleaning up after the event.
Members of the parade committee have said the Villages Recreation Department has been helpful in the process, in particular Dillon Burns and Lisa Parkyn.
