The Rio Grande Valley German Club is looking to showcase the German culture while keeping it family friendly for the community with its upcoming event, VolksFest 2019, which will take place Saturday.
VolksFest will be held from 3 to 11 p.m. on the grounds next to the Jacob Brown Auditorium on the Texas Southmost College campus in Brownsville.
Tickets are $15, which includes a printed glass beer mug and one free beer. Instead of beer, attendees can use their ticket and choose between wine or food. Admission is free for those age 18 and younger.
Karen Cardenas, president of the RGV German Club, said the event will showcase traditional German culture but will also include activities for children, such as balloon animals, a magician and snacks.
“Usually, our events are about beer, but this time we want to make it family friendly,” Cardenas said.
German food, games, wine and six different beer types such as blonde, dark, Spaten and more will be offered at the event.
Attendees will be able to taste traditional German bratwurst sausage, pretzels, German potato salad and sauerkraut, Cardenas said.
Entertainment provided at the event will include performances by a few RGV German Club members with live German Polka, eclectic rock ‘n’ roll band Formula 69 and a DJ.
Arno Forst, an assistant professor at the School of Accountancy and a faculty adviser for the club, said activities and popular German chants will be featured at the event.
“It goes until 11 [p.m.], so, of course as time progresses, we got some dance, we got some German entertainment, we have an absolute fantastic German polka band, like a 10-piece brass band that’s going to play German chants,” Forst said. “We are going to teach everybody a little bit of German.”
He said the club will probably continue to host the event every year from now on.
“I’m very proud of all our accomplishments,” Forst said. “I’m very proud of our student leaders.”
Manuel Rebolledo, a mathematics sophomore, said he is interested in attending the event and learning about another culture.
The RGV German Club hosts weekly meetings from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Sabal Hall 2.106 on the Brownsville campus.
