Polka music echoed through the halls of The Solana East Cobb recently – along with a few bursts of spontaneous yodeling – as the community celebrated its second annual Oktoberfest!
The Engagement team recreated the German beer festival with three socially distanced happy hours in the hallways of the community.
“We dressed up in costumes and decorated a traveling Oktoberfest cart, complete with oom-pah music, to deliver special treats to the residents,” said Engagement Director Megan Novak.
The authentic traditional Oktoberfest costumes were loaned, at no cost, by a German friend of one of the staff.
“The residents always get a kick out of seeing all of us dressed up in costume and even getting into character,” Megan said. “It makes them feel extra festive!”
At one point, Novak noted, some spontaneous yodeling did break out, to the residents’ delight.
Earlier in the week, the Culinary team treated the residents to a special Oktoberfest lunch, with a German sausage and seafood boil, stuffed cabbage and apple strudel. For the happy hour, the team delivered warm pretzels (hard and soft pretzels, with regular and honey mustard) along with beer, wine and punch.
“We got a lot of positive feedback from the residents,” Megan added. “Everyone had a great time.”
The Solana East Cobb, which opened in March 2019, held an Oktoberfest last fall, too, so this popular activity is likely to become an annual tradition. The original Oktoberfest has been held yearly in Munich, Germany, since 1810, running 16 to 18 days from late September into October, and drawing more than 6 million tourists from around the world. This year’s event in Munich was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic – but the team at The Solana East Cobb found a way to bring the fun to the residents and celebrate safely. Prost!
