Oktoberfest Reborn!

After a two year hiatus, Oktoberfest at Sunnyside Gardens Park was BACK! And I was so happy to see it. I could write a whole other post on what has transpired to make this year extra special, but suffice it to say the turnaround at the park has been a big part of it. We were having this festival come hell or high water! And boy, did we luck out with almost stifling heat for an October day. The humidity levels were definitely more reminiscent of summer. Kate and her fraulein crew put on a great event and the beer was flowing! My girls grabbed some mini pumpkins early and painted them up. Unfortunately, Carolina's got swiped by the end of the day--perhaps it was too pretty, we reckoned--but that was the only downer on an otherwise brilliant day. The girls bounced and climbed, ate and played. They bought slime and squishy toys from the craft fair and all the while enjoyed their friends in the park. Nacho landed that afternoon and managed to make it over to enjoy a few beers before things wrapped up. And we even saw Olive who came to visit some craft vendor friends. I finally got my wish of seeing a polka band play at this event and the wait was worth it. The Apple Strudel Gang certainly wasn't much to look at, but they revved up the beer hall atmosphere a few notches. Well done all around and I have to say, I know these events are a lot of hard work, but they really pull our community together. And after two years of missing out, this was much needed. So danke schön!

Pumpkin pickin'

Now that we're firmly settled back into the groove of school and looking forward to a colorful fall, it must be time for Oktoberfest again. Oktoberfest at Sunnyside Gardens Park is truly one of the highlights of the month for me. Even when it's been a little hectic or the girls haven't been able to concentrate long enough to finish painting their pumpkins, it's still a good time. This year I was part of the planning committee for the event which meant I needed to be an extra body on the day of in case they needed me to cover a volunteer shift. And for much of the day I floated between ticket sales, taking photos and the pumpkin patch. It was a busy, but beautiful day and the crowds really turned out. I'm glad Nacho was off this year though, since it would have been too much for me otherwise. Bringing kids to the public events at the park always makes me a little nervous because they are so used to wandering around that place on their own. With the throngs in full force on Saturday, I really hesitated to let them drift off and fortunately Elisa mostly obeyed that. The one time I couldn't find her, she was actually in line for the women's bathroom when a friend spotted her and shouted out to me. I love that she raced over there and got in line without needing me at all. Sometimes, she can really act her age.

The fun this year was really seeing how Carolina took to the pumpkin painting and wanted to do everything her big sister did. When Sponge Bob made an appearance, I thought I might have a serious groupie problem on my hands with Carolina. She was so tickled you can't even imagine. The pure joy on her face was so sweet and I loved seeing how she followed him around before big sis Elisa came along and pushed her to the front of the crowd to get a hand shake. It was all too crowded for a good photo op, but the moment was golden nonetheless.  Afterwards, I ushered Nacho and Carolina home for a rest, while Elisa stayed on to dance to the sounds of Mr. Richard (Younger).  Another idol, another groupie, I'm afraid. Between her and her friend Juliet, there was soon a nice little crowd of dancers and all the kids were having fun. And though I had to cut my free time short to get back to tending the pumpkin patch before the event closed, it was overall one of the better Oktoberfests I've attended at SGP. Hopefully, my bias isn't showing, but I really thought it was a nice day and I think whenever you can wear summer dresses in October, you have to be thankful. 

Oktoberfest Time Again

Somehow October started and I wasn't yet thinking about all the activities usually crammed into this month.  First there is always Oktoberfest at Sunnyside Gardens Park which means pumpkin patches, lots of activities and food. It was the first time I'd been asked to photograph specifically for the park and wouldn't you know it, I also had company coming from out of town that day. Nothing like really trying to cram it all in. But thankfully, my guests Maggie and Anna were very accommodating and met us at the park. Yes, it was the first stop on their whirlwind NYC weekend and of course, it didn't disappoint. With Nacho working it was a bit much on my own to deal with both girls and take pictures, but I managed with some grace and a few extra hands.  Everything was kind of on hyperspeed since the pumpkin patch was small and a bit chaotic and Elisa found hers on the first try. She was done and Carolina was not interested in posing or picking out a pumpkin. In fact, she was more keen on chucking them in the air shotput-style which didn't bode well for the pumpkins.  So we moved on to pumpkin painting which was worse--the tables were way too crowded and with no room to maneuver, Elisa then proceeded to get paint  and glitter all over herself.  Yeah, it was already giving me a headache but then these things sometimes do.  I managed to get a little breather once I sat down with friends to eat. A hotdog and beer usually helps, and of course seeing a few familiar faces helped too.  We didn't have time to stay for the musical acts or try the mechanical rides, but maybe next year will be better for us.  Carolina only wants to wander these days and without an escort it was impossible to do what I needed and let her enjoy the day too. Thank goodness for strollers with snack trays and a patient toddler. She hung in there just long enough for Elisa to paint and do a sand art pumpkin and then we were off. Another Oktoberfest down and I think I'm ready for whatever else the month has in store...as long as there's beer. 

Oktoberfest Success!

So last year's festival was kind of a pain in the ass. Elisa was in a foul mood. I was on my own with her and the joy of trying to get her in the mood for the pumpkin patch, brats and music was completely sucked out of me. It was not our best day. Fast forward to this year and I have two little girls to deal with and thus wasn't expecting much. But like all lowered expectations, I was pleasantly surprised and even enjoyed the little outing. To be fair, I enlisted the help of Birdie's folks, Max and Amanda, to make the stroll over a bit more fun and Max really worked his charm cajoling Elisa when I had my hands full. It was a team effort that really paid off. I was able to strap Carolina in the Bjorn and walk around the pumpkin patch helping Elisa pick out the perfect one. And later we went to the painting station to give it that oh-so-pretty makeover. With paint up to her eyeballs (and hair!), it was a pleasure to see her dive right in. I think she took it pretty seriously too from the look on her face. We even managed to sit and eat with friends while the park buzzed with activity and the crowd grew thick. These kind of events always make me appreciate the calm days at the park even more. It wasn't possible to let Elisa run free, and she did start to melt down a little before we could head home. But all in all, it went much better than last year's lame 1-2-3 in-and-out-with-no-pumpkin. We got in, got out and nobody got hurt. Success all around!

Our very own Oktoberfest

Last year we made it to the Sunnyside Gardens Oktoberfest on a whim. We weren't yet members of the park and I was bored and thought it might be a fun thing to check out. Elisa was just starting to get her footing walking all over and we had a great time chasing her through the pumpkin patch. This year I had high hopes for doing the same. We've been enjoying the park all summer and now that my favorite season is upon us, I figured it would be a gorgeous day to enjoy the festivities. But of course, life with a two year old isn't about what I want, right? This whole week has been a battle of the wills and I'm not sure I know what the score is. Elisa slept in today, ate breakfast like a champ and seemed happy to get out of the house. But within minutes of entering the park, we were melting down. Some girl took her swing (because naturally they are all Elisa's) and then there was the fact that all the regular park toys were put away. Elisa kept crying for a ball and seemed mad and distracted everywhere she went. I attempted to get her interested in the pumpkin patch and came ready to buy the one she fell in love with, but no dice. Didn't want to be in the field for more than a minute and couldn't have cared less about the silly pumpkins. So we snapped a quick pic and headed out. Her attention span and patience is too short for any of the crafts and she was already calling for "home! home!" when I settled in to get a bratwurst. That worked for about 5 minutes and then we were up and moving again. The music was a hit with all the kids I saw, but Elisa wasn't too crazy about dancing for some reason. With Nacho working today, I knew it would be a bit of a struggle to enjoy the festival to its fullest, but we tried. The event seemed much more organized and well laid out this year, so kudos to everyone at the park for that. It looked amazing! Hopefully next year Elisa will let me hang out for a bit longer since the nap that brought us back home today will have disappeared. Hmmmm...will that be any better?