Silvergate Fallbrook celebrates Oktoberfest with stout ale, folk dancers

FALLBROOK – Good old-fashioned German-style festivities delighted residents and guests at an Oktoberfest event Oct. 10, at Silvergate Retirement Residence in Fallbrook.

The event was a nod to the worldwide phenomenon which celebrates Bavarian culture with flowing pints of hearty beer and traditional Eastern-European food.

Organizers fashioned the event after the activities and cuisine that were originally a part of the festival in Germany. Carrie Hensley, social activities director for the community of Silvergate, said that the history of Octoberfest dates back more than 200 years, when Bavaria's Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen in October 1810.

"The wedding of the Crown Prince was celebrated with multiple days of drinking, feasting and horse races," Hensley said. "We wanted to infuse some of the fun and food of the Oktoberfest celebration into our celebration right here in Fallbrook."

The traditions of the festival were carried on at Silvergate as festival participants were treated to plenty of German-inspired appetizers and treats. The cuisine for the event was prepared by the chefs of Silvergate and was paired with steins of tasty ale.

"Oktoberfest celebrations can be found all over the world," Patty Martinez, executive director of the Silvergate retirement community, said. "While Oktoberfest is often associated with beer, it's the traditional Bavarian folk music that really seems to resonate with our senior residents. We brought in a trained troop of dancers especially for our Oktoberfest celebration and everyone loved their performance."

"We didn't come to Silvergate to hibernate," Don Foulkes said, who retired from General Electric after 40 years as an engineer for the company and came to Silvergate Fallbrook with his bride of 71 years, Mary Foulkes, more than two years ago. "We came to celebrate. The events here always bring everybody together and give us a chance to reminisce about our travels and hear each others' stories."

To learn more about the many community offerings at Silvergate, visit http://www.Silvergaterr.com.

Submitted by Silvergate Fallbrook.