First, I must say that I'm a little disappointed in this year's theme--"A Pacific Wonderland," an emphasis on Washington and Oregon. Washington and Oregon?! Are you kidding? I have nothing against Washington and Oregon, I'm sure they're lovely places. I hear they are very green (both literally and in the conservation sense), but if you really want to celebrate American culture, can we at least try something other than Washington and Oregon? Of course I'm biased and think that the best part of America starts with a "K" and ends with "entucky," but aside from Starbuck's, what else has Washington or Oregon given to the United States?
Second, listen to these incredible days. Every Monday is "Cowboys and Indians Day." Oh yes. What does that mean? It means that you get in free if you dress like a cowboy or an Indian. Additionally, you could win a prize for being dressed as the best cowboy/Indian for the day. Ask me which day I want to attend, and I'll say Monday. What says America like cowboys and Indians? I'll tell you--Tuesdays. Tuesdays are Biker Days. I'm not really certain what that actually means, but it's bound to be loud whatever it is. Wednesdays are Family Days. And finally, it wouldn't be an American event if there wasn't some sort of shout out to the ladies. I'm sure that's why every Friday is Ladies' Day. Reduced price for you, ladies.
Other events for the Volksfest include hamburger and hot dog eating contests. I've never seen a real life eating contest. The Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest is a staple of Independence Day celebration, so I'd say that I'm well versed professional eating, but I've never seen an event live before. Hopefully, this will be my chance. One has the chance to be crowned Mr. or Ms. German-American Volksfest. I would like to see how the Germans conduct a beauty contest. I hope they've replaced the swimsuit portion with Lederhosen and ditched the talent for Wurst eating. Lastly, every day festival-goers have the chance to enjoy "American B-i-n-g-o." The website boasts, "lots of fun + valuable prizes." Whoa! I must know, though. Are there other types of bingo? What is German bingo like?
What a wonderful celebration!? I don't know what portion of this is the "German" portion, because frankly it sounds completely American to me. I really would like to go to see how some of these cultural conceptions might play out. Cowboy and Indian day? Really? But to be honest, it sounds like a pretty accurate American fair. I expect funnel cake.
Interested? Please, check out the website:
http://www.deutsch-amerikanisches-volksfest.de/e-start.htm
Two completely unrelated things:
1. Quentin Tarantino, et. al. are in Berlin tonight for the premiere of "Inglourious Basterds."
2. Chances are I won't be blogging tomorrow. I'm not going to completely rule it out, but I'll probably be hanging out with Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas until the wee hours of the morning. Don't worry though, I'll be back on Thursday to tell you all about Hannover 96 v. ARSENAL!
Deutsches Wort des Tages:
die Heimat -- homeland
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