In Munich, Oktoberfest starts on September 19; in Moraga, you have to wait until October 11 to start the harvest month with a celebration of abundance and good life. In Munich, almost 7 million liters of beer are consumed during the festivities. Moraga does not have such ambitions for its Oktoberfest and in fact, its version of the historical vintage festivity is family oriented, with activities and fun for all ages. "The first objective of the Hacienda Foundation, which is organizing the feast, is to raise awareness of our beautiful facility and to provide the community with a good time," said Foundation Board Member Bob Reynolds. This free fall event will begin at 2 p.m. at the Hacienda de las Flores and will feature live German music by Big Lou the Accordion Princess, entertainment by the Golden Gate Bavarian Dance Troupe and activities for all ages. There will be space available for all to display their skills at sidewalk chalk art, a "Sound of Music" sing-a-long and who among us can resist the opportunity to pit our yodeling skills against those of our neighbors? The Foundation promises that the offerings of food will be abundant and at affordable prices, with Saags providing meat and chicken bratwurst, bockwurst and frankfurters. Other foods will include sauerkraut, potato salad, strudel and ice cream. Spaten beer will be available on tap, as well as wine and several choices of soft drinks. "We will probably limit the number of beers per person," promises Reynolds, "we want to maintain the good spirit that infused the Cinco de Mayo celebration that we had at the Hacienda last May." Judy Dinkle, President of the Hacienda Foundation, said, "We were delighted at the overwhelming response from our local residents to our first community Cinco de Mayo event this spring, and we are pleased to provide everyone in the community with another opportunity to enjoy this beautiful facility." This year's Oktoberfest is hosted by the Hacienda Foundation of Moraga, with sponsorship by the Moraga Park and Recreation Department and volunteers from many local service organizations. Free overflow parking and shuttle service from the 5A Rent-a-Space parking lot on Moraga Road will be available beginning at 2pm on Sunday, October 11. For more information check the website at: http://www.oktoberfestmoraga.com. The Hacienda is located at 2100 Donald drive in Moraga.

Copyright Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA