Octoberfest Celebration is "Wunderbar" in Sea Isle City

By Donald Wittkowski Residents of Sea Isle City are used to seeing tourists dressed in T-shirts, bathing suits and flip-flops. So, it came as no surprise that some visitors from Philadelphia were drawing second looks while parading around in public in folksy lederhosen outfits topped with Bavarian-style hats. But the 11 members of the Philadelphia German Brass Band were in town Saturday to get the party started for the annual Octoberfest celebration that turned out to be, well, “wunderbar” for the thousands of people who attended the festival in gorgeous autumn weather. “Basically, Octoberfest is a reason to party. And we like to perform party music,” said Charlie Evans, a Doylestown, Pa., resident who plays trumpet for the Philadelphia German Brass Band. The band took the stage at Excursion Park and entertained the crowds with traditional German oom-pah music. The 11-member Philadelphia German Brass Band performs on the stage at Excursion Park. Evans and fellow trumpet player Rob Ford said the Philadelphia German Brass Band plays at Octoberfest celebrations – some towns spell it “Oktoberfest” – in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. Sea Isle’s Octoberfest is distinguished in two ways from the festivals in other towns, they noted. “There’s no beer here,” Evans said, laughing. “But they do have the ocean,” Ford added. While some Octoberfests are legendary for their beer and brats, Sea Isle’s family-friendly celebration is alcohol-free. But there was plenty of bratwurst Saturday. Customers waited patiently in line at the Tasty Creations food tent for bratwurst and knackwurst sandwiches. The sausages sizzled on the grill, filling the air with the aroma of cooked pork. Allen Blankenship, the owner of Tasty Creations, revealed the secret to savory bratwurst and knackwurst while he was tending to the grill. “It’s all fresh products,” he said. “We grind the meat ourselves. There are no preservatives. We also have fresh seasonings.” While the parents were busy filling themselves with brats, their children were playing in the bounce houses and enjoying other amusements in Excursion Park. Festival-goers also took hayrides on the beach. A giant tractor gives festival-goers a hayride on the beach. Holding big brushes in their tiny hands, Peyton Torpey, 4, and her 3-year-old brother, T.J., slapped some decorations on pumpkins in a bit of care-free creativity that left their arms and shirts streaked with green paint. Their parents, Jean-Marie and Steve Torpey, just smiled. The Torpeys live in Churchville, Pa., but have a summer home in Sea Isle. Jean-Marie Torpey said her family is attracted to Sea Isle’s kid-friendly environment. The Torpeys are planning to return for the city’s annual Holiday Extravaganza, which features a parade, tree lighting, ice skating, caroling, refreshments and a visit from Santa Claus on Nov. 24-25. On Saturday, though, her children had pumpkin-painting on their mind, not Santa. T.J. said he wanted to decorate his pumpkin nice enough to put it on public display. When asked what kind of design he was making, he replied, “a monster.” What else? Halloween is just around the corner, after all. Children enjoy the festival's array of family-friendly games and amusements.