fete a,

Come celebrate
Bavarian Fest
with Kdgemont

EDGEMONT VILLAGE merchants are busy with prepara-
tions for the Sept. 10 third annual Bavarian Fest, and or-
ganizers promise it will be better than ever before.

Christopher Gehry, who first in-
troduced the idea of the Edgemont
Village festival in 1986, says that
the Bavarian Fest is an especially
appropriate event for the area
because of the large number of
German-speaking residents in
North Vancouver and the alpine-
like mountains that form the
backdrop to the village.

The Fest will run from noon to 6
p.m, that Saturday, with the of-
ficial cake cutting by North Van-
couver District Mayor Marilyn
Baker being held at | p.m.

Beer, pretzels, bratwurst and
sauerkraut will be served in the
beer garden that will be set up at
the intersection of Edgemont and
Highland boulevards.

Entertainment will be provided
by Al Pichler and the Alpiners, a
band originally formed in 1935 by
Julius Pichler, Al Pichler’s father.
Today, the popular band has
evolved to include six musicians
and a dance group that will be per-
forming the traditional Schuhplat-
tler show-dancing for the enjoy-
ment of Fest-goers.

People are invited to wear
“tracht’’? — traditional German
dress. However, Gehry says ‘‘we
encourage a multicultural day,”
and traditional costumes from
other cultures are also welcome.

By PEGGY WHITTAKER
Chronicle Reporter

Last year, he says, one of the mer-
chants wore her tartans and a
visiting American couple showed
up in Norwegian dress.

Gehry has sent press releases to
various German-language media
and he is expecting a good
response from their audiences.

There will also be plenty of ac-
tivities for the children, and Gehry
emphasizes that it will be a family
event. Games will be organized
and a magician will be on hand to
entertain youngsters. The library
will be the centre of many of the
children’s events.

Village merchants are all giving
a hand organizing the event and
adding to the festivities with indi-
vidual sidewalk sales.

Gehry first suggested the annual
festival after he travelled to
Bavaria in 1985 and witnessed the
camaraderie generated by the fes-
tivals there. Looking back on the
social scene in the Edgemont area
during his growing-up years, he
says “I realized it was kind of
stagnant ... I thought it was im-
portant that we do something to
meet our fellow neighbors.”

ALPINE FROLICS await at the Sept. 10 Bavarian Day at Edgemont
Village. Al Pichler & the Alpiners, top right, will be adding a festive
note with their. oom-psh-pah band and dance group. Previous
Bavarian Fest fun is captured in the faces of the enthusiastic luncher
below and beer garden waitress Cornelia Unger at right.

13 - Wednesday, September 7, 1988 - Capilano Chronicle

photo Neil Lucente

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3012 Edgemont Blvd., N.Van. 988-2710