6-7 Thursday, September 8, 2016 Bavarian-style food, beer on tap at annual Rotary event By KATIE YOUNG YAMANAKA ASpecial to the Tribune-Herald s a native of Germany, and after being stationed there as a member of the U.S. Army for three years, Pete Muller knows a thing or two about Oktoberfest. So, as a charter member of the Rotary Club of Hilo Bay, Muller had the idea to create an Oktoberfest right here in Hilo as a way to help the club raise money for community service projects. Muller’s wife Roberta helped cook all the food served at the event for 12 years. She started with her mother’s recipe for German potato salad and baked beans, and then her mother-in-law’s recipe for sauerkraut. She ordered, at least a month in advance, three types of sausages and trays of red cabbage. “It was a lot of work, but I had help from all the wives of the Rotarians,” Roberta says. “It was a lot of fun too.” Adds Muller, “Oktoberfest is a time to celebrate. The old German tradition was to celebrate when the harvest was done, drink a lot of beer, and eat sausages and sauerkraut.” As the event continued to grow in popularity, Roberta decided it was time to pass the cooking torch on to someone else, and the Mullers now get to enjoy the festivities unencumbered. The Rotary Club of Hilo Bay is set for this year’s 17th annual Oktoberfest, happening from 5:30-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at Sangha Hall. The annual event, which draws several hundred revelers, continues to feature German-style food, See OKTOBERFEST Page 9 Pete Muller was the founding president of Rotary Club of Hilo Bay and founder of Hilo Bay Oktoberfest.
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