Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 89

Alright for Alfred It's doubly bubbly It's Bamboo Garden tDJ country singer optimistic Non-vintage Cuvee Lallier Chinese restaurant enriched about new Geezinslaws LPF9 a top-notch champagneF13 by sweet-and-sour saucesF13 1 i Section Austin American-Statesman I Saturday, October 7, 1989 laaA WEEKENDERS OOMPAH in 0 CTOBER Central Texas raises a stein to salute Oktoberfest spirit All VIM .1 III II I I I I 'J til: i I By Casey Monahan Special to the American-Statesman you can't make it to Munich, West Germany, this month for the original Oktoberfest, don't worry. There are plenty of events around Central Texas celebrating the engagement of Crown Prince Ludwig to Baroness Theresa in 1810. Traditionally scheduled during the first weekend in October, Oktoberfest in Central Texas has evolved into more than regally inspired revelry. It has become an annual celebration of German food, music, dress, drink and dance in Texas, as well as a useful means of raising funds for a variety of non-profit organizations. In the Central Texas area, Oktober-fests are celebrated as far south as San Antonio, as far north as Copperas Cove, east to Round Top and west to Fredericksburg.

In Austin, there's even a stepchild to the traditional Oktoberfest called "Octo-Beer-Fest" which celebrates one of Germany's finer contributions to modern culture beer and benefits one of Austin's finest opera houses the Paramount Theatre. Perhaps the most successful Oktoberfest is in Fredericksburg, a historic town 70 miles west of Austin. Now in its ninth year, it annually attracts 20,000 people. "It is family-style entertainment," said Tom Alt, general chairman of the festival, which began Friday. "A bunch of us got together and decided we wanted to do something that was fun.

The purpose of the event is to raise money for the Pedernales Creative Arts Alliance, a non-profit or- I. lb- VU-r- A- ganization that promotes the arts in Fredericksburg. It gives a lot of scholarships to high-school students active in the arts." The Fredericksburg Oktoberfest is housed under five circus-size tents. Under the canvas you'll find 83 arts-and-crafts booths and a variety of entertainment. Three folk dance groups the Czech Folk Dancers of West, Texas; the New Braunfels German Dancers; and Fredericksburg's Cross Mountain Squares perform today and Sunday.

Some of the German-flavored bands scheduled to play underneath the entertainment tent are the Walburg Boys, the Bavarian Village Band, Dutch Treat, Oma and the Oompahs, the Boerne Village Band, the Seven Dutchman, and Rajah and Monika. Tonight from 6-8, the Band Aids Jazz Band makes its ninth annual appearance at the festival. The Fredericksburg Oktoberfest is in the town's market square on the corner of U.S. 290 and Texas 87. The grounds open at 10 this morning and are open until midnight.

The festival resumes Sunday at 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Admission today is $4 for people 6 and older, children under 6 are free. Admission Sunday is $3 for people 12 and older, $1 for age 6-12; and free for those 6 years and younger. For information, call 1-997-6523." To the north, Copperas Cove is celebrating its 11th Oktoberfest.

Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Copperas Cove Council 6658, the festival attracts 8,000 people to the small town outside Kileen. "Most of the money we raise will go to our building fund," said Earl Tra-bue, Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus Council. "We are trying to build a new building. The one we use now is a converted World War II mess hall, and we need a better building. We also raise money every year for our local hospital, for our annual deaf fund drive and for the local battered-women's shelter." Festival grounds open today at 11 a.m., and the music begins at 12:30 p.m.

with the Harold Strand Band. The Startzville Stompers dance at 4 p.m., and are followed from 4:30 to 8 p.m. by Oma and the Oompahs. On Sunday, the grounds open at 2 p.m., with Oma and the Oompahs performing at 2:30. Tina's Dance Company follows at 4 p.m.

That dance troupe See Oktoberfest, F14 i Okrafest Okra is the flavor of the week at the Travis County Farmer's Market, 6701 Burnet Road. The Okrafest, sponsored by Austin Community Gardens, begins at 10 a.m. today with a best-vegetable contest, garden- ing demonstrations at 1 p.m., free clogging and folk-dancing lessons, pumpkin-decorating I and, of course, plenty of fried okra. A dance featuring the W.C. Clark Blues Review tops 1 things off from 7-10 p.m.

The fest is free; the dance is $5. Go Mediterranean Hear live classical and modern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern music while sampling kibbee and gyros at the 48th annual Mediterranean Festival, 6 p.m. to midnight tonight at St. Elias Orthodox Church, 408 E. 11th St.

Admission is $3. Go figure The cream of the crop from the UT Latin American Collection is now on display at the Huntington Art Gallery in the Harry Ransom Center, 21st and Guadalupe. Abstraccion Figuration, Figurative Abstract includes paintings, sculptures, and installation pieces from the 20th century. The gallery is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

today, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Fiesta del Barrio Enjoy a free day of music and games at the 12th annual Fiesta del Barrio from 3-11 p.m. today at the historic Quintan-ilia House, 1402 E. First St.

Plenty of food will be for sale. The music lineup includes Johnny Joe Los Fantasticos, Isla Mujeres and Paco Rodriguez and Alma Tejana Band. i Collectors' corner The World Series Baseball Card Show, featuring 40 dealers and a big-screen television for pennant race coverage, is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and Sunday at the Hill Country Flea Market, 13910 RR 620 North.

Admission is free. At Palmer Auditorium, the Austin Doll Collectors Society has its 14th annual Fall Doll Festival from 10 a.m.to 5 p.m. today. Admission is $3, $1 for children under 12. On the boards Newly opened on stage are Ro-sencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead at St.

Edward's University's Mary Moody Northen Theatre and Madwomen at Mexic-Arte. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is at 8 tonight and 2 p.m. Sunday, with tickets $8, $5 for students, $6 for seniors; call 448-8484. Madwomen, by Sterling Price-McKin-ney, is at 8 and 10 p.m. tonight; tickets are $5.

A day in Mayfield A group of Austin musicians is performing Sunday to benefit Mayfield Park, a 23-acre hideaway near Laguna Gloria Art Museum. Visit the hiking trails and peacocks and listen to Pat Mears, the Austin Civic Chorus, the Austin Banjo Club and others from 5-8 p.m. The park is at 3505 W. 35th admission is $3, $1 for children under 12. Oompah music, complete with the distinctive sound of the tuba, is an Integral element of Oktoberfest celebrations.

Central Texas has ll Watching German or Czech folk dancers and si mi pastimes for Fredericksburg Oktoberfest guests. several such festivals, from Copperas Cove to Round Top. The annual Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg Is perhaps the best-known. sm I I browsing through craft displays are 2 popular Symphonic Band clarinetists, left, practice under Band practice never ended for these musicians I St 4 Staff photo by Ralph the guiding hand of conductor Dick Floyd, right. i i 0.

Austin AUSTIN BAND SYMPHONIC When: 7 tonight Where: Zilker Hillside Theatre Admission: Free Information: 345-7420 December. The clinic is a gathering of band leaders from schools and service groups across the country and from some foreign nations. The Austin Symphonic Band organizers will be seeking donations at tonight's concert to help with the expenses of the Chicago trip. "This group seems very serious about music, about wanting the product to be very, very good," said conductor Floyd, who is state director of music for the University Interscholastic League and a senior lecturer in music education at the University of Texas. "I enjoy seeing people who have been a product of our school music program continue to apply their talents and get satisfaction out of making music," Floyd said.

Only about 3 percent of those involved in music in high school go See Band, F14 Barrera By Clayton Stromberger Special to the American-Statesman You can see them in pawnshops and second-hand stores, lying forlornly in their plain black cases. One glance tells you yep, another instrument left over from the glory days of high-school band. Those horns and piccolos are the lucky ones. At least they see sunlight. Others are rusting away in a garage storeroom or collecting cobwebs in a recess of the attic, forgotten until a curious youngster stumbles across them: "Hey Dad, what's this junky old thing?" "Hmm, I don't know, let me see oh my God, it's my old saxaphone!" "You played the sax-aphone, Dad? No way!" The 90 people who arrive at Murchison Junior High School every Tuesday night, black cases in hand, cannot fathom that sort of thing.

Here they are at 7:30 p.m. in their chairs, conductor Dick Floyd at the helm, launching into a rousing march, doing what they have loved since high school or sixth grade playing in a band. Who are these folks you just can't get to leave the band hall? Free concerts Put these gratis events on your weekend calendar: the Austin Symphonic Band plays at 7 tonight at the Zilker Hillside Theatre; the Austin Chamber Ensemble is at the Elisabet Ney Museum at 3 p.m. Sunday; and Blue Mist, Human Touch, and Round Trip perform at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Zilker Hillside.

Clayton Strombrger I i ment. "Band is an elective in college, but you do get a grade." You can see for yourself whether the group's dedication has paid off when the Austin Symphonic Band performs a free concert tonight in Zilker Park. The band will be playing traditional marches, contemporary band music and a tribute to the They are the Austin Symphonic Band, a group that has been playing free concerts for Austin-ites and embracing band lovers of all ages since 1981. "We're all volunteers," said band president and flute and piccolo player Karen VanHooser, who is also a programs analyst for the state Highway Depart- late Irving Berlin. The band has been declared "The Official Band of the City of Austin" by the City Council.

It also received a national honor by being chosen as the one group to play new band music at the Grand Finale Concert of the 1989 Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic, scheduled in Chicago this.