St. Armands Key Lutheran Church celebrates Oktoberfest

Longboat Key
Neighbors

St. Armands Key Lutheran Church is all about authenticity. The church threw its annual Oktoberfest celebration during lunchtime on Oct. 28 and made sure to stick true to cherished German traditions.

Michael Bodnyk organized the event and said it was an honor to lead such a beloved experience. His goal was to give people an authentic Oktoberfest with a huge spread of German food and the opportunity to bond over the culture. Most people were dressed in traditional German clothing passed down from their families.

Bodnyk hired Sylvia and the Jazz Phools to play German music. They also played requests people made and encouraged them to dance in the courtyard.

Leona Krompart, a congregant of the church, said events like these show how lively and fun their community is.

“I’m a fourth generation German, so it's an amazing celebration of who we are,” said Krompart. “And the church likes to invite all kinds of people who are interested in celebrating Oktoberfest, so it helps grow our community. There is fantastic food and hospitality. It's so fun.”

author

Petra Rivera

Petra Rivera is the Longboat community reporter. She holds a bachelor’s degree of journalism with an emphasis on reporting and writing from the University of Missouri. Previously, she was a food and drink writer for Vox magazine as well as a reporter for the Columbia Missourian.