Celebrate the season while raising money for educational programs.
Each year, the Palmyra Cove Environmental Education Foundation holds a German-themed fundraiser known as Oktoberfest to benefit various educational programs for schoolchildren. This year, the event will be held at the Palmyra Cove Nature Park on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 1 to 5 p.m. The event includes both indoor and outdoor activities and will be held rain or shine.
Each ticket includes food for the day, Oktoberfest beer samplings for adults and tons of activities for all ages. There will be a German menu with all types of German food, as well as hot dogs for the kids with less adventurous tastebuds.
Event spokesperson Elizabeth Verna says the food and music are always huge hits at the event. She also added that the park tries to add something new each year to keep people coming back.
A few new additions to this year’s event include a virtual reality experience as well as live animals.
“I think we’ve really ramped it up in terms of the virtual reality experience. They’re going to be transformed into all of these different experiences through that,” Verna said.
Verna kept the mystery alive by not explaining exactly what the virtual reality experience is — you’ll just have to go to find out.
Another new attraction is the Philadelphia Zoo on Wheels. The portable zoo will include various animals such as a mammal, reptile and a surprise animal that kids will love. There will also be a presentation by a falconer with a live falcon.
Returning attractions include seining, safari rides and arts and crafts.
“They have seining where they go down to the river and there are two people from the cove on each side of a net. They bring the net in and it brings in all the marine life,” Verna said.
She boasted that this event held at the shoreline of the Delaware River is always popular with all age groups. Another popular event is the safari ride that allows you to explore the cove trails like never before.
Ticket prices are $40 for an individual ticket, $75 for a couple and $100 for a family. Those interested in attending the event are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance by calling the Palmyra Cove Nature Park at (856) 829–1900. Tickets can also be purchased at the door on the day of the event. In the event of rain, most attractions will be moved indoors. Safari rides have been done rain or shine in the past.
The proceeds from ticket sales will benefit educational programs at the Palmyra Cove Nature Park. Verna said the park holds many educational events for students throughout the year such as two- and four-hour nature park programs, science technology education, satellite orbit education and much more. There are often students who aren’t able to afford to go to these events, and fundraisers such as Oktoberfest make it possible.
Oktoberfest will be a day filled with German music, food and fun for the whole family, from children to grandparents.
“I used to bring my elderly mother and then my niece and nephew and everyone had something to do. It’s a really fun family day. I just can’t say that enough,” Verna said.
