Hurricane Ian — One Year Later: Back in Action

Oct 2, 2023 By CJ HADDAD 3 min read

One of, if not the, largest festival each year in Southwest Florida had to be put off for the second time in three years, as damage from Hurricane Ian resulted in the cancellation of Oktoberfest in 2022. 

Put on each year by the German-American Social Club of Cape Coral over two weekends in October, the usual festive Biergarten grounds were used as a staging area for utility and line workers rather than a place full of gemutlichkeit, a German word that conveys the feeling of warmth, friendliness, and good cheer. 

Since the storm, the GASC has played a major role in helping feed the community, as well as returning the grounds to a place where residents from all over the region can come an enjoy a good time. 

“The club and community have responded to Ian in similar fashion. Our initial despair quickly turned to defiance from our collective will to survive and gradually evolved to resiliency which will be the lasting legacy of this shared hardship,” said GASC president Stephen Bauer. 

In the calendar year since Ian wrought damage to the GASC grounds and Von Steuben Hall, Bauer and the club have recovered in a big way. There have been multiple “Biergartenfests” over the months, as the club hoped to make up for the loss of Oktoberfest — not just for the entertainment and joy it brings, but to help with recovery costs of being inoperable for three months. 

“While the club was closed, we relied on our reserves to fund operating expenses including emergency repair and cleanup contracts,” Bauer said. “Our reserves were saved up over decades of financial planning by every board of directors since the 1990s. Upon reopening, the GASC had to ramp up activity to regain a normal revenue stream. This was kickstarted by a weekend festival at the end of February which had overwhelming support from the community. Since then, we have been more active than ever to maintain our recovery.”

Immediately following Ian, GASC teamed up with local, and non-local entities to help give back while working to get back on its own feet. 

“The days after the storm were spent assessing damage and assigning recovery responsibilities to personnel from our volunteer members on key service committees,” Bauer reflected. “We also had alliances with our neighbors at Bubba’s Roadhouse as well as a visiting disaster response team from a large insurance adjuster company we allowed to set up temporary camp on our grounds. Daily barbecue meals were provided for free to those in need, and donations were collected by patrons wanting to contribute.”

The best news of all? Oktoberfest is on schedule, bringing with it all that’s traditional: authentic German food, flare, drinks, dance, music, and more. 

“We are 100 percent back and looking forward to commemorating the one-year milestone as the host venue for a benefit concert promoted by the city of Cape Coral at the end of September and culminating the following month with Oktoberfest 2023,” Bauer said. 

This year’s festivities are planned for the weekends of Oct. 20-22, and 27-29. 

The club, at 2101 SW Pine Island Road, opens its doors to members and the public for dinner and dancing every Friday night at 5:30. Visit www.gasc-capecoral.com for more information.

To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com