JOIN GLENDALE SISTER CITIES FOR AN EVENING OF LIVELY MUSIC AND GERMAN TRADITION!Did you know that Glendale has had a Sister City in Memmingen, Germany since 1976? This year, Glendale AZ Sister Cities is recognizing Memmingen’s 49 years of friendship and loyalty to Glendale, and we look forward to many more years of friendship and cultural exchange.On September 19, 2025, Glendale Sister Cities will introduce Glendale and surrounding communities to Memmingen’s Original Bavarian Brass Band when we present “Kickoff to Oktoberfest” in true German tradition. As you probably know, the United States celebrates Oktoberfest in October, but in Germany, the celebration starts in late September. This year, it takes place Saturday, September 20th to Sunday, October 5th. Our event will recognize Germany’s Oktoberfest here in the United States! This unique event will be held at the beautiful Glendale Civic Center in downtown Glendale on Friday, September 19, 2025, at 6 p.m. Ticket price includes a German dinner buffet, a cash bar featuring German beer and wine, music and dancing. The evening will also include a 50/50 raffle and door prizes. The event will be a fundraiser to help Glendale Sister Cities build a strong youth component to their program. One of the things they are passionate about is the internationally-themed youth leadership conferences that are available every year to high school students. They want to be able to send local students to these conferences as well as provide other cultural opportunities, including youth exchanges. The Original Bavarian Band is lovingly known by many as the “Bavarian Texas Band.” You might wonder where Texas came into the picture! The band became popular in Texas when some Luke Air Force Base pilots from Texas were sent to Memmingen, Germany’s Air Base for training. They got to know people in Memmingen, including members of the brass band. The pilots invited the band to come to the States and perform in their hometowns in Texas. There is a large German population in Texas, and the people quickly fell in love with the band. That’s how they became known as the “Bavarian Texas Band!” Since then, they have played at numerous events in Texas. This year, they reached out to their Sister City in Glendale and asked if they could visit and perform there. Glendale Sister Cities did not hesitate to say yes, and now the 22-piece brass band will be traveling to Glendale from Memmingen, Germany to play at “Kickoff to Oktoberfest” before touring in several other U.S. cities. The Glendale Sister City organization hopes the public will want to meet Memmingen’s Original Bavarian Brass Band and celebrate the start of Oktoberfest with them! For ticket information, see “Purchase Tickets” on the Glendale Sister City website, www.glendaleazsistercities.org. This will take purchasers to the Eventbrite website. You can also visit the Glendale Sister City website for information on the organization, or to obtain membership information. Link: http://www.glendaleazsistercities.org Submitted: 08/03/25 Article By: Glendale AZ Sister Cities |