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Home Features Bottle Rocket Hosts Concordia Alumni at Octoberfest Event

by Emily Sievert

 

Concordia alumni gathered at Seward’s Bottle Rocket Brewery on the night of Sept. 25 for fellowship, food and brews. Between 50 and 75 graduates ranging from the class of 1953 to the class of 2016 were in attendance.

Director of Alumni and University Relations Jennifer Furr worked with Bottle Rocket’s owners to put on the event.

“There’s no program,” Furr said. “We just want people to be able to reconnect and have a good time.”

Alumni described the event as something different and refreshing, as generations of graduates came together, running into old acquaintances, common friends and past club members. Some attendees marveled at the number of Concordia graduates in their family, all because they’d met while at school.

“The network of Concordians is much bigger than an event aimed at a 90 mile radius, but providing an opportunity to meet with alumni in the area gives them a chance to interact with the community and not wait until the next big reunion to exchange stories,” Furr said.

Furr hopes that alumni will become increasingly involved in events, and current students will see what opportunities are in store for them after graduation.

Bottle Rocket Brewery offered a new venue for this kind of event as they began their weeklong Octoberfest celebration.

“Since Seward actually has 80-90% German heritage, we wanted to recognize that and really celebrate with our own Octoberfest,” co-owner and alumnus Jason Berry said.

The brewery, originally a 1940s grain mill, has been operating and expanding in Seward since October 2015 from a 44 person capacity at the start to now accommodating nearly 315 people.

The Octoberfest week will continue at Bottle Rocket with German game night, dress up contests, polka bands, and brats.

For more information on upcoming alumni events and the 2016 homecoming schedule, visit http://www.cune.edu/events/alumni-friends/

For more details on Bottle Rocket Brewery’s Octoberfest events, visit https://www.facebook.com/bottlerocketbrewing/

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