VALPARAISO, Ind. — A first-responder campus on Montdale Park Drive opens to the public this weekend for its first Oktoberfest-style fundraiser.
Lakeshore Public Media reported the details Oct. 15. Indiana 105 and the MAAC Foundation's event page match the hours, price, and address.
| When | Sat., Oct. 17 · noon–7 p.m.; Sun., Oct. 18 · noon–5 p.m. |
| Where | MAAC Foundation campus, 4203 Montdale Park Drive |
| Admission | $5 general admission (food and beer extra) |
| Tickets | Zeffy / MAACFoundation.org |
| Phone | (219) 510-9111 |
Proceeds go to the nonprofit's academies and training operations, organizers say. The Zeffy page lists the $5 ticket as a donation for either day and notes it does not include beer or food.
German fest meets live drills
Guests get live German music, outdoor games, German and local food, and domestic and imported beer, per the MAAC Foundation page. Contests include stein-holding and best-dressed lederhosen.
Local vendors named by Lakeshore include Byway Brewing Company, Ben's Soft Pretzels, Crumbles Bake Shop, Lil' Gridiron Grill, and TJ's Kettle Corn.
Public safety crews will run live demonstrations: fire sprinkler burns, car-fire extinguishment, high-pressure vehicle extrication, and police K9 tracking, Lakeshore reported; Indiana 105 also lists door-breaching and live-fire demos. Both days include emergency-vehicle touch-a-truck exhibits. Live medical helicopter landings are planned; Indiana 105 says the helicopter landing is Oct. 18.
Families can tour training facilities, try a kids' obstacle course, and enter raffles. Prizes listed by Lakeshore include laser-tag passes, community safety-course enrollment, and a fire-truck ride with MAAC founder Stewart McMillan.
"MAACtoberfest is an exciting new chapter for the MAAC Foundation," President and CEO Nicole Gladstone said in remarks carried by Lakeshore and Indiana 105. "As a fundraiser, it gives our community a fun and unique way to support the mission of MAAC while experiencing firsthand the training and innovation that goes into preparing our first responders."
What MAAC is
The Multi Agency Academic Cooperative Foundation opened in 2017 as a public-private partnership. First responders have logged more than 650,000 training hours on its burn towers and tactical grounds, and the campus has hosted more than 3,500 hours of public safety education, Lakeshore and Indiana 105 report. Programs include volunteer, career, and high-school vocational fire academies plus EMT certification.
The festival centers on Heroes Hangout and outdoor space behind Heroes Hangout, the new HQ building, and Kathryn Hall, the foundation says.
If you go
- Dress for outdoor demos and fall weather; organizers encourage Oktoberfest attire.
- Buy tickets ahead on Zeffy or check MAACFoundation.org for schedule updates.
- Campus: 4203 Montdale Park Drive, Valparaiso, IN 46383.
Photo credit
¹ Downtown Valparaiso near the courthouse square (lead photo) — photo by Chris Light, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. File photo; not from MAACtoberfest. Resized for web; this copy is shared under the same license.
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² Vehicle extrication training demo — photo by Z22, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Illustrative; not from MAACtoberfest. Resized for web.
³ Oktoberfest hall crowd and stage — photo by lvroberts / Flickr via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Illustrative; not from Valparaiso MAACtoberfest. Resized for web; this copy is shared under the same license.
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