Observation Article

Andrea Tomlinson

ENG 365

David Crisp

22 September 2013

Observation Article: A Day at Zootoberfest

            The sun shone brightly as people young and old roamed around. Trees provided an escape from the sun’s rays for some spectators who decided to take rest in areas of shade. Notes from the “National Emblem” march rang out through the air along with the strong smell of popcorn.

            This was the scene at Zootoberfest, held Saturday at Zoo Montana in Billings.

             The event seemed to be a success as a multitude of people attended. Parking spaces became valuable commodities as the gravel lot filled to capacity. Attendees filed into line at the zoo gates, eager to enjoy the day’s festivities. The scent of popcorn and alcohol was not hard to detect as it filled the air upon entering. It was an interesting combination of smells, but children enjoyed their popcorn and adults drank their traditional Zootoberfest beer. The sound of voices pierced the atmosphere as people conversed with their friends. Children laughed and yelled as they slid down the playground slide. Their quick rush of running feet contrasted with the soft sound of footsteps across the grass, which could be heard constantly as adults walked between the rows of vendors. Underneath the white tent, vendors displayed their wares on tables covered with light green tablecloths. One such table glittered with a colorful display of glass: orange, yellow, blue, green and pink. The colored glass belonged to jars which had been made into unique birdhouses. Another table carried the sweet aromas and flickering lights from the Scentsy candles.

            The Red Lodge Band, Alte Kameraden, took to the makeshift trailer stage at noon. Their banner proudly hung across the bottom front center of the stage, marking their name in blue print along with a graphic of a pint of beer. The booming voice of the conductor sounded over the park: “One, two, three, four.” Shortly after, the “om-pahs” of the low brass and the trills of flutes caught the attention of passer-bys, who stopped to listen to the march tunes in the shade of the trees. A young father sat upon the grass to listen with his two small children. As the band played on, he explained to his daughter about how the band was making the live music, and she eagerly watched and listened. The grass-covered ground felt cool to sit upon, and the light breeze helped to ease the effect of the sun’s heat. Dragonflies buzzed over the grass sprinkled with clover as the band played, and even a peacock meandered by in front of the stage, showing off its iridescent green feathers.

            The roar of applause echoed across the park as the band articulated their final note. The merriment continued as people began to walk around again, and lines formed at Jimmy’s Greece Pit as the smell of smoke from their grill wafted through the air and aroused people’s lunchtime appetites.

            The chattering of voices, the soft crunch of grass under feet and the exclamations of children continued to fill the air throughout the afternoon. Smooth jazz from a radio replaced the music of the live band, but the popcorn kept popping and glasses were filled anew with frothy beer, allowing the festivities of Zootoberfest to live on for the rest of the day.