It was a no-brainer as far as Phyllis Johnson was concerned.

Sunday, September 26, 1999

It was a no-brainer as far as Phyllis Johnson was concerned.

"We wanted to bring a new event to Austin," said Johnson, a member of the Women’s Association of the Austin Symphony Orchestra (WASSO).

And Austin had never held an Octoberfest.

The match was perfect and "Octoberfest at the Mill Pond" was born.

The event will take place Oct. 9, from 1-5 p.m. That night the Austin Symphony Orchestra will open its season with "A Russian Fairy Tale," at the high school’s Richard Knowlton Auditorium.

The idea behind hosting an event prior to the opening symphony is "to pull in the community and make them more aware of the symphony," Johnson said. "What better way to do that than with beer and brats?"

And much, much more.

Octoberfest promises to be an event for young and old alike.

Brian Christianson, a high school fiddler, and his friends will perform as well as Offcenter, a band made up of Austin high schoolers.

Walk-around-magician Bob Miller will be performing tricks for the crowds that gather around him.

There will be a flea market, something "women will love," Johnson said.

Animal Bingo, orchestrated by three people in animal suits, should attract plenty of attention from children as should face painting and a balloon booth.

Like Johnson said, soda pop, beer and brats – served by the Austin Jaycees – will be the meal of choice.

The event is a departure from the WASSO’s two existing fundraisers – the Symphony Ball and the WASSO Tea, which cost $100 and $35 for admission, respectively.

Johnson hopes Octoberfest at the Mill Pond become what those events are not – a reasonable family afternoon out.

The cost of admission is $2. All proceeds go to WASSO.

For those Octoberfest goers who want to cap their day with an evening at the symphony, ticket will be available prior to the event at the Knowlton Auditorium.