In Valparaiso, the MAAC Foundation’s first-responder training campus will host its first-ever MAACtoberfest on October 17 and 18, 2026. The family-friendly event will feature live German music, games, a stein-holding contest, and more. “MAACtoberfest is an exciting new chapter for the MAAC Foundation. 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,” said President and CEO Nicole Gladstone.
The event will also feature first responders conducting live-fire, vehicle extrication, door-breaching, and K9 demonstrations. Additional activities include a kids’ obstacle course, outdoor games, a best-dressed contest, and a helicopter landing on October 18th. Attendees can also explore the MAAC campus and learn more about the facility’s training programs.
“Bringing the demonstrations into the event makes it more than an Oktoberfest celebration; it gives people an opportunity to see, learn, and connect with the work their support helps make possible. We’re excited to create a new tradition that brings people together while raising funds to advance the MAAC Foundation’s mission,” Gladstone added.
Tickets are $5 for general admission, with proceeds benefitting the MAAC Foundation as a donation. Guests are encouraged to come dressed in their best Oktoberfest attire and enjoy a weekend of food, entertainment, and family fun.
The MAAC Foundation is a nonprofit, state-of-the-art training campus dedicated to serving first responders by offering a realistic, hands-on approach to emergency services training. Since the MAAC was established in 2017, more than 650,000 training hours have been completed by first responders, and over 3,500 hours of community public safety classes have been hosted by the organization. The MAAC also hosts a volunteer firefighter academy, a career firefighter academy, a vocational firefighter academy for high schoolers, and an EMT academy. For more information, visit MAACFoundation.org .
