Oak Partners celebrates the fall season with beer, food, and fellowship at 15th annual Oaktoberfest

On the evening of Friday, September 19, Oak Partners Inc. hosted its 15th annual Oaktoberfest event at Bulldog Park in downtown Crown Point. Over 740 Oak Partners financial advisors, staff members, and clients gathered for this exciting event. Oaktoberfest, which is Oak Partner’s fall kickoff event, numbers among Oak Partner’s many annual events. These include golf outings, March Madness watch parties, and holiday brunches. While Oak Partners clients enjoy attending events like these, Oaktoberfest is by far their favorite Oak Partners event.

“We originally held this event at our Crown Point office,” Crystal DeHaven, director of client experience at Oak Partners, said. “We’d set up tents outside and usually draw about 200 or 300 people. It’s grown larger and larger over the years and now we’re filling up the pavilion at Bulldog Park with guests. It’s remarkable. Tonight is an opportunity for everyone to have fun, enjoy some entertainment, and hear about what’s going on in each other’s lives. Oak Partners is very family-oriented, and this event reflects that.”

As is tradition, Mission BBQ provided an array of food options including pulled pork, pulled chicken, smoked brisket, mac ‘n’ cheese, baked beans, and coleslaw. The attendees also enjoyed ice-cold beverages from the Bulldog Brewing trailer. They walked throughout the pavilion, sitting down to chat with old friends and form new friendships with strangers.

“Our clients love this event,” Marc Ruiz, team leader and partner at Oak Partners, said. “We love hosting it and enjoying it alongside them. Most of the clients here today have been with us for several years, even decades in some cases. We’re a huge family, so Oaktoberfest is like a huge family reunion for us. I hope they head home tonight with full bellies, having had a few beers and a few laughs.”

The evening’s entertainment was provided by Small Town, an Indiana-based John Cougar Mellencamp tribute group. The band took to the stage of Bulldog Park’s Franciscan Health Amphitheater to perform toe-tapping renditions of the legendary artist’s classic hits, including “Pop Singer,” “I’m Not Running Anymore,” “Scarecrow,” and “Hurts So Good.”

“This is a signature event for us,” Mike Barancyk, senior partner and wealth advisor at Oak Partners, said. “We even worked a pun into the name. This is a fun, informal event where people can come as they are and enjoy themselves. They are welcome to bring friends and guests if they want as well. Hopefully, our clients understand that we care about them and their assets.”

The strengthening of bonds between clients and financial advisors at events like Oaktoberfest takes their relationships beyond the transactional. Oak Partners advisors quite literally become invested in their clients’ lives, solidifying their commitment to providing clients with the best service possible.

Please visit oakpartners.com to learn more about the robust financial advisory services that Oak Partners has to offer. Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC.