A lot of my friends play German characters at a local Oktoberfest celebration. They just like, walk around and talk to people as the fake Germans.

One time my dad talked to one of them for a long time, then came over to me and told me about this German guy he met who came to Bethlehem for Oktoberfest and how he owned a mustard factory, and how he was so interesting.

The German mustard man was @RichieWarm, who my dad has met multiple times over several yeas.

At first I thought my dad was just playing along, but after a while it became clear that no, he really thought Richie, someone he had met multiple times, was Rupert the Mustard Man

They never break character when they're in their German character costumes. This has to be a self-imposed rule. I can't imaging the venue enforcing Disney-level rules about breaking the illusion that a bunch of actual Germans decided to fly to Pennsylvania for Yuengling.

Whenever I see one of them in the wild and try to talk to them I get frustrated that they don't drop the bit, but honestly it's all worth it knowing that Richie truly convinced my father he was a German Mustard Magnate, a thing I still make fun of my dad for.

The whole thing always seemed so strange to me, that the venue would hire people to do roaming immersive improv with guests. "Who's this for?" I would think.

It's Bill Tickle. It's for Bill Tickle. He's exactly who you hire fake Germans to entertain. My dad.

But come to think of it my Dad's a former cop and a current security guard. Feel like he should be harder to fool, but throw on an alpine hat and a questionable accent (sorry Richie) and he'll take you at your word.