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Crowds pour into downtown Fredericksburg for the Oktoberfest celebration Date published: 10/4/2009
BY JONAS BEALS O'zapft is! The pronouncement meaning "It's tapped!" kicks off every Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Each year, Bavarians celebrate the fall season with beer, lederhosen, beer, bratwurst, beer, dirndl dresses and more beer. Yesterday was Fredericksburg's turn to show off its Bavarian heritage with an homage to the enormous party in Munich. Capital Ale House's first downtown Oktoberfest spilled onto a closed Caroline Street for most of the day. For 10 hours, a capacity crowd listened to accordion music, watched lederhosen-clad dancers, ate sauerkraut and, yes, drank plenty of beer. Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg was officially tapped. The 900 block of Caroline Street was closed to vehicle traffic for the day, and pedestrians took over. Sidewalks remained open, but the pavement became a beer garden at noon. The area reached its 1,200-person capacity by 1 p.m. "There are many more people than we expected," Matthew Simmons, Capital Ale House president, said. A line of expectant revelers snaked down the eastern sidewalk of Caroline Street, waiting for people to leave so they could get in. Equally long lines for beer and food formed inside the fence. Simmons noted that the city had been very helpful, although he admitted to "trying to work out the kinks." It was the seventh Oktoberfest for Capital Ale House, but the first in Fredericksburg. People were generally upbeat and happy with the event, despite the lines. Once their gargantuan free steins were filled with $13 worth of German beer, any worries dissolved on the tongue. "This is great," Stafford County resident Jennifer Griswold said. "It's a little warm, but at least we have beer." Her 2-year-old son Nicholas was by her side, dressed in tiny lederhosen she purchased on eBay for the occasion. "I had to bribe him to put them on," she said. Plenty of adults eagerly sported their Tyrolean hats and suspenders without any bribe. A group of Bavarian dancers played the Austrian classic "Edelweiss" on accordion and cowbell. Capital Ale House employees even wore authentic-looking threads. "They asked to do it," Simmons explained. When the event was proposed, a number of downtown business owners were concerned about how they would be affected by the street closure and the crowds.
Not consulting people who may be adversely affected because you don't want to hear their side is . . .bad form. An alternative site was proposed by merchants and city staff on Sophia street -- larger capacity, easier to control, still downtown. CaP said "eh." I was at the event pretty much all day. Had a great time. But, a larger space would have made it much better (shorter lines for entry, beer and food; more tables; more dancing space and so on.) Bottom line: it did not have to be a contentious issue
there would have been opposition ... right?
I'm not in favor of running over top of others but in the case
of the DRM... it appears to me that they would essentially
work to oppose Cap Ale and just use consultation to their
further advantage.
I'm betting that they tried that path and because convinced
that it was a no go .. and that the reason the Mayor oked it -
was the same reason.
that organization has a reputation... of not working together
to innovate.. but rather to find reasons to be oppose.
Not the event it self. The event was seen as a great way to bring people downtown and raise the visibility of Fredericksburg. No business thought more people coming down town was bad. The objections were that businesses along Caroline -- and those at 900 block -- were given a flyer announcing the event. No consultation. Bad form.Second, CaP was asked to move it to Sophia St. a bigger venue, easier to control, still downtown. CaP said, "Eh, no. WE want to close the street." Mayor said, "Okey Dokey!"
not everyone who goes is going to "swill" beer. Many will
go to see what other interesting things are going on - and
many - who don't spend much time downtown will go and
explore some shops they didn't know where there.
the alcohol rehab issue is a stretch IMHO.
Most businesses in most areas would kill to get that kind of
floor traffic and they'd dress up their storefronts to attract
passers-by.
I think the opposition and the excuses are revealing.
I believe that some of the business owners simply thought that thousands of beer-chugging Octoberfest celebrants would indeed keep some of their paying customers away that day, typically one of their better days for business of the whole year, "Fall Saturdays". That's how I understood the comments at the public hearing of the City Council meeting I happened to hear. Maybe it wasn't a problem, that is what we need to find out now. The question was asked, who could object? It's a reasonable objection.
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