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Tired of Oktoberfest, Ellen Potaky of Stafford County watches a wedding
Experienced and inexperienced dancers polkaed during Capital Ale House's first Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg.
Oktoberfest participants lined the sidewalks and filled the 900 block of Caroline Street in Fredericksburg yesterday.
Scott Phipps and his son Dylan were among those who waited in long lines |
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.
A group of concerned merchants addressed City Council after they learned of the event two months ago. They questioned the location, feeling it would be better suited to the Sophia Street parking lot. They also felt they were excluded from the planning process and questioned the wisdom of allowing alcohol consumption in the street.
Benjamin Walker, owner of Walker Home on Caroline Street, was one of the shopkeepers critical of Oktoberfest. Midway through the event yesterday, he had not found a reason to change his mind.
"It's exactly what I thought it would be," he said, reluctant to elaborate.
"Hopefully, by this time next year, the riverfront will be further along and able to handle really large events like this," he added, speaking of plans for a city park on Sophia Street.
With evening approaching, police officers said the crowd had been well behaved. It was too early for downtown merchants to tell whether the throng of revelers had affected their businesses.
"It's been organized pretty well," said Picker's Supply employee Jeffrey Levine. "There might be a lot of people here who have never been downtown. It's nice to see a lot of people here."
Karen Hedelt, the city's interim economic development director, felt that Oktoberfest did what supporters wanted it to do.
"It's bringing people into downtown Fredericksburg," she said. "The value to the city is long-term."
University of Mary Washington seniors Harrison Roberts and Anne Longerbeam agreed. They learned about the event from a professor.
"I think it's great for Fredericksburg," Longerbeam said.
O'zapft is, indeed.
Jonas Beals: 540/368-5036
Email: jbeals@freelancestar.com
