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Festival Pavilion
Seize the authentic spirit of Bavaria at Oktoberfest By the
Bay in mid-October at Fort Mason Center. This massive event
brings a taste of Munich to the Festival Pavilion with lots
of beer, fine German cuisine, rousing polka music, and lively
dancing and singing.
Yes, sometimes the celebrants get a bit carried away and start
dancing on the tabletops, but it’s all in good fun at
the largest Oktoberfest in California. You don’t have
to be German to enjoy this event – Oktoberfest By the
Bay may be one of the most multicultural Bavarian parties
in the US. It helps to be hungry however, as the fest features
plenty of bratwurst, pretzels, sauerkraut, and delicious German
pastries to accompany the excellent brews from Spaten and
other beer makers.
 The
United German-American Societies of San Francisco and Vicinity,
Inc. sponsor the 6th annual Oktoberfest and plan a special
German day on Sunday, October 16, the final day of the fest.
The Sunday program includes German music, dance, and a marching
ceremony with displays of many types of German flags and regional
costumes.
During the four days of the fest, exhibitors provide many
examples of German heritage through arts, crafts, clothing,
and historical items. Cultural groups such as San Francisco’s
Goethe Institute, Nature Friends Schuhplattler, and San Francisco
Musik Verein are on hand to share German culture and performances.
Musicians in the Chico Bavarian Band and The Internationals
fill the pavilion with the sounds of accordions, tubas, flugelhorns,
glockenspiels, and yodeling throughout the entire Oktoberfest.
It’s lederhosen and polka time at Fort Mason Center.
Raise a stein to German culture at Oktoberfest By the Bay.
See October
13 and www.oktoberfestbythebay.com
for details.
– Claudia Willen
Images: Courtesy Oktoberfest By The Bay; Dancers, Photo:
Josef Wold
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