Oktoberfest
By Kris Howell (w/ contributions from David Lewis) |
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Oktoberfest nearly didn't happen this year. Although the 45-year-old festival brought in nearly $132,000 of profit in 2007, last year's three-day party weighed in at a dismal $17,000 - and garnered many complaints from German Villagers, ranging from inconsiderate parking to noise complaints.
This year, an anonymous $20,000 donation was made to the German Village Society in exchange for the festival's cancellation. The GVS voted to accept the donation, but returned it the next day.
Beads of beer sweat poured from the pores of thousands of lederhosen-clad festival-goers; the fate of the beloved festival was unknown, and fear reigned uber Allen...until a hero stepped up.
German Village proprietor Geoff Schmidt, of Schmidt's Sausage Haus, has taken a last-minute lead in organizing the event, returning as the coordinator after a decades-long hiatus. Rejected by neighborhoods in German Village, Schmidt moved the festival to the Natural Resources Pavilion at the Ohio Expo Center, a location that will prevent inclement weather from interfering with anyone's desire to swill stein after stein of beer.
You'll have no problem finding a gigantic stein of delicious German beer to throw dizzily down your gullet. Had too much to drink? Settle your stomach with an equally gigantic cream puff the size of your red-cheeked face. When you've had your fill of Deutschland's legendary export, carefully set down your foamy jug of confidence and show the opposite sex how fabulously well-heeled you are: hit the linoleum and bust a move to some traditional German polka tunes.
But the Oktoberfest isn't all music, dancing, beer, and cream puffs. It's sausage, too. And why eat one sausage when you can eat slightly more than is humanly possible? Save room for participation in the bratwurst-eating contest, provided you have adequate health insurance. Work off the extra bratwurst-induced kilograms at the beer-keg barrel-roll competition - the only passable excuse for mixing exercise and beer.
The event is free, but parking costs $8 dollars, so carpool or ride your bike.
September 25-27
Natural Resources Pavilion @ the Ohio Expo Center
www.columbusoktoberfest.com
Other Festivals This Month
India Festival
Greek Festival
Originally Published: September 1, 2009
