Fairmont vs. Mt. Notre Dame
Miami Valley styles
'Tis the Season Festival
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StumbleuponOktoberfest features bier and more beer
Sunday, October 05, 2008
DAYTON — Bavarian roasted nuts, brats with sauerkraut and a seemingly endless supply of bier drew nearly 40,000 Miami Valley residents to the Dayton Art Institute's annual Oktoberfest Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4 and Oct. 5.
They ate, they drank, they ate and drank some more.
"We like to look at the art they have and we like to drink a few beers," Brian Westerfield, 26, of Troy said on Sunday afternoon. He started the festival with a Warsteiner Oktoberfest, while his wife, Kara, tried on a Lien Sunset Wheat. Their 7-month-old son, Logan seemed content taking in the smells of the music-filled fall fest.
Three tents featured dance and music. Nearly every band seemed to cover "Hang on Sloopy," a favorite among fans of The Ohio State University fans who use their arms to spell out "O-H-I-O" at the chorus.
The upbeat song was popular on Saturday among the scarlet and gray swarm of Ohio State fans at the festival. They packed the festival's new craft beer tent to watch Ohio State best Wisconsin on high definition TVs.
"You didn't have to watch the game," festival organizer Renee Roberts, DAI's deputy director of external affairs, said Sunday. "The roar of the crowd let you what was going on." Oktoberfest is DAI largest fundraisers, bring in an unspecified amount.
"It helps support our education programs, our exhibition programs," Roberts said. "It helps keep the lights on."
Hundreds of volunteer hours helped fuel the event. Sarah Back volunteered in the International Bier tent. She and her fellow brew salespeople hooted, hollered and chimed bells when tipped for selling Hoogestraten Porter, Arrogant Bastard, Red Stripe and other bottled beers.
"You meet a lot of neat people and they are having a great time too," Back said. "You are raising money for a good cause." On her way from the wine garten with Cabernet Sauvignon and four stacked plastic glasses, Becky Forgarty of Butler Twp., said she often runs into people she knows at Oktoberfest. Sunday's weather was perfect for a day outdoors with family and friends, the 57-year-old said.
Donning a white chicken hat he purchased from Minster's Oktoberfest, Kirk Knapke, 50, of Centerville shopped in the festival artisan booths.
"I like the beer, the wine, the music," he said listening to music on the main stage from a seat in the wine garten. "I like walking through the artsy booths. I'm kind of an artsy guy."
Soon The After Hours Band belted out "Hang on Sloopy" on the Main Stage and a munchkin in lederhosen ran around the dance floor as two little girls gave chase and adults around them spelled out "O-H-I-O."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2384 or arobinson@DaytonDaily
News.com.
