By Khalida Sarwari
The beer flowed and the bratwurst sizzled at the 18th annual Campbell Oktoberfest. Arguably the biggest festival of its kind in the South Bay, it was proclaimed a rousing success yet again this
Somewhere between 30,000 to 40,000 people filled the streets of historic downtown Campbell Oct. 13-14 to celebrate the best that Germany has to offer.
“It was a great fun family experience for sure,” said Neil Collins, executive director of the Campbell Chamber of Commerce.
Alpiners USA headlined the festival this year, performing German music. There was also music from the Silicon Valley Accordion Society as well as smaller family bands.
As is the case every year, the food was one of the highlights of the festival. Popular German cuisine such as bratwurst, sauerkraut, pretzels and German potato salads were served, as well as other European and American fare.
On the second day of the festival, Gordon Biersch owner Dan Gordon tapped into a 90-liter, unfiltered and unpasteurized Festbier keg for the beer’s first and only public release.
A national stein holding competition held on the afternoon of Oct. 13 went off without a hitch. The contest, now in its second year, saw the second place winner come within one second of the champion, who made it through to nine minutes and eight seconds.
Participants also enjoyed arts and crafts and children enjoyed the designated play area that of
fered carnival rides and activities.
Overall, the festival was a great success, but foot traffic proved to be an issue and something that organizers realize must be addressed before next year’s program.
“We’re going to continue to look at how we can be more efficient in moving people through our lines,” Collins said. “We can fine-tune the layout so intersections aren’t blocked and people can move freely.”
The only other improvement Collins said he would make is doing more to showcase the German food vendors.
But at the end of the two-day festival, most left happy.
