I have a scandalous truth to reveal: I do not drink beer. Really, I can't imbibe the stuff. I'm not bragging, and I don't begrudge others their enjoyment.
Forgive me, though, if I do take pleasure in seeing the Fremont Oktoberfest slowly expand from impressive beer garden to much, much more - especially if "more" means everyone in the family can find something to enjoy.
The party
Fremont Oktoberfest honors the old German tradition. Fall harvest of barley and hops kicked off brewing season, but first, last season's leftover beer must be consumed, usually in September. Disposal became a party, and the party became an annual, 16-day celebration.
The first official Oktoberfest took place in 1810, when the crown prince of Bavaria, Ludwig I, declared it be held in commemoration of his wedding.
On Friday, Sept. 23, through Sunday, Sept. 25, Fremont's Oktoberfest will sprawl across the Adobe campus between the "Interurban" statue and Lake Union. This fund-raiser for the Fremont Chamber of Commerce has, at its center, a beer garden featuring 30 microbreweries. Widening out in rings around this bull's-eye are layer upon layer of entertainment that even I can enjoy.
From the start, the event had more than beer. Live music, a varied (and growing) craft market and the infamous Chainsaw Pumpkin Carving have always drawn in visitors. And since 2003, the Brew Ha-Ha 3 Mile Run/Walk has provided a healthy distraction on a Sunday morning.
New this year
The big addition this year is an urban carnival. Davis Amusements will provide "rides that thrill," according to event organizer Phil Megenhardt. Phil admitted that the organizers don't really know what to expect from the first year of this partnership. They do expect the carnival to increase the appeal of the event, and they hope rides will increase visibility.
Rides provide an activity for those young at heart but too old for the zucchini car races and the kids craft area, staffed by B.F. Day Elementary School volunteers.
We've also got a root beer garden and food booths, to guarantee that most important tradition of carnival rides: the queasy stomach effect.
On Sunday, Oktoberfest organizers invite the family dog to come along. Thanks to Railey's Leash & Treat, we'll see the first Dog Day Afternoon and a free handout of dog biscuits to each canine visitor.
"Fremont is so dog-friendly," noted Mark Smith, who owns Railey's and hangs out with a canine companion named Railey. Mark sees his participation "less for marketing purposes" and more about making the event "more inclusive. I think it's great that they're doing it!"
The fund-raising aspect
Oktoberfest funds the Fremont chamber's sponsorship of the Outdoor Cinema, trick-or-treat, the Lenin lighting and others. It began in 1997, when the board realized it needed more money for its projects than membership dues could provide. The board hoped an Oktoberfest would solve the problem - and even went so far as to select a date a few months out.
Fortuitously, they met Phil through his work on the Fremont Street Fair, a job he calls "boot camp for event planning." When he heard of the chamber's dream, he welcomed the challenge to his imagination and networking abilities.
Being the organized one of the pair, his wife, Neave Karger-Megenhardt, wondered how they could possibly pull it off. Under the brim of their business Bold Hat Productions, they set to work - creating it as they went.
Those funky foundations built the Fremont Oktoberfest.
The confusion
However, the first word in Oktoberfests in Fremont date back to 1989 and what was called "the 19th-annual Fremont Oktoberfest - in its first year!" The name carries confusion, frivolity and instant history, by deliberate choice.
Along the ship canal, chamber volunteer Ken Saunderson organized a beer garden, as well as three live entertainment stages featuring "the best in oompah music," food booths, contests, a Volkswagen car show and a ceremony to commemorate the closing of yachting season.
As a complement to the Fremont neighborhood tour held that same weekend, the board raised funds for improvements at Ross Park.
The subsequent "19th-annual Fremont Oktoberfest - now in its second year!" took place in 1990 with the same confusion, chaos and celebration - plus the newly begun Fremont Sunday Market.
Tradition ended there; a third year never happened.
Volunteers moved on to other things, sponsorship dried up and beer steins sat empty for nearly a decade.
More is better
It is a fact I accept that beer gardens make money.
However, just like the Fremont community manages to be many different things to many different people, so can our event. While we cram a traditionally 16-day celebration into 2 1/2 days, why not try to include something for everyone? If it can be done anywhere, my bet is that it can be done here.
Kirby Lindsay loves any excuse to party, especially in her hometown of Fremont. She welcomes your comments at fremont@oz.net.
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