South Street Oktoberfest draws thousands for beer, music and German tradition

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South Street was filled with the sounds of oompah music and the smell of fresh pretzels and beer as the neighborhood celebrated Oktoberfest on Saturday. The event drew thousands of attendees from around the Delaware Valley to celebrate the annual German folk festival.

“I wanted to celebrate my German heritage with my brother and my cousins and have a good old time,” said Kurt Schmeal of Bear, Delaware. “Every year it is a good reminder of what our heritage is. We came to this country long ago and we are happy to celebrate.”

The annual event was hosted by local German beer hall Brauhaus Schmitz, owned and operated by German-American restaurateur Doug Hager.

“This is our 16th year of Oktoberfest and this might be our best yet,” Hager said. “I have noticed that the crowd is younger this year, hopefully we are attracting a younger generation to Brauhaus.”

“This is the first I’ve ever actually been here,” said Connor Welles, 25, Schmeal’s cousin who lives on South Street and invited his family to the event. “It’s electric, amazing.” He said he plans on coming back next year.

Long rows of open-air benches were set up along the 700 block of South Street, similar to the festival tents in Bavaria, Germany, where Oktoberfest originated. There were also stalls where people played games, got face paintings or bought flower crowns, a decorative German headpiece. Many attendees came dressed in lederhosen or dirndl, traditional German outfits worn at Oktoberfest. However, the centerpiece of the festival was the beer.

“I got myself a pint,” said Logan Keller from Ridley, Pennsylvania. “I’m drinking a Festbier and it seems to be festive to what Brauhaus Schmitz is offering.”

Along with pretzels and German sausage, festivalgoers could choose from 15 different types of German beers — from lagers to pilsners and ales.

“The beer companies I work with make an Oktoberfest beer, but I recognize that my customers want different brands. We’re even pouring cider out here because not everybody is a huge beer drinker,” Hager said.

As patrons drank, they danced and sang along to live music performances from a stage at the front of the block. The biggest reception came from the performances of the United German-Hungarian Schuhplattler Group, a cultural organization that focuses on promoting traditional Bavarian and Hungarian folk dances and has been dancing at Oktoberfest for 16 years.

“A lot of us have been dancing since we could walk,” said dancer Kristen Reiter. “For me, it’s the camaraderie of friends, family and the crowd. We enjoy our heritage and German dancing.”

The Schuhplattler, performed by the group, is a lively energetic dance characterized by slapping the thighs, knees and shoes. For the dancers, the opportunity to perform at Oktoberfest and celebrate their German heritage was very meaningful.

“One of the most unique things is the response you get when they introduce you, and when you have a crowd as active and interactive as this, it gives you a lot more reason to give it your best shot,” said Evan Wolz, who has been dancing since he was seven years old and recently joined the United German-Hungarians. “I just recently started coming to the South Street Oktoberfest. This is only my second one but now that I’ve seen it all, I’ll keep coming back because the excitement and adrenaline keeps going,” Wolz said.

Oktoberfest was originally held in October, but because Bavaria can get cold in October festivities were pushed to September. Traditionally, Oktoberfest ends the first Sunday in October and begins 16 days prior making Sept. 21 the first day of Oktoberfest season, ending this year Oct. 6.

Brauhaus Schmitz will host more celebrations in the coming weeks. One on Sept. 28 at the Haddon Square pop-up beer garden in Collingswood from 12–10 p.m.. A much bigger indoor festival will also be held Oct. 11 and 12 at the 23rd Street Arena in Center City and promises to be more authentic and mimic a Munich festival tent.

“It’s great to celebrate your culture and history and be a proud German, or be German for a day,” Hager said. “Who doesn’t like Oktoberfest? It’s a lot of fun!”