Government Plaza brought smells of barbecue, baked goods and beer to downtown Tuscaloosa as the community celebrated the fourth annual Oktoberfest on Saturday.
The all-day event catered to students, families and pets alike, featuring a 5K sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, a dog costume contest, a dachshund race, a stein-hoisting contest, local business stands, food and drink vendors, live music and inflatable games for kids.
Valentina Puebla, a senior majoring in public relations and Spanish, visited the festival for the first time and said she enjoyed seeing the unique vendors.
“I think it’s a great aspect of community building to have everybody come together and have their own little stands and be able to walk around and see everything,” Puebla said.
Puebla also said she looked forward to the Dachshund Dash, a friendly dog-racing competition. The reigning champion was a dachshund named Gus, and this year’s competition marked his fourth win in a row.
Huntsville-based polka band Oompah-Calypse took the stage, blending traditional German sounds with familiar tunes such as “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “The Chicken Dance.” Later, the Nashville and Tuscaloosa-based group The Stone Feathers brought their country and rock sounds to the festival.
A variety of food and beverage vendors offered both traditional German fare and local staples. Rolf’s Cafe and Bistro served German favorites such as bratwurst, pretzels and jaegerschnitzel, while other vendors served beer, pizza, smoked meats, sweet treats and more.
Kimberly Booker, owner of the home bakery For The Love of Cinnamon, can usually be found selling her sourdough-based treats at the Tuscaloosa River Market but brought the business to Oktoberfest for the first time.
“The festivals are different than the farmer’s market because people are going looking for new things that they typically don’t get to see,” Booker said. “It’s a great opportunity to meet new people and see new faces.”
While Oktoberfest originated in 1810s Germany to celebrate Bavarian culture, Tuscaloosa joined in on the festivities in part because of the city’s industrial ties with the German automotive brand Mercedes-Benz, as well as a more meaningful cultural partnership.
Shannon Salerni, a senior majoring in international studies and Spanish, pointed to the Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International table, an organization focused on building diplomacy between cities in different countries.
Schorndorf, Germany has been one of Tuscaloosa’s three sister cities since 1996, furthering Tuscaloosa’s appreciation for German culture.
“You get to learn a lot of cool stuff about the Alabama-Germany ties,” Salerni said. “Lots of wonderful goodies and treats, and just good vibes.”
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