Vacations Blog

My regular readers reader knows that I’ve written once or twice about my home town of Clayton.  Well, I would be dreadfully remiss in my “representin” duties if I did not blog about our annual Oktoberfest.

This year’s Oktoberfest was held on the weekend of September 26-27. Yea, I know. Don’t ask me. I guess all the weekends in October were spoken for. Whatever. In fairness though, that other Oktoberfest actually begins mid-late September, and ends in early October, so I guess we Claytonites just decided to jump right into the middle of the whole brew-ha-ha.  Get it??

*crickets*

Yes…well in any event, the boy and I paid a visit on Saturday night. The temperature had been hovering around 100 all day and a cold beer must have sounded good to a lot of people because the place was mobbed. But Oktoberfest is much more than just an excuse for the adults to tie one on (as if most of us needed an excuse). In addition to the various beers, wines and hard ciders offered, folks can enjoy it all in a traditional “Biergarten”, featuring the music of The Internationals. There were a variety of food vendors, (selling everything from corn dogs and cotton candy to bratwurst and sauerkraut) and Main Street was packed with artists and…craftists hawking their wares, street performers, hot, St.Pauli-esque chicks (OK, there would have been had I been in charge), and a full blown carnival for the young at heart. I gave the boy some ride tickets and off he went. I took advantage of the time I knew he’d spend waiting in line to stroll around and engage in one of my favorite activities – beer consumption people watching. 

Saturday night at Oktoberfest offers plenty in the way of viewable subjects.  Thankfully, as the boy was with me,  we did not see any repugnant rookie drinkers. Based on the heavy police presence however, it looked as if they were expecting a few by last call and were taking no chances. The smell of fried food and sugar heavy in the air, we did a few passes up and down Main Street, spent $2.00 in the game area on a ping-pong ball toss where the boy won a goldfish for his sister’s birthday gift, and then before he could hit me up for more money I suggested we head home.

As a local, I’m very happy to say that Clayton’s Oktoberfest is a well organized, enjoyable event. It’s a shame Oktober comes but once a year.

 Cost:

• $5 for a commemorative mug or wine glass (though buying a glass is not mandatory)
• $5 per drink ticket. One ticket = one drink
• Carnival ride tickets – pre-purchase from local businesses at 25 for $15, or pay $10 for 12, $1 for 1 on-site.  Best to pre-purchase 

(All crummy cell phone photo credits – Joe Romano)

P.S.  The goldfish was dead by 8:30 PM.