Beers, Boots and Britney Spears Covers: Oktoberfest in SF
An exciting celebration of Bavarian culture was staged on Front Street on Sept. 18.
The sounds, colors and flavors of Munich arrived in downtown San Francisco on the evening of Friday, Sept. 18, with “Oktoberfest on Front.”
The space around Shroeder’s, a German bar on Front Street, was the epicenter where dozens of people gathered to celebrate the iconic Bavarian festival, whose origins date back to the early 19th century.
A stage welcomed the audience, with the all-female band Ladyhosen playing cover songs from Britney Spears, Madonna and ABBA in authentic Bavarian music style, while people danced and drank shining gold beer from boot-shaped glasses.
At Oktoberfest, beer was priced at $13 for a half liter and $31 for a liter, served in a souvenir boot-shaped cup. That was very popular, especially among men, who competed to drink it in seconds while some girls cheered them on. The scene resembled frat boy movies of the ‘80s. According to one of the bartenders, the most popular flavors were lager and kölsch. Kölsch is a hybrid of a lager and ale, originating from Cologne.
A friendly couple enjoyed the spirit of Oktoberfest in San Francisco. Andrew Chun was one of the guys wearing lederhosen, and Jan Wiginton wore a dirndl. “You have to get into the spirit. If you're gonna come to a party like this, you have to commit,” Wiginton said.
Chun said he loves San Francisco and Oktoberfest. “When you have this beautiful weather, there's no place you want to be other than drinking a beer on the street,” Chun said.
