Every year, during the second week of October in Fort Mason's Festival Pavilion, underneath bright florescent lights and German regional flags, thousands of people drink beer, eat bratwurst, and dance the chicken dance to a twenty-piece oompah band from Chico. That's right, it's time for the 8th annual Oktoberfest by the Bay!

Conceived by Tom Martin and Dan Mcphee during a conversation inside of San Francisco’s famous German restaurant Schroeder’s - shortly after returning from Munich, Germany’s Oktoberfest - the two decided they wanted to recreate the experience of Oktoberfest here in San Francisco. Now, in its 8th year and expecting 25,000 people over four days, Oktoberfest by the Bay, continues its celebration of German beer, food, clothing, music and dance from October 11th to 14th at Fort Mason.

Expect plenty of Spaten beer, trachten (traditional Bavarian clothing), strudel, bratwurst, and most of all dancing. With the twenty-piece Chico Bavarian Band on stage and a few beers in you, it is nearly impossible to not find yourself flapping your elbows when the band launches into "The Chicken Dance." Being the first American band to perform in the opening day parade of Munich’s Oktoberfest, the Chico Bavarian Band, so named because it was created in Chico, CA, adds to the sense of tradition (give or take a John Denver cover or two) which its cofounders work very hard to keep. Along the same lines, according to Martin, the food you’ll find at Oktoberfest by the Bay is, “extremely authentic to what they eat in Munich.” With so many people, and so much alcohol, the event has never had any problems with violence, and attracts families, young, and old, which Martin attributes to the "spirit" of Oktoberfest.

This year's opening night, which promoters are calling Gemutlichkeit Night (German for "good spirit" or "fun"), will be offering admission, Bratwurst, and a beer for $20. For groups of ten or more, a table may be reserved, which is not a bad idea since it is not uncommon for people to be turned away when the hall becomes packed. Be sure to go to their website where you can buy tickets online and find more deals including two for one tickets on Sunday when United German American Societies of San Francisco and Vicinity will be celebrating the 117th German Day in San Francisco.

Click here for more information about Oktoberfest by the Bay
See Oktoberfest videos on Youtube!