
OCEAN BEACH — As summer becomes fall, Ocean Beach will once again put its own twist on a Bavarian tradition. OB Oktoberfest will be held along the Abbott Street corridor from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9. “It has drawn a consistent crowd that likes to come to it,” said Denny Knox, executive director of the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association. New to this year’s event is the OB Brew Cup, held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A special $15 ticket buys a taste of each of the six microbrews vying for the inaugural title. “You taste all the beers and then you vote on it,” Knox said. “They crown one of the beers at the end.” The fun gets started with sprinting sausages in the OB Brat Trot at 10 a.m. The 5-kilometer race features runners clad in sausage and lederhosen as they race across the sand. “Quite a few people come in costume,” Knox said. “We have a lot of people who show up in lederhosen.” Other fun Oktoberfest competitions include a sausage toss, stein-holding contest and bratwurst-eating contest. Competitors will look to avoid being the wurst in these fun, light competitions. “All of the stuff we do in the beer garden are pretty hilarious,” Knox said. “People really get into that stuff and they love that.” For the traditionalists, the Bavarian Beer Garden Band will be performing throughout the day at the Beer Garden and Seaside music stages. Other bands include The Devastators, The Concrete Project, Full Blown Stone, Mike Pinto Band, Vokab Company and Lobster Bob. Jose Sinatra will emcee the festivities. “When you start to hear that Oktoberfest music, people just want to dance,” Knox said. “It gets everybody moving and clapping and singing.” For those looking to avoid parking hassles, a free shuttle bus will pick up at 710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave. in Pacific Beach every 30 minutes from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.oboktoberfest.com.