According to the Cincinnati Regional Chamber's website Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, which officially began in 1976 routinely attracts over half a million people downtown each year. The official Oktoberfest site posted these interesting stats on what people eat at the Fest:
- 87,542 metts
- 80,500 bratwurst
- 64,000 sauerkraut balls
- 56,250 sausages
- 24,640 potato pancakes
- 23,004 soft pretzels
- 20,000 cream puffs
- 16,002 strudel
- 6,000 jumbo pickles
- 3,600 lbs. sauerkraut
- 1,875 lbs. German potato salad
- 702 lbs. Limburger cheese
- 700 pigtails
- 400 pickled pigs feet
Oktoberfest is more than food and drink. This year HYPE threw a YP party called HYPE Haus which from what I hear, was a great time. There were numerous Fest tents with German bands playing polka favorites and German drinking songs. The 2008 souvenier cup was a green plastic beer stein which pratically everyone had, and even though I saw tons of friends there, I'm sure I "Prosted" with at least a dozen perfect strangers. FYI -- Prost is cheers in German.
Fountain Square was front and center this year, with the P&G music stage, the John Morrell weiner mobile, Q102 and various souvenier booths. Aaron bought these green light-up glasses, which were a big hit with the ladies. Graeter's was doing a brisk business, as were the two Fifth Third ATMs on the square.
Finally, the best part of Oktoberfest...the chicken hat. True, I do not own one of these fashionable head toppers, but one day I will. I'm in awe of the sheer variety of hats - Bengals, Reds, green, blue, purple...anything you can imagine. The best part is seeing the chicken hatters doing the chicken dance. Only in Cincinnati.
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