By Ted Bordelon
Wire Managing Editor
Grab a stein and prepare for a “guten tag.”
Ambler may be thousands of miles from Germany, but this Saturday, it will bring the German tradition of Oktoberfest to its main street, Butler Avenue.
While there probably won’t be many festival-goers donning lederhosen, there will be myriad activities, vendors and local food options that will provide fun for the whole family.
“This will be the best Oktoberfest yet with great weather, the return of the beer garden, awesome people and loads of activities to participate in,” events coordinator Liz Kunzier said of Ambler’s 22nd Oktoberfest. She noted that the festival will feature local businesses and 65 other vendors, including artists, jewelry designers, home decor specialists and more.
“You name it, we’ve got it,” Kunzier said.
Ambler Main Street, a non-profit organization comprised of volunteers that is dedicated to creating a more vibrant downtown Ambler, is coordinating the event. According to Kunzier, Ambler Main Street expects 5,000 visitors to this year’s Oktoberfest.
While the festival has seemingly very little to do with German culture beyond its name, this year’s Oktoberfest will again feature a beer garden at the intersection of Butler Avenue and York Street.
As Kunzier put it, that’s probably the “most German-inspired element.”
The beer garden will feature a varied selection, including Beck’s Oktoberfest, a pumpkin ale and a hard cider.
Local restaurants will also tweak their menus to include German favorites such as bratwurst.
A variety of non-profit charities will have stands at the festival, including Upper Dublin Lutheran Church, Wissahickon Valley Public Library, First Presbyterian Church Ambler and Plant Ambler.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be Oktoberfest without live music. A group of Wissahickon High School students will showcase their senior music project, which aims to help Alzheimer’s patients through music therapy. They will also be selling CDs to benefit Alzheimer’s research.
Ambler Main Street president Allison Wolfe didn’t take as big of a role as she usually does in organizing this year’s festival, but she said the event is one of Ambler’s biggest draws.
“Oktoberfest is probably one of our most anticipated events,” Wolfe said. “People really look forward to bringing their families out and enjoying the day.”
She said this year’s festival will likely be the biggest yet, and that she hoped people from all over Montgomery and Bucks counties would be in attendance.
“This is such a big event for people in Ambler who can just walk down and enjoy the festival,” Wolfe said. “But, in past years, we’ve had people from places like Doylestown take SEPTA or park in the SEPTA lot, which is actually free on Saturdays.”
The 22nd annual Oktoberfest in Ambler will take place on Oct.5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information, visit amblermainstreet.org or call 215–646–1000.
