October | Fun things to do in and around "America's happiest city"

Blog post highlights:

German beer
free car show
free live music and entertainment
children’s activities
drunks

The Oktoberfest in Baywood Park, Los Osos is an event that brings community members together from all walks of life. People get to show off their valuable old cars at a car show. Energetic people have the opportunity to run a four-mile race. Adults get to consume lots of German beer while socializing and listening to live music. Kids get to play on bounce houses and enjoy other fun activities in the play zone. There is a variety of vendors selling food, jewelry, arts, crafts and more. If you enjoy drinking German beer and want to meet Central Coast locals, then don’t miss the next Oktoberfest.

“I’ve been out here pretty much all day,” said Los Osos local Kendal Reinhart. “The best part about the Oktoberfest is it brings out everyone that lives here. My dad won best truck in the car show. He had the model A Ford. It’s custom and totally chromed out.”

The Los Osos Oktoberfest has been in existence for 33 years. It always happens during the last weekend of October. I’ve enjoyed attending the Los Osos event since I was a young child. In past years I enjoyed things like buying random stuff from vendors, eating delicious food, climbing the rock wall and playing in the bounce house. This year’s Oktoberfest was different for me because I am now 21. I was able to enjoy social drinking at the beer garden for the first time. It was a blast!

The weather was sunny and warm with clear skies when I arrived at the Oktoberfest last Sunday. All I could think about was how much I desired a cold German beer. I immediately set off toward the beer garden before paying attention to any of the other attractions. The dancing crowd was already happily intoxicated and I didn’t have a single drop of beer in my system. I sampled the hefeweisen, spaten, bitburger and pilsner before deciding to buy the bitburger. The bitburger was the darkest beer I’ve ever had. It was black and had a full flavor that appealed to my taste buds. The beer danced in my mouth while my feet danced to Zongo All-Stars upbeat dance music.

Everyone had a smile on their face in the beer garden. All ages of people were dancing and socializing together. It was a very friendly atmosphere near the live music. Young and old couples were dancing, an older women was flirting with a young guy and everyone was trying to have a good time. However, by the end of the day, when the music was done, one angry drunk couple made a scene that differed from the positive vibe of the festival. The man was falling over, cussing at the woman he was with. They were bickering back and forth, throwing things into their big white van. The man almost broke the back window of his van by attempting to throw heavy objects inside it and missing. He then hit his head on the back door of the van while trying to close it. While still screaming and cussing at the woman he was with, he proceeded to get into the driver’s seat. Concerned citizens approached him to try and take his keys. He said he would wait before driving off and the worried people stood in front of his van to make sure he wouldn’t leave. In all the years i’ve been to the Los Osos Oktoberfest, this was the worst thing I’ve seen yet.

Remember folks, public drunkenness at organized drinking events is fun as long as you don’t over indulge. When attending the Los Osos Oktoberfest, drink responsibly and enjoy the lively atmosphere. The event is located right next to the bay. There are two inns with scenic views of the bay that are located on the same street as the festival. Visit Los Osos and drink beer with me at the next Oktoberfest!

Word on the spot:

What do you like most about Los Osos Oktoberfest of 2011?