Keg bowling, wiener dog races: Oktoberfest brings Bavaria to Syracuse
Fritz Scherz and his polka band performed at the inaugural Wolff’s Biergarten Oktoberfest in Clinton Square. Along with the live music, guests also enjoyed soccer-themed games and beer-chugging competitions. Kai Pavlova | Contributing Photographer
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Performing at Wolff’s Biergarten’s inaugural Syracuse Oktoberfest wasn’t Fritz Scherz and his polka band’s first rodeo. Past performances like Woodstock 1999 and Musikfest may be different from Clinton Square, but each show marks a new chapter for the band. Every venue taught them something new, and their Oktoberfest set was no different.
“Whenever you start a new event, there’s growing pains,” Scherz said. “They’ve done the event in Albany for a few years, and now it’s great they’re trying to do it in Syracuse.”
Wolff’s Biergarten held its first Syracuse Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, aiming to bring the spirit of Bavaria to downtown Syracuse. Clinton Square was filled with live polka music, wiener dog races, stein chugging, games and, most importantly to the crowd, authentic German food and drinks.
Regional Manager for Wolff’s Derrick Heath said he wanted to bring something new and fun to the city with the festival. The event has been running for 16 years in Albany, but he saw an opportunity to expand.
“We want to ingratiate ourselves with the community, we want to foster that sort of feeling with people,” Heath said.
Dylan Volk, general manager of Wolff’s Biergarten in Syracuse, said this year’s event was the bar’s first real chance to connect with the community. Volk admitted he was initially worried about the Syracuse University football game limiting attendance, but was thrilled with the turnout. His role for the day was simple: “Serve beer, drink beer and make everybody happy.”
The festival featured games like soccer pong and darts. Heath said soccer plays a big role at the biergarten, which hosts daily match viewings for fans to gather and cheer on their teams. One vendor offered a soccer video game station where attendees could face off as their favorite clubs. Outside of soccer, guests tried their luck at beer keg bowling and Hammer-Schlagen, where contestants try to drive nails into a tree stump with a hammer.
The community spirit was clear to Michaela Daversa and her friends. The group helped sell branded clothing featuring Oktoberfest designs. One portrayed a filled stein, while another had a dachshund smiling on the back.
Syracuse University student Holly Anderson sells her brand Awkward Fish’s clothing at Oktoberfest. Other vendors sold clothing featuring Oktoberfest-related designs. Kai Pavlova | Contributing Photographer
“I would say everybody seems like they know each other just walking down the street, everybody’s saying hi and stopping,” Daversa said.
Next to the dachshund racecourse sat the main tent, where dozens of attendees enjoyed bratwurst and pilsner. At the front of the tent stood a stage — not for music, but for chugging.
Neil Cross, a volunteer running the beer chugging competition, said it was a fun representation of German culture. Rows of glass boots were filled with beer, with the only goal being to finish first.
While many attendees came dressed in lederhosen and dirndls, others stumbled upon the event by chance. Mark Bort was looking at clothes before choosing what pilsner to drink.
“We were out shopping, and we happened to see what’s going on, so we thought it’d be excellent to come over and have a date with my wife,” Bort said.
He said it was great to see the community come together and enjoy the festival with such enthusiasm.
Brian Waldman also found himself at Oktoberfest by accident after road closures changed his route home. Originally from Watertown, N.Y., Waldman had attended an Oktoberfest before in Germany and said it was an unmatched experience. Still, he said the Syracuse event captured the distinct spirit of the tradition.
Looking at the crowd, Scherz recalled a story about Stevie Ray Vaughan at the 1982 Montreux Jazz Festival. Despite playing his heart out, Vaughan was booed throughout his performance and left the stage defeated. He was unaware that Jackson Browne and David Bowie were in the crowd and were so impressed that they invited him to jam afterward — an encounter that helped launch his career.
Scherz said the story reminds him to always give his best performance, and he’s eager to continue to play in Syracuse.
“Don’t jip people out of a good performance,” Scherz said. “I want these people to go away today and say ‘You know what man, that was a good time,’” Scherz said.
