Amid dreary weather, Berks Oktoberfest offers special kind of warmth

Oct. 1—Grey skies and the odd downpour did nothing to dampen the spirits of the many who came to the Reading Liederkranz Saturday afternoon as the club continued its five-day Oktoberfest celebration, which concludes Sunday.

Patrons poured in by the busload, packing the Liederkranz biergarten to dine on schnitzel, drink beer from impressively large mugs and enjoy Berks County's own slice of German culture.

"It's just good times with good friends," Melissa Adams of Muhlenberg Township said as she browsed a shelf full of imported beer steins.

Decked out in a full traditional outfit, Adams brought Bill Kubistal of Maryland to the fest for the first time, but likely not the last.

Kubistal was one of dozens donning traditional Bavarian garb; Alpine hats bobbed among the crowd as their wearers laughed between sips of beer.

On the dance floor, women with the GTV Edelweiss Schuhplatters — a local dance group — flared their dirndl dresses as they spun and clapped to cheery polka tunes with their partners.

Bringing the music to the masses was John Stevens, 27-year veteran accordion player and lead vocalist of the John Stevens Band.

"Polka is fun, it's energetic, and everyone always has a smile on their face when they hear it," Stevens said. "Polka music is happy music."

Stevens said a lifetime highlight for him was his first time playing at Oktoberfest.

"It was a Saturday night, this place was mobbed," Stevens said, "they kept yelling, 'One more song, one more song.' That was one of the most memorable nights."

Reading Liederkranz President Jon Linton had similarly fond memories of the dance floor when the bands start playing and the beer hasn't stopped flowing.

He said patrons danced so hard one year that the flowers placed near the stage fell off and appeared to "crowd surf' through a sea of dancers as they twirled and swayed.

Linton said this year's turnout has been similarly vibrant.

"We had a great night last night, it was more people than we anticipated," he said.

Under a large tent, Rosmarie Werber, owner of Little Germany gift shop in Leesport, manned a stand selling rows of Erzgebirge-style smoker figurines.

The smokers resemble nutcrackers but with wide eyes and O-shaped mouths that give them an expression of perpetual surprise.

"You put an incense cone inside the smoker, you light the cone, and the smoke comes out of their mouth," Werber said.

Werber, a German native, said this Oktoberfest matched its German inspiration in its partying spirit, if not its size.

"The tents they put up in Munich, they're actually buildings," Werber said, "They basically build a town every year and then break it down."

Food, too, was a major draw for many attending the fest, especially the schnitzel, according to Adams and Linton.

"But you've got to have it with red cabbage," Adams clarified.

Kim Paine said gluhwein, a hot, spiced wine, was selling like mad.

"On a cold day like this, it's very popular," Paine said of gluhwein, which translates to "glow wine."

Paine said she'd been coming to the event for 18 years but recently started volunteering at the drink stand.

She said one of her Oktoberfest highlights is the Bavarian whip cracking — a tradition in which a whip is cracked rhythmically to music — which originated in German villages when coachmen would announce their arrival with the snapping of a whip.

Sporting a large beer stein, Travis Palmer of Hamburg said he came for the atmosphere and the ample beer.

"The beer is where it's at," Palmer said, but he also appreciates the chance for people of all kinds, German or not, to get together and celebrate.

"Bringing in the fall, October is a time to celebrate," Palmer said. "Anytime you can bring the community together, it's a good day."

The festival concludes Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Liederkranz is located at 143 Spook Lane in Lower Alsace Township.