Almost a thousand happy guests poured into La Plaza Park last weekend to join in the festivities of the Cotati Oktoberfest 2018! As part of the costume contest, men, women and kids broke out their Lederhosen, customary fraulein costumes and Dirndl skirts and all were ready for the wunderbar German food, beer, wine, live music, and dancing! The German Club from Sonoma State University helped serve the food which included the time-honored brats, with homemade German potato salad, sauerkraut and green salad. All stars John & Lisa Moore and David Armstrong spent the day cooking brats for the crowd.

The band Alpiners USA entertained the crowd with traditional Oktoberfest music, including the polka! They even detoured slightly and play a few songs from more close to home by Lynyrd Skynyrd which brought dancers of all ages to the floor.

A highlight every year is the Wiener dog races. This year was no exception. Six feisty little racers lined up and sped to the finish line. The winner received a gift certificate courtesy of 49er Pet.

Another favorite, the stein-hold is a contest where groups of men and women (separately) are given fully-filled steins and are asked to hold them out in front of them for as long as possible. There was plenty of stern faces and shaky arms, but the winners held out almost 6 minutes. Quite a feat, earning them a gift certificate from Friar Tucks Pub. And not to be outdone, eight people took part in an impressive yodeling contest, the winner earning a gift certificate from Sally Tomatoes

While the Cotati Chamber of Commerce sponsored the event, many vendors and sponsors helped make it a success, along with the dozens of volunteers throughout the day. Thanks, in particular, to sponsors Armstrong Chiropractic, Exchange Bank, Lagunitas, Oliver’s Market, Recology, Sonoma Clean Power, Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, Spancky’s Bar, The Community Voice and The Rental Place.

Look forward to next year’s Cotati Oktoberfest on Oct. 12, 2019

Article written by Susan Kashack.