PHOTOS: 8,000 Show Up for Brauhaus Schmitz’s Oktoberfest

"I think we may have maximized what can be done on our block alone."

After almost 11 minutes a champion was crowned. Joe Heyob won himself a Year of Beer at Brauhaus Schmitz.

Photo courtesy of South Street Headhouse District

The 700 block of South Street could barely contain the crowd of revelers who packed in to celebrate Brauhaus Schmitz’s 7th annual Oktoberfest on Saturday. “This year’s Festival was certainly the largest we have had yet,” says owner Doug Hager. “All day long we had a constant stream of people coming and going. We estimate upwards of 8,000 people stopped by the festival during the course of the day.”

That’s great for business all up and down South Street, but maybe too much to handle on one block (plus a small “bonus area”) alone. Hager suggests they may have to make some changes in years to come to accommodate the crowd. “We would like to see it continue to grow … I think we may have maximized what can be done on our block alone. We will have to look at all options for ways to either expand the size of or limit attendance to this festival in the years to come.”

The celebration included 10 types of German beers, live music, face painting and other Oktoberfest shenanigans. South Street Headhouse District (SSHD) sent over photos from the day. Check them out below: