Revelers cheered wildly and lifted their steins skyward as representatives of Firestone Walker Brewing Co. tapped the barrels of their special Oaktoberfest IV brew to kick off the Paso Robles event on Saturday.

Paso’s Oaktoberfest is modeled after the most famous Bavarian festival, Oktoberfest, which is held annually over the course of 16 days in Munich, Germany. Traditional Bavarian garb, hearty German food and, of course, free flowing beer are staples of the yearly celebration. The North County’s own Bavarian extravaganza, held at the Paso Robles Hot Springs & Spa, was no exception as lederhosen and dirndl adorned carousers chowed down on schnitzel and raised their frothy-topped steins in celebration. The more than 850 partygoers raised their glasses for a good cause on Saturday as proceeds from the Oaktoberfest event were earmarked to benefit Hospice of San Luis Obispo County.

“Events likes this make it possible that we can make every service that we provide free to the community,” said Katie Manley, Hospice event planner.

Hospice of SLO County provides a wide spectrum of non-medical respite and support programs, grief, loss and wellness counseling for those living with a life threatening or terminal illness, those grieving the loss of a loved one and community members wanting to explore end-of-life and quality of life issues, according to its Web site, www.hospiceslo.org.

“Without events like this, we would have to charge,” Manley said.

The event, presented by Firestone, Estrella Associates and the city of Paso Robles, got its start four years ago as a small celebration in the parking lot of Firestone Brewing Co. Less than five years later, the daylong event has evolved into a destination of choice for local beer enthusiasts who travel from as far south as Santa Maria and as far east as Shandon to attend.

“It was kind of a little dream that turned into a big event,” Manley said.

While Oktoberfest events are held in various other locations around the county, Manley said that the Paso Robles celebration was among the most unique. Saturday’s Oaktoberfest blended German tradition with the Central Coast’s welcoming spirit and originality. Firestone Walker Brewing Co. representatives kept busy throughout the day topping off steins with five different varieties of meticulously crafted Firestone brews. The most highly anticipated of these drafts was the special Oaktoberfest IV brew. The massive ceremonial barrels were carted into the Paso Robles Hot Springs grounds by a horse drawn carriage procession. The Oaktoberfest IV beer was brewed in August by the Firestone brew crew specifically for the event.

Paso Robles’ famous wine community also got into the Bavarian spirit of the event, doling out some of their German varietals for the hundreds of attendees. Nine area wineries — nearly double the wine garden turnout as last year — sampled their Rieslings, Gewurztraminers and Lemberger wines.

“Paso Robles wine country is about wine so we are incorporating the Germanic part of it,” said Katy Smith, Firestone Vineyards tasting room manager. “[These wines] are grown here in California, produced and bottled here in California, but we are mimicking the German style.”

Though less common on the Central Coast than the traditional cabernet and zinfandel fare, the Germanic varietals have gained popularity in recent years due to their “extremely food friendly” nature, Smith said.

In addition to the impressive collection of drafts and vintages, Oaktoberfest provided near constant entertainment to the attendees. The music of the polka sensation Trio Internationale provided a festive background to the event. The Pismo Beach-based polka band performed a hodgepodge of classic rock, reggae and country tunes translated into the polka tradition, often with hysterical results.

With its humorous, competitive fare of barrel rolling, stein racing and keg tossing, the annual Beer Olympics were also a hit amongst festival goers.

Saturday’s sweltering weather did nothing to deter hundreds of people from rolling up their lederhosen and participating in the fourth annual beer Olympiad with enthusiasm and gusto.

“The Beer Olympics, I think, is the star of the event,” Smith said.

Atascadero-natives Ashley Wright and Jaime Smith went head to head in the barrel racing competition. Jamie looked to be a shoe-in for the win before a race stumble caused her to roll over the barrel, dirndl and all.

Despite the topple, both of the women characterized the barrel racing event as “way too much fun.” Earlier in the day, the duo also tried their hands at keg tossing.

“It was a lot of fun, and really kind of nerve wracking, because it seems like more a male kind of thing, but it was very fun to do,” Wright said.

“It is a lot harder than it looks,” Jaime added.

While Wright was participating in the event for the first time, it was Jaime’s second time attending Oaktoberfest — and Beer Olympics is a part of what makes the event great, she said.

“It was so much fun last year,” she said. “I just love that they have all the activities and obviously, the beer is awesome. It is just an overall great time.”

The event closed out with an awards presentation and a performance by reggae band The Kicks. Sober rides were provided by the Wine Wrangler.

Last year, the Oaktoberfest event raised $20,000 for Hospice of SLO County and organizers hope that an even greater amount will come out of the 2008 celebration.





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