Top brass provided the oompah, attendees in dirndls and lederhosen, the mayors were on the beers and even the holder of Germany’s highest diplomatic office in Aotearoa had a front row seat.
Oktoberfest’s first round, hosted by the Nelson Tasman German Club, was barrels of German culture at a packed Richmond Town Hall on Sunday evening.
While pint-sized compared with Munich's famous celebration, 200 litres of Sprig + Fern’s special release German-style beer, Rhine + Shine, kept the steins full.
Guests' stomachs were also full with pretzels, white sausages, apple strudel and other German favourites prepared by local chefs Volker Marecek and Michael Meissner.
A Masskrugstemmen competition (holding a full one-litre stein at arm’s length), and swaying side to side NBS Nelson City Brass Band’s oompah tunes, also symbolised the Bavarian bonhomie.
DJ Sarah Kerby carried on the entertainment later in the evening.
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith, Tasman Mayor Tim King and German Ambassador to New Zealand Her Excellency Kristina Jonek were there to prost, and Nelson Tasman German Club president Olivia Neubauer says 128 public poured in.
She hoped it was a catalyst for more and “maybe bigger and better” Oktoberfest’s to flow.
“We hoped there'd be good interest, and it seems to be playing out,” she enthuses.
“We hope to make this an annual event like the Italian festival.
“We've got a lot of Germans living here, but we've also got a lot of German heritage in the region so it would be great to be able to celebrate that.”
Olivia says the first event was also an opportunity to top up the Nelson Tasman German Club’s membership and strengthen connections among the local German community.
