Servers in lederhosen and dirndls bustled back and forth with trays of traditional German food and mugs full of Oktoberfest lager as they rushed to serve their patrons.
Outside, the scene varied only slightly with cool breezes cutting through the IU gear people still wore, celebrating a victory on the football field.
People stood in clusters around tall tables, drinking and enjoying a guitarist’s performance.
This is Oktoberfest.
At the annual Oktoberfest, people gathered together to celebrate the seasons, friendships and beers that make life special.
Keenan Hartman, a Bloomington local, and IU graduate student Chris Stewart sat across from each other outside, playing cards and drinking from their mugs.
Both men came dressed for the occasion, with Stewart sporting an Oktoberfest hat and German soccer jersey and Hartman wearing red lederhosen, an outfit of which he said he only borrowed suspenders. Everything else was his.
Stewart said they often come to Upland, but they had never been to ?Oktoberfest.
“I’m very proud of my German heritage,” Stewart said.
Hartman went on to explain Oktoberfest originated around a specific beer that took almost a year to prepare.
The brewing process began in the spring, and the beer fermented all summer, only becoming ready to drink in the late fall. This lead to the celebration of a good product.
He said the whole event started in Munich, but America has since had several of its own Oktoberfest adaptations, including the one at the Upland Brewery.
“The fall harvest is definitely a celebration we’re familiar with,” Stewart said.
He described the atmosphere as jovial and casual, one where people ate and talked together amid the sounds of silverware clinking against plates and conversation from surrounding tables.
“It’s about celebrating coming out for the same experience,” Hartman said.
The men tapped their glasses together, saying “prost,” a German word used for cheers.
Inside, IU alumna Emily Gentry rushed to serve her tables. Dressed in a dirndl, she said this was her fourth Oktoberfest at Upland.
She said Oktoberfest is different from an ordinary day at Upland for a variety of reasons, including an all-German menu, having Oktoberfest beer, one of Upland’s best selling beers, on tap, live music and dressing up for the occasion.
“We get to have fun,” she said.
Gentry said the food moves faster on the all-German menu, allowing more customers to be served in a shorter period of time.
Most festivals at Upland take place in the parking lot, but Oktoberfest takes place both inside and outside, she said. This year is the first time Oktoberfest was hosted in the newly renovated section of Upland.
“It’s a different experience you can have here at Upland,” she said.
Gentry said the staff at Upland is like a giant family. Everybody pitches in to take care of the first priority: the customers.
“It’s one of our busiest days of the year,” she said.
