Page 7 - Cullman Oktoberfest 2021

Right from the start, let’s get one thing straight: Casey Harbin loves the lederhosen. Sure, he loves everything else about the uniquely Cullman-flavored version of Oktoberfest - and if you give him an opening, be ready for him to talk your ears off about all the perfectly good reasons why that is.
But right down to those harnessed suspenders and the plumage on that green Bavarian hat, getting into character comes second nature for your 2021 Cullman Oktoberfest Burgermeister.
“Oh man, I’m pumped up to wear it,” jokes Harbin, a Cullman native whose ties to the festival run deep. “Look, I have a policy: if I can be in costume, I’m gonna be in costume. Anything in life where there’s a costume to be worn - I wanna wear the costume!”
As any of the festival’s past Burgermeisters can tell you, being a good sport through the long Oktoberfest weekend is key. So think of Harbin as the ultimate team player - a fitting description for a guy whose day job is coaching boys’ soccer at Cullman High School.
“I’m a teacher who coaches,” he clarifies. “Be sure that really comes across. Our schools are one of the big things that make Cullman a special place, and we can’t have an article about me that doesn’t emphasize that in a big way! For me, the education part definitely comes first.”
There’s a lot to learn about Cullman’s rich (and plenty authentic) Oktoberfest history, so we’ll hit the books to school ourselves on what we’re celebrating before we head out and hit the crowds. But make no mistake - when you’re out at Depot Park and you spot Harbin sporting that official Oktoberfest attire, rest assured that he’s loving every second of it. “I mean, I actually want to wear it!” he says. “I’ve even looked into whether we’ve ever had a Burgermeister run in the Oktoberfest 5K... because when I run, I may just do it wearing lederhosen.”
Wait... what did he just say?
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Harbin grew up closer to Cullman’s Oktoberfest than most. His grandmother, retired Cullman County Museum director Elaine Fuller, went to work for three decades at a building styled to look like the home of Col. John G. Cullmann - the city’s German founder. In fact, she’s got a little bit of a head start on Harbin in the whole
“LOOK, I HAVE A POLICY: IF I CAN
BE IN COSTUME, I’M GONNA BE IN COSTUME. ANYTHING IN LIFE WHERE THERE’S A COSTUME TO BE WORN - I WANNA WEAR THE COSTUME!”
Burgermeister department. She was named honorary Burgermeister - for life - back in 2017.
But the great thing about Harbin’s Oktoberfest outlook isn’t his personal ties or even his connection to the festival’s larger history. It’s the opposite, in fact: Harbin views Oktoberfest as the area’s most accessible public event; one that rewards - but definitely doesn’t require - knowing all the ins and outs of Cullman’s German history in order to tap into all the fun.
In other words, as Harbin frames it, you don’t have to know anything about Cullman’s founding heritage to get out and have an Oktoberfest blast. Spend a few minutes talking about festivals past, and it’s clear that his best memories are all about the feeling of being in the midst of something special... and something unique to Cullman.
“My friends know how much I love Oktoberfest, and they’ve joked about me being the Burgermeister for years,” he says. “They know: I’m the guy who’ll stroll out there by myself at 2 o’clock on a Saturday, big smile on my face, just talking to people and walking around with a beer, as happy as can be.:
“That’s kind of what’s great about our Oktoberfest,” adds Harbin - who, by the way, hasn’t (yet) been to Germany himself.
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