Page 8 - Cullman Oktoberfest 2021

It’s about getting out there in it. There was a time when we didn’t have that many festivals and large gatherings around here. Things changed, and I think for the better, when our Oktoberfest sort of came to life after we got alcohol. I always thought it kicked it up to another level, and I don’t think it ever lost any of its tradition. I served one of the first beers at the first ‘wet’ Cullman Oktoberfest, and it just felt like things had come full circle, you know? People see this fun event where they can come out, have a beer and a bratwurst, and just get together.
“To me, Oktoberfest is our perfest festival,” he concludes. “You don’t see other big cities, except maybe Germany, where Oktoberfest is played up as this big, community- wide event. Ours is different like that. It likes like there’s a lot more energy than at other festivals, and it just falls at a great time of year. And the weather - it’s usually fantastic.”
Homecoming
He’s right about that. Oktoberfest time typically comes just as the summer heat is losing its edge, the nights turn mild, and the newness of approaching fall swirls with tangible excitement in the air. Here’s a knock on cuckoo-clock wood that this year’s festival hold true to the well-established pattern, because Harbin is a big believer in that energy.
“It’s the fall celebration. That’s what I like the most about it - it’s the big fall celebration. There’s 2nd Fridays and Rock the South and other local festivals, but they’re at other times of year and the feeling isn’t quite the same,” he says.
“Sure, I do have that little bit of family history with Oktoberfest, which gives me an emotional tie, to a degree. But it’s not the reason I love it so much. Oktoberfest is just a great event.”
Maybe it’s the teacher in him, but he doesn’t leave that comment dangling without offering up a tidy slice of anecdotal proof. Oktoberfest does feel different here, doesn’t it? Well.. Harbin has a theory on at least one of the reasons why.
“Here’s something that seems to happen only at Oktoberfest,” he says. “You’re out there walking around, talking to everyone - and you just about always run into people who are coming back to visit Cullman. Former students, former classmates, and yeah, even people from out of town who’ve never been here before - they come back for the first time in a long time, or even actually for the first time - and they’re just blown away.”
Playing the Part
Okay, we’ve got an enthusiastic teacher-coach as Burgermeister, a festival that won’t give you an ‘F’ if you can’t recite local history, and - fingers crossed - perfect weather backdropped against Cullman’s beautiful downtown setting, anchored by the Festhalle and the entertainment district.
For the average Oktoberfest guest, that means a laid- back, headache-free week. But for the Burgermeister, it means actually having to do things. You know, important stuff like tapping the keg, emceeing events, giving presentations to students and other groups, and generally being up for any and every public appearance that comes your way - all, of course, while wearing lederhosen.
It all sounds like a lot of work, right? Nah - Harbin doesn’t see it that way.
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