Beers, brats reign at Oktoberfest

Sarah Gallardo had bought lederhosen for herself and her husband, Jose Martinez, to sport at the 35th annual Oktoberfest in Montrose on Saturday, but he couldn’t squeeze into the traditional German garb.

Instead, Gallardo, from Pasadena, got Martinez a green hat with a feather and a German-style dress for herself. Their two young daughters wore costumes, too, as they rode carnival rides on Honolulu Avenue near Ocean View Boulevard.

“He wanted us to go all decked out,” said Gallardo, one of tens of thousands expected at the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce event.

The chamber bought 1,750 pounds of sausage and 750 pounds of sauerkraut to sell at its biggest fundraiser of the year, said Executive Director Melinda Clarke. Last year, it sold $15,000 worth of beer with 35,000 attendees at the event traditionally honoring the drink.

In addition to carnival rides, the event included German music, dancing and costume contests for dogs and people.

By 3 p.m. Saturday, the crowds were larger than last year — a good sign, Clarke said.
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