Marissa McCreary, of Weatherford, hoists steins over to waiting customers.
Dirndls, drinks, and dachshunds abounded at the seventh annual Oktoberfest Fort Worth. The festival at Panther Island Pavilion began Thursday and ran until last night.
Yesterday afternoon, the dachshund parade and following race drew hundreds of spectators. This adorable event involved dachshund owners dressing up their pooches and parading them around. And racing them.
Winnifed, of Fort Worth, garnered the most applause and won the parade. Owner Emily Young had dressed Winni in an eye-catching mermaid costume.
“I’m obsessed with dachshunds,” Young said, beaming.
Many attendants of Oktoberfest dressed in traditional German garb or Halloween versions.
Cullen Ricks, of Houston, sported genuine German lederhosen. His wife Vanessa Ricks is German. The pair said they travel the state attending different Oktoberfest celebrations.
Elsewhere on the grounds, folks enjoyed fair rides, accordion-filled music, and hearty German fare like pretzels and bratwurst.
And, of course, German beers from several different stations were available.
“I like drinking in the day!” said Fort Worth’s Milo Deleon.
He and pal Jonathan Beltran, of Crowley, wore matching lederhosen they bought on Amazon.
“Plus, if ever there’s a time to dress up, this is it,” Beltran added.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD). Funds specifically support yearlong recreation at Trinity River and programming at Panther Island Pavilion. Shanna Cate, director of programming at TRWD, did not have the numbers yet but called attendance this year “record-breaking.”
Shanna Cate, director of programming at Tarrant Regional Water District, did not have the numbers yet but called attendance this year “record-breaking.”
Bratwurst and pretzels were on the menu at Oktoberfest, in addition to more American-fair foods like turkey legs and fried Oreos.
Ilya Moffeit, of Fort Worth, declared the Fort Worth event the best Oktoberfest he had ever visited.
Austin Chapman hails from Abilene but came to Fort Worth to see his family and enjoy Oktoberfest at Panther Island Pavilion.
Jonathan Beltran, of Crowley, drinks a beer. He was one of many revelers at Oktoberfest Fort Worth this weekend.
(From left to right) Milo Deleon, Jordan Perez, and Jonathan Beltran chat over brews at Panther Island Pavilion, which was turned into a beerhall for the weekend.
Marissa McCreary, of Weatherford, hoists steins over to waiting customers.
Dogs run to their owners at the dachshund dash.
Michelle McCreary, of Rockwall, tries to coax pooch Reese into running in the dachshund race. He refused.
Taylor Dunn, of Fort Worth, sends off Marley to run in the dachshund dash at Oktoberfest. Marley instead ran back to her.
Vendors such as this purveyor of steins peddled authentic German wares during this weekend’s Oktoberfest.
Randy Adams, of Auf Geht’s Musik, plays a waltz for the crowd assembled at Oktoberfest. Auf Geht’s Musik was one of many bands that took the stage this weekend to play German music. Adams has played in his group for 35 years.
Kathleen Hawkins, of Burleson, models a dirndl she bought on Thursday from the market at Oktoberfest. Hawkins said her husband has German heritage and they share a love of the culture.
Spaten was one of several German beers on tap at Oktoberfest.
Vanessa Ricks, of Houston, models her Oktoberfest hat. The Munich native collects bottle caps and buttons from Oktoberfests across the state to add to the garment. She and husband Cullen have visited these festivals together for five years.
Steven Salcedo, of Fort Worth, holds pooch Pacha aloft. Pacha made it to the semifinals of the dachshund parade.
Emily Young, of Fort Worth, holds Winnifred, her beloved dachshund. Winnifred’s long soft fur and mermaid-outfit earned her first place in the competition.
A horde of dachshund owners and enthusiasts gathered to watch the dachshund parade at Oktoberfest at Panther Island Pavilion.
(From left to right) Peter, Adam, and Rich Gray convene after finishing that morning’s Run and Ride. The three came out to Panther Island Pavilion for Oktoberfest Fort Worth at 7:30 a.m. to bike the course along the Trinity Trails.
