New to my site this year: I thought it might be fun to introduce my own little "barometer" to indicate how busy the motel across the street thinks the weekend might be. For reference, the normal during-the-week fare is $49.99. See to the right =>
Week 1 (14-15 Sep 2013) (As you can see, Motel 6 rates it a $69.99 weekend). As always, the opening weekend is celebrated as America's Heroes Weekend with free admission for past and present military, law enforcement & fire fighter personnel. The Express Band, Southern California's Premier German band, (click on the band name to visit their website) performed along with Big Bear's own Polka Tots. We were also pleased to welcome both Hans & Erika Bandows to the opening weekend this year. For those of you that might not know, they founded this event 43 (!) years ago. I've probably included more pictures than normal but it was the first weekend and I didn't feel like leaving out many of them. Enjoy!
Week 2 (21-22 Sep 2013) And here we go with week 2 (which you see is rated as a $79.99 kind of weekend). This weekend marks the first weekend of three with our band direct from Germany - Die NEW Mainflösser Band! As part of that, two of us drove down to LAX to meet them and help with bringing their luggage up to Big Bear. I've included a few pictures to show the fun (not!) they had upon their arrival. As another special bonus, Hans & Erika joined us again this weekend. The D'Oberlander Dancers were also in attendance to entertain.
Week 3 (28-29 Sep 2013) Now we've reached week 3 and you can see it's still a $79.99-type of weekend. I'm willing to bet it'll be more than that next weekend though. After all, it'll be October and people will finally wake up to time for Oktoberfest. It also marked the 2nd weekend (of three) for Die NEW Mainflösser Band direct from Germany and they were enthusiastically welcomed by our guests once again. Finally, under the principal of good enough isn't always good enough, I've also changed the way you'll view the pictures this week so pay attention to the directions and let me know if it's a positive change in your opinion.
Week 4 (4-6 Oct 2013) As expected. our "barometer" did rise - this time to $89.99. Expect another increase in the weeks to come. This was the final weekend for our band direct from Germany (Die NEW Mainflösser) and also showcased one of my favorite dance groups - The Cripple Creek Cloggers (try saying that real fast). They're based in Southern California and are always well received. Another treat for us personally was the visit from some family and friends and they're included in a few of my pictures and one movie. And, lastly, this weekend also included a Friday locals night that is always busy where entrance fees are reduced and they benefit several local charities. So, click on the link at the beginning of this paragraph and let's move on to some movies and the pictures.
Week 5 (11-13 Oct 2013) Interestingly, our barometer is stuck on $89.99 even though the lines seemed like the longest they've been yet this year. I'm still guessing next week will see it rise. This week also saw the very first edition of Oktoberfest Unplugged on Friday night. It is intended to create an environment that will immerse attendees in a German family gathering and showcase the history behind the 4+ decades of Big Bear Lake's Oktoberfest. Through videos and one-on-one discussions with those that created what is now one of the top rated Oktoberfests in the country, you'll find out what this family is all about. All that attended thoroughly enjoyed it and word of mouth should make it a success in very short order. The Express Band returned for Saturday and Sunday and will finish out this year's event. So, click on the link to the fifth week and we'll move on to the pictures.
Week 6 (18-20 Oct 2013) Surprisingly (at least to me), our barometer once again only rose to $89.99. Shows how much I know (and also why I never claimed to be a marketing guru). It was however packed inside the Convention Center. The new Oktoberfest Unplugged event was held again on Friday evening and again was very well received by those in attendance. Even Hans & Erika were there in person to speak with the guests. The band on the outdoor Spaten Stage Saturday was Crosswinds and The Express Band worked the main stage both Saturday & Sunday. We were also entertained by the well-received Danube-Swabian Dance Group who are all descendants of the Danube-Swabian area of Germany. So, click on the link to the sixth week and you'll see what I captured this week.
Week 7 (26 Oct 2013) Well, we finished our run with four straight weeks of $89.99 on our barometer. I could have sworn we've hit $99.99 before but I guess this was good for our guests. And, this being our last weekend (actually day) of this year's Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest, we finished it off with our traditional German Spooktacular where prizes were awarded to both children and adults whose costumes were voted the best. So, click on the link to the seventh week and enjoy the last photos before we come back next year!