We're pat and out can about two different locations around southern California to share fun things coming up this spooky holiday season. For this one, grab your beer steins and your leader hosen. Wait, maybe this is the wrong music. Let's do this music instead. There we go. Let's say good morning to the director of Big Bear Lakes Octoberfest. It's Monica Marini. Good morning, Monica, good morning. So it's not so HALLOWEENI but it's a staple of fall in
the mountains of southern California. It's the Big Bear Octoberfest. And you're underway and finally all roads lead to Big Bear.
Right, Yes, we are full swing ahead.
So you've been extended or you've extended the run of Octoberfest because the fires kind of put a monkey wrench in things this year.
Yeah, we had a forgo a weekend early in our event because we run we start in September and run through early November. But this year we'll be adding November ninth on kind of as it do over weekend to make up for the weekend we lost.
Okay, and as I mentioned, some of the roads had been closed. But now everything's open and you have full access to Big Bear the evacuation orders are down, the fires about out and all that that stuff, so it's sort of smooth sailing to get up there now.
It is it is Highway thirty eight opened two days ago, and then you can still come up over Highway eighteen through Lucern and Highway eighteen through San Bordino. So getting up here is just as easy as it's ever been. And it's beautiful fall in the mountains, and we thank our firefighters for doing such a great job keeping fire out of Big Bear Valley.
Absolutely So tell us Monica, what are people going to see and taste and do when they come out to the Big Bear October Fest.
Well, they'll be doing some chicken dancing as you played our theme song, and then they'll be the'll have all the authentic German foods that brought the sauerkraut, the apple strudel. We also have three bands from Germany this year, direct from Germany. We're one of the few octoberfests that still brings bands over from Germany. But it lends a lot of authenticity to the event and there's nothing like hearing
the brass section of the German band. We also have our contest log sign, steineholding, it's a lot of fun, good time.
What's the log stein? What's that?
So there's log sawn, which is a two person log sewing events, and then we have sawing sorry, and then we have steinholding, where folks can try to hold up the one leader sign as long as they can.
Is it filled with beer?
Unfortunately for the contest to know, because we get a lot of spillage. We don't like to waste good beer exactly.
So you mentioned a bunch of food. What's your favorite food at the Octoberfest.
I have to say the broad List. I love Broadways.
Yeah, and it's authentic German broadwerst it.
Is it is. We use a German butcher out of Glendale, so our brots are as authentic as they can get. A matter of fact, it's funny our German bands come over and they eat our food them. I was like, oh no, I hope it's good.
They love it.
Absolutely.
I love it. And this isn't only an adult's only event. I mean, you know that at Octoberfest there's a lot of beer drinking, but there is some stuff for the kids too.
There is we have a whole Munich midway section which has bounce houses and kids games, and on Sundays where Family Day and so on Sundays we do kids contests as well, a little kids steinholding, kind of mock steinholding, fretful toss.
So yeah, okay. And for those who just can't tear themselves away from football on Sunday, a bear like Octoberfest is still the place to be, right.
That's right. We've got two big eighty five inch screen TVs showing all the games.
Love that, okay, So, Monica, are there places a lot of places to stay up there? Or can we do it? It's a day trip. Do you need to make a whole weekend out of it?
You could do it either way. You can drive up for the day. You know, it's the beauty of southern California. You can go to the beach in the mountains all on one day. You can go to october Fest in the beach in one day, or you know, enjoy beautiful fall weekend and big Bear, it's gorgeous up here right now. The nights are nice and Chris, the daytime is you know, in the mid sixties, and so it's just it's a great chance to get away for a couple of days.
All the lodging properties are open. There's plenty of places to stay. Just a it's a fun getaway.
I love that. And do you need to buy tickets in advance? You can you get them when you get there.
We do recommend folks pre purchase their tickets and they can do that at bigber Events dot Com. But we do recommend that, but we do always have tickets available at the gate.
As well, okay, and then at Big Beer Events dot Com. You can also find out where lodge is and that kind of stuff.
Yep, you can get hold of our lodging partners. You can find out all the times, what's going on, which bands are playing. We have on our outside stage. We have classic rock and country bands at play, so if you're a little tired of listening to German music, you can pop outside and listen to something a little bit more American.
Okay, and Monica. If someone's thinking about coming up but it's kind of on the fence about it, what can you say that might get them over the hump and get them up to Big bear Lake, just.
Get away from it, get away from the city, come on up, enjoy it with beautiful fall weather and fire is over. And gone. Well it's not over, but it's no longer a thread at all. To Big Bear. We have had no smoke for probably two or three weeks now, so it's perfect time to get away, okay.
And it's is it Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
We are in October, we're Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and then when we go into November, we're just Saturdays.
Okay. And again the place to go get all the information and get your tickets and all of that is.
Big Bear Events dot Com.
All right, we wish you much success, and I hope that the fires don't dampen the spirits because like you said, they're gone now, and so it's it's clear and let's get up there and support Big Bear.
Like absolutely absolutely.
Thank you so much, Monica Marine, appreciate your time this morning.
Thanks for having us.
You got it