Unless someone takes over the lederhosen suspenders, Denver will lose its annual oompah-pah. Oktoberfest, a 40-year tradition, will end its reign this year.
Larimer Associates, the event’s owner, sent out a notice Monday afternoon announcing that this year will mark the end of the beer bash. That is, unless some other outfit wants to raise the stein and pick up the event.
In the immortal words of Wayne Newton, Larimer Associates is saying, “Danke schön, a German thank-you to attendees, volunteers and sponsors over the last 40 years,” according to its announcement.
“It’s time to focus on our core business, which is the real-estate and restaurant side,” said Larimer Associates marketing maven Margaret Ebeling. “When we moved it a couple of years ago, it gained momentum and continues to be profitable. We feel it’s viable for someone to buy the event.”
In 2007, Oktoberfest moved off Larimer Square to the Ballpark Neighborhood between 20th and 22nd streets and Larimer. The move made sense, Ebeling said, because the new location had room to triple the size of the outdoor event, and to move people who wanted to drink beer and eat brats rather than spend money at Larimer Square tenants.
Some Larimer Square merchants were happy to see the rowdy crowd move up the street. A server in one of the fine-dining eateries once told me he was bracing for the Oktoberfest revelers who would walk into the restaurant asking for nachos and carrying open cups of beer — in clear violation of the restaurant’s liquor license.
Denver’s Oktoberfest — based on the original in Munich, Germany — was started by Larimer Square shop owners and German immigrants Fred and Herta Thomas to attract business to the redeveloped Larimer Square area.
That first year, cups of beer were sold in a stand set up where Capitol Grille now resides. The original organizers were not aware they had to apply for a liquor permit, so they ended up giving the beer away for free.
It has grown to the point where more than 75,000 cups of beer are sold annually, along with 7,500 bratwursts. This year’s Oktoberfest takes place over two weekends: Friday through Sunday and Sept. 25-27.
Mudflap flap. I always knew that Steve “Mudflap” McGrew, KYGO radio disc jockey and stand-up comedian, had a good sense of humor, but what happened to him last week wasn’t much to laugh about.
Country Music Gone Wild, a country-music website, reported that McGrew had died.
“It’s all over Twitter,” McGrew said. “I’m getting blasted by people asking if I’m dead.”
The website posted: “Mudflap went to the hospital for kidney stones. They gave him meds and sent him home where he passed away in his sleep.”
McGrew wrote CMGW that the rumors of his death were greatly exaggerated, and it responded: “Somebody who was your ‘wife’ called WQYK radio station here in Tampa, Fla., saying you were dead. I’m so glad you’re not though, man.”
Eavesdropping. A woman of German heritage when she found out Larimer Associates is ending Oktoberfest:
“What a bunch of käsekopfs (cheeseheads)!”
Penny Parker’s column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Listen to her on the Caplis and Silverman radio show between 4 and 5 p.m. Fridays on KHOW-630 AM. Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail pparker@denverpost.com.
