It seems like Fall came in last week, heralded by tornado sirens and a trip to the basement. I’ve seen a few leaves on the ground, and yesterday I wore a scarf. All these signals lead my imagination to Oktoberfest.

Yes, I know: it’s only August, but it’s barely August, and Oktoberfest doesn’t wait for October, so it’s closer than it sounds. Every year the Delafield Brewhaus throws a huge party to celebrate gemutlichkeit and we welcome our guests for the ceremonial tapping of the keg, traditional German food and live polka music - with dancing - in the hop garden. It’s not unusual to see your neighbors in lederhosen and dirndls, toasting each other’s health and long life with exquisite beer in steins from exotic travels.

If you’ve been to our parties, you know it’s a very fine time. Here are a few things you might not know about Oktoberfest. Read on, and amaze your friends!

The first Oktoberfest was a marriage feast for a Bavarian king and his Saxonian bride, and more than 200 years later, the festival is still held in that very same meadow. Early attractions included horse racing and carnival rides. The original site has been updated, as modern threats warrant security upgrades. These upgrades, however, cannot protect revelers from themselves, and the locals have a name for over-indulgers: bierleichen (“little corpses”).

In 2006, Paris Hilton arrived in a dirndl to promote canned wine, and was promptly shut down and shut out. Locals would not stand for the idea of her profiting off of their cultural identity.

Two years later, a more suitable female was celebrated for breaking with world’s record for most steins successfully carried. Bavarian waitress Anita Schwartz, with five steins in each hand and nine more balanced atop them, delivered them about 120 feet and set them down -- all without spilling a single drop. To put this in perspective, her armload weighed about 90 pounds. Please do not ask your Delafield Brewhaus bar staff to recreate this challenge, or attempt it yourself.

Our Oktoberfest parties are famous in the neighborhood, and we encourage you to join us, up on the hill. Whether you are new to the festivity, or a seasoned veteran, we look forward to sharing this party with you. Ein Prosit!