As I See It
Another Oktoberfest is in the books
And, that’s a wrap. Another Oktoberfest is in the books. The 62nd annual celebration featured great weather, good friends, and lots and lots of beer. It started with the WIZM Senior’s Breakfast, and continued with the Tapping of the Golden Can, the slicing of the Golden Brat, a couple of parades and lots of beer. Did I mention that already? For those of us in the central part of the city, we witnessed the height of drunken debauchery, including all the house parties that made it hard to tell where one ended and another began. It appears there were no serious problems. Thankfully the guy in my neighborhood who climbed up on a roof kept his balance and got down safely. The partying began early and ended late. Left behind were the cars littering the streets and the piles of empty beer cans in so many yards. But many of the rowdy revelers, many from out of town, never even stepped foot on the Oktoberfest grounds. They came for the house parties and the downtown bars and the good times. The Fest does seem to have settled on a three-day celebration, and that seems about enough. We survived another Oktoberfest, and while we had a good time, many are glad it will be another year before we do it all again.
Hank Kasson
October 2, 2023 at 1:46 pm
Yes, another Oktoberfest has come and gone.
Lots of trash still all around town.
Have you seen West Avenue St around the Campus area?
I’m sure it will be a few days before some kind hearted community neighbors clean it up.
UWL students should be held accountable for cleaning up after themselves. It’s the same every year. UWL Chancellor , Gow should be ashamed!
CK
October 2, 2023 at 8:34 pm
I bite my lip and take my elderly friend to the parade each year. Apparently, you can rent a Porto potty, and get a permit from the city, put it any where you want and charge people to use it. People carefully plot out places to see the parade, then stand in mobs drinking and talking and don’t even watch the parade. So, we had drinkers and a Porto potty line blocking our view. Lastly, the city put signs up not to obstruct things. Handicap ramps and fire hydrants were still blocked.
Bob N
October 4, 2023 at 3:20 pm
With student enrollment in the 5 figures in La Crosse, many traveling from all over the country, plus thousands of thrill-seekers invading for the Octoberfest, it would be wise to order your free Covid tests. Flu season is here, too. Avoid close contact with strangers. Maybe I should have posted this 2 weeks ago.