Last year’s Cambria Oktoberfest was a great success, and the 2011 Oktoberfest will again feature a spectacular exhibit of fine vehicles. More than 35 Fiftieth Anniversary VW Type III as well as Mercedes Benz cars from all over California are expected to adorn the Veterans Memorial Hall parking lot on 1000 Main Street, Saturday, October 1. Prizes will be awarded in a variety of categories, and some magnificent vehicles will be on display. Prize winners will be announced at 3 p.m.

The doors will be open from 11:15 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. for this year’s event. Admission is $10.

The sixth annual celebration of German food, music and dancing is sponsored by American Legion Post 432, St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Santa Rosa Catholic Church and raises funds for local charities. After last year’s event $8,000 in proceeds were donated to worthy local causes such as the Friends of the Library and food distribution in our community and to provide services to the families of locals serving in the military.

Entertainment will bring back favorites from previous years, including The Mudskippers, the premier Oktoberfest band in the Central Coast; the Singing Hands children’s choir from Paso Robles; children from the New Dawn Montessori School in Morro Bay; the Motions Academy of Dance and Athletics from Cayucos and Atascadero; Ballet Folklorico Cachanilla, Mexican-American youth dancers from Paso Robles; and Benat Serat (Beautiful Ladies) Belly Dancers from Morro Bay. New to this year’s event will be Dr. Magic, who will also make balloon animals for the children.

Audience participation activities will include public dancing to the contagious waltz and polka music of The Mudskippers, Chicken Dance, Men’s Ugly Legs and Ladies’ Lovely Legs contests, group singing of the German nonsense ditty: “Ist das nicht eine Schnitzelbank?” and  -- new this year – a sauerkraut eating contest (using chopsticks).

Good food, good music, continuous entertainment, a car show, what the Germans call Gemütlichkeit (good fun, a good, good time) (a jolly good time, a great party): Oktoberfest in Cambria is wunderbar!