Photos of Johnny and I at Lion Brewery’s Oktoberfest in 2007 and 2008.
by Nikki M. MascaliStaff Writer
Fall has always been my favorite season. I love leaves crunching under my feet, I love the cool temperatures, and, for the past several years, what I’ve loved most was that fall meant Oktoberfest at the Lion Brewery in Wilkes-Barre.
Every year, toward the end of September, my friend Johnny and I would begin to salivate because we knew that in the first week of October we’d be celebrating our favorite beer: Stegmaier.
We’d be there when the gates opened Friday night with our commemorative mugs at the ready for the ceremonious Tapping of the First Keg. We’d make fun of how the wiener dogs ran during their races on Saturday afternoon, and we’d be there long into Saturday night raising our mugs to toast the magnificent fireworks display. We’d eat a bratwurst and sauerkraut sandwich or three. We’d don green alpine hats — you know, those green felt hats with vibrant yellow feathers? — and Johnny would wear his Stegmaier hooded sweatshirt while I’d be decked out in a Lionshead one.
When we heard Lion Brewery wouldn’t be holding a fifth annual Oktoberfest this year, Johnny and I were brokenhearted. We had many great times under the shadow of the red-bricked brewery. We weren’t sad just because we wouldn’t be among the thousands of partiers in attendance. We were sad because we’re proud of Wilkes-Barre’s rich brewing history. And we love sharing that pride with others.
Many people might drive by the brewery every day and not know it opened in 1905 as The Luzerne Brewing Company, before changing its name to Lion in 1912. They might not know it was a local brewery second only to Stegmaier, which was mere blocks away. They might not know Steg opened in 1857, and when it closed in 1974, the Lion kept brewing its beers and became the area’s only brewery.
Oktoberfest, which began in 2005, was a chance for people to celebrate — hopefully responsibly, like Johnny and I always did — something good about Wilkes-Barre. The city often — and many times rightly so — gets a bad rap. But heck, even the brewery isn’t without a mar on its history: The Times Leader reported in May that the state police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement cited the brewery with a special occasion permit violation from last year’s festival.
Whether that citation had any bearing on the cancellation of this year’s Oktoberfest is unknown. In July, the brewery announced on its Web site ( www.lionbrewery.com) that the event wouldn’t take place due to “ongoing renovation and expansion of the facility.” The notice said Oktoberfest would return in 2010.
The too-long-to-wait gap between now and then spurned Johnny and I into taking matters in our own hands: We’re holding our own Stegmaier Oktoberfest this weekend. We’ll be decked out in our Steg/Lionshead best and our alpine hats as we hoist those commemorative mugs proudly as we lie in wait to be first in line for next year’s event at Lion Brewery.
But until then, does anyone have a wiener dog they’d be willing to let us borrow? We’ll save a mug for you. …
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