Concordia Club full of revellers on their first night of Oktoberfest

The first night of Oktoberfest at the Concordia Club in Kitchener kicked off on Friday and CTV's Colton Wiens joined in on the fun.

The first night of Oktoberfest at the Concordia Club in Kitchener kicked off on Friday, with the tent hall and the club itself full of partygoers.

“The best thing about this is that every year Kitchener comes out and we show our pride for our German heritage and this is where we should be,” one person told CTV News.

Inside the tent, polka music was playing loud for the dancing crowd, along with games for revellers to play and of course, the German food and beer was flowing.

“Good food lots of people, our friends are here,” one attendee said.

“You know what? It’s really busy this year, which is great. It started off a little dead earlier but now it’s incredible,” another person said.

For some it’s the first time experiencing the Bavarian festival in Kitchener-Waterloo. While others, like Stephen Webster from Center Line, Michigan, it’s a yearly tradition to visit.

“Made a lot of friends over the years and [I] just [keep] coming back here and having fun with the family,” Stephen Webster said.

Webster has been coming for 33 years to Oktoberfest. This time, bringing some friends and his two sons with him. He said it’s not the same as years ago but the energy seems to be coming back.

“There was a lot more people pre-covid than there are now but it seems to be picking up the last couple of years,” Webster said.

“We’ve been here [since] before COVID and the years after that it was a little quieter but since then, Kitchener’s come back and we’re showing that we’re here and ready to party,” another reveller said.

Wilkommen Platz at Kitchener City Hall was also bustling on Friday night, with partygoers rocking to the sounds of Steven Page. Despite a little rain, the spirits remained high under the tents.

“It’s just a good vibe, honestly, it’s just kind of fun to see everyone out,” Emily Switzer said. “Every year they tweak little things and it feels like it gets better every time... There’s more seating this year than last year, which is kind of neat, so it’s like those little things.”

“The energy is amazing, we’ve made a lot of new friends,” Shannon Christian said.

“Lovely. Lovely. I’ve been to Munich before, and it’s similar but different,” Conner Hart said.