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Mountain View Oktoberfest will expand its downtown footprint this fall, with organizers shifting food trucks and vendor booths to improve crowd flow and make room for more attendees.
The City Council unanimously approved the special event permit, sound amplification permit and street closures for the 11th annual Oktoberfest at its June 23 meeting. The event is scheduled for Oct. 10 and 11.
This year’s event will include Castro Street between Mercy Street and Yosemite Avenue, as well as Church Street from 40 yards before Franklin Street to 20 yards before Hope Street, according to a city staff report. The Mountain View Chamber of Commerce also requested use of portions of Pioneer Memorial Park.
Peter Katz, president and CEO of the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, said in an email that the event’s footprint is being altered to “welcome more patrons” and “provide better flow between attractions and (food and beverage) options.”
The upper portion of the 500 block of Castro Street, up to Yosemite Avenue, will now be closed along with the lower portion toward Mercy Street, Katz said. Food trucks will be placed at the intersection of Church and Castro streets, rather than in the parking lot, which Katz said should help with access.
Vendor booths will move to the upper portion of Castro Street, rather than the lower section where they were located last year. Katz said the change should give vendors better access and visibility while connecting them more closely to the event’s other activities.
The beer booths, ticket booths and kid zone will remain in the parking lot area, Katz said. The large tent and stage will stay on Castro Street, where they were located last year.
The council report says Oktoberfest was first approved in Mountain View in 2013, when the Chamber partnered with Steins Beer Garden to hold the event in Parking Lot No. 2. In 2016, the event expanded to include Bryant Street between Villa and Dana streets, as well as Dana Street between Wild Cherry Lane and Bryant Street. The event was paused in 2020, 2021 and 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, the Chamber submitted an application for a new footprint on the 500 block of Castro Street, which required City Council approval. This year’s changes in location and street closures also required council approval, according to the staff report.
Under the city’s special event policy, future Oktoberfest events with the same street closures and a similar size and scope could be reviewed administratively by the Community Services Department rather than returning to the City Council, according to the staff report.
The city estimates that support for the event from police, fire, streets, and community services departments will cost $35,700, which will be fully reimbursed by the Chamber.
Katz said the program will remain largely the same as last year, though organizers are working to add more German-themed offerings for vendor booths. The Chamber expects about 15,000 people to attend over the weekend.
