Oktoberfest change is inevitable, festival's president says

Looking back over the last 50 years, K-W Oktoberfest president Margo Jones says it's incredible to see how the annual Bavarian festival has evolved.

The popular community festival came out with a book for its 50th anniversary and Jones says people may not have noticed the evolution over time because it's been gradual.

"I look back at the pictures there and I go, 'Wow, things have changed,'" she said, adding she expects that change will continue.

"Nothing stays the same," she said. "I can't imagine the next 50 years are going to be the exact same as we've got today. They can't. We have to change with it."

More tech

This year, technology is being added to Oktoberfest purchases. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) wristbands will help festival-goers buy everything from beer to schnitzel.

When people enter Oktoberfest Haus at Lot 42, they will be given a wristband with a chip in it. They can buy credit and charge up the wristband, which they can then flash at vendors to pay for items inside the venue.

"In Kitchener-Waterloo — what, the technology hub of Canada? — why wouldn't we be doing this," Jones said.

Listen to the whole interview on The Morning Edition with Craig Norris:

Miss Oktoberfest still relevant

Another change this year was to rules surrounding the traditional ambassador, Miss Oktoberfest. While the festival still won't allow men in the role, Jones says they have opened it up so more women can take part.

The rules formerly stated women who were married or who had children could not run for the title of  Miss Oktoberfest. That's no longer the case. 

Jones defends the gender-based tradition, seen by some as being similar to a beauty pageant rather than an ambassador program.

She says she "absolutely" thinks Miss Oktoberfest is still relevant.

She says the volunteer experience helps each of the young women in their careers.

"They have just done so well and they got that confidence level being around the people during Oktoberfest," Jones said.

Not affiliated but also on  

Another event this weekend, which is not affiliated with K-W Oktoberfest, is Craftoberfest. It's run by the Kitchener brewery TWB Co-op and features craft brewers throughout Ontario — breweries often left out of the K-W Oktoberfest celebrations due to the festival's sponsorship deal with Molson Coors.

Kate Cox is helping organize Captain Craftoberfest, which she says is a "growing, fun-loving and diverse community."

"I wanted to take a well loved tradition and just update it a little bit and I knew that I wasn't alone in feeling like that," Cox said. The breakaway festival this year will launch its own mascot-ambassador, called the "captain."

Along with the title, "the captain also wins some amazing prizes from some of downtown's favourite hangouts and of course the captain wins the captain's crown, the captain's scepter and the captain's cape which all have been handmade by local artists and makers," Cox said.