Oktoberfest at The Broadway Market

The Auslanders playing onstage while people from the community dance.

The smell of food cooking wafted through the doors as I made my way into The Broadway Market to experience 'Oktoberfest.' A delicious chocolatey aroma made me turn towards a homemade baked goods stall. Seeing gooey chocolate chip cookies sitting beside thick dark fudge made my stomach growl with hunger.

Venturing further into the market, the buttery scent of popcorn made me turn towards a stall that sold different flavored popcorn from pumpkin to cotton candy. The popcorn came in colors according to flavor. Pumpkin popcorn was a vibrant orange, but green apple popcorn was a vivid bright green color.

Walking around allowed me to see many of the people visiting the Broadway Market for Oktoberfest. Around the market stalls were families browsing as well as older people. While looking around, I heard a shout and turned to see a little boy flying past giggling while holding a cookie. Thundering footsteps and more laughter followed as his parents shouted at him to stop running away from them.

The Broadway Market’s ‘Oktoberfest’ had people from the Buffalo community and the surrounding counties came out to celebrate the day’s event.

For Oktoberfest, the market featured different vendors specializing in wine, beer, and small collectibles such as palm-sized figurines of german people and pint sized beer mugs. Other vendors who sell regularly also sold products such as homemade breads and fudge, fresh meat and seafood, and other items like embroidered napkins.

The market is set up in a big rectangle shape with vendors lining the walls as well as being scattered in the middle. Some vendors have elaborate setups with materials to cook with while others have tables to place their product on to showcase. Consumers can easily navigate the busy market.

“It seems to be a better turnout than most days,” said Carl Schmitter, a temporary wine vendor from Buffalo, NY. “There are more vendors for Oktoberfest so the market is a little bit more busy.”

Schmitter was selling wine to customers. In order to prepare for this event he bottled the wine and set up his booth the week prior to Oktoberfest.

Bob Ziehm is a vendor from the Winery of Chautauqua County. He sells wine every Saturday as well as during the week when there are holidays.

“The turnout for Oktoberfest has been better than regular weekend,” said Ziehm. “The event was advertised well and it’s that time of the year when the weather isn’t so good.”

Ziehm said since the weather changes daily the Broadway Market allows people to come inside and shop rather than have to deal with the open-air markets.

The Broadway Market gathered vendors from all around as well as volunteers. Francis Perez was a volunteer at Oktoberfest, helping to sell beers to visiting customers.

“The event had a successful turnout because it’s fun and everyone’s talking with each other,” said Perez.

Along with different vendors, German band The Auslanders was featured. As The Auslanders played onstage, people from the surrounding audience gathered around and started to dance along. The strumming of the guitar, banging of the drums, and smooth notes of the accordion added to the atmosphere.

The majority of the audience was made up of people around 40 years old or older. They gathered around in a half table near the band, or sat at tables conversing with one another.

The event was located inside the Broadway Market at 999 Broadway St., between Gibson and Lombard St. The Broadway Market is open regularly Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The market’s Oktoberfest event was held on Saturday, October 20^th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information about The Broadway Market, please click here.