Seven-month-old Gigi is dressed to match the lederhosen worn by one of her fathers, Charles Reichard, at Oktoberfest on Sunday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — On Sunday afternoon, Shepherdstown community members and visitors alike braved the unpredictable rainy weather to join in the celebration of German culture at the Bavarian Inn’s 46th Annual Oktoberfest.

The event, which was primarily located outdoors on the grounds of the Bavarian Inn, drew in about 1,500 attendees, due to the poor weather, according to Bavarian Inn Vice President and Sommelier David Asam. Typically, the event attracts upwards of 3,000 attendees.

“There was a lady named Frau Bertie who had the Bavarian Inn before my family — she was doing this since the early ’60s,” Asam said. “Our family then took the place over in ’77 and started holding Oktoberfest here in ’79. It’s always the third Sunday in September, which is the opening of the two-week-long festival of Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.”

Asam noted that Oktoberfest is always a very traditional event, both at the Bavarian Inn and in Germany. As in years past, Oktoberfest’s entertainment featured a dance group — Schuhplattler und Gebirgstrachten Verein Washingtonia — and The Edelweiss Band, both from Washington, D.C. Traditional German beers were on tap at the event, along with a Bavarian Brothers Brewing Company beer specially created for this year’s Oktoberfest. As a non-alcoholic drinking option, the Bavarian Inn created a second new drink for this year’s Oktoberfest — Rootles Root Beer, which was christened with his daughter Indy’s nickname. Like with everything else, the food was generally traditional Oktoberfest fair, including sauerkraut, potato salad, spaetzle, Bavarian pretzels, schnitzel, bratwursts, apple strudel and Black Forest Cherry Cake.

One major aspect that was not traditional to Oktoberfest, however, was the children’s play area. Monkey Mayhem, King of the Hill, ring toss, pingpong, a child-sized high striker game and a moon bounce were all available for children to play with at Oktoberfest, provided they had paid the area’s entrance fee to members of Jefferson High School’s (JHS) Interact Club. This was the second year-in-a-row the club had been asked to run the children’s play area, in return for being able to use all of the entrance fee funds to finance the club’s community service projects at JHS and in the surrounding community.

A couple from Schuhplattler und Gebirgstrachten Verein Washingtonia perform a dance together at Oktoberfest on Sunday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston

“Obviously, it’s been a huge help, to have this opportunity to fundraise,” said JHS Interact Club President Keira Kuehnel. “The funds from this will be used, this year, to pay for boxes that we need to run our Socktober community service project at school. We put boxes in front of every first-period classroom. Throughout the whole month, we have people bring in socks for donation to Jefferson County Community Ministries. That’s our first big project of the school year.”

According to Asam, it’s a win-win situation, since many families come to Oktoberfest every year.

“While this is a beer-drinking event, we want to have something that kids can do, too,” Asam said, noting the Bavarian Inn covers the $1,000 cost of the play area rentals. “Having a children’s play area ensures families feel comfortable at Oktoberfest, so it benefits the Bavarian Inn by attracting those customers, while helping out Interact, too! It’s a community minded event.”

Charles Town residents Rhonda Willingham, left, and Penny Shiley shop at one of the Oktoberfest booth at the Bavarian Inn on Sunday. Tabitha Johnston

The men in Schuhplattler und Gebirgstrachten Verein Washingtonia perform a dance together at Oktoberfest on Sunday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston

The Edelweiss Band performs for the Oktoberfest celebration at the Bavarian Inn on Sunday. Tabitha Johnston