The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

August 4, 2012

‘It’s about time’ fest-goers agree

Welcome end to 20-year hiatus

By Tom Davidson Herald Staff Writer

SHARON — As Yogi Berra would say, Friday night was like “deja vu all over again.”

The second-place Pittsburgh Pirates were on TV, playing in a crucial series against the Cincinnati Reds, the first time they’ve been in serious contention since 1992, which happens to be the last time downtown Sharon was booming with the sights and sounds of the Bavarian Fun Fest.

It’s only a coincidence that the return of the fest coincided with the return of the Bucs’ fortunes, and Friday’s fest-goers were too busy toasting the sounds of polka to worry about the Pirates’ plight against the Reds.

“This is fantastic, I can’t understand why they ever quit it,” George Bisker of Niles, Ohio, said while listening to the Del Sinchek Band.

“I think it’s great; I used to bring the whole family,” Bisker said.

“It’s about time,” Sylvia Solarz of Cortland said of the return of the fest.

She likes the food and music, she said, and said the 21st Century edition of the fest was as good the one of the 1980s and 1990s when it was stretched over two weekends each summer and drew crowds of more than 100,000 revelers.

“It was cooler in Germany,” Cathy Poponak said.

She and her husband Chuck celebrated Oktoberfest in Munich a couple years ago and came to Sharon to re-live those times.

“We wanted to enjoy good German food,” she said.

“I had the schnitzel and he had Slovenian sausage,” she said.

They enjoyed the food, beer and music, they said.

“We drank more beer in Germany,” she said.



Fun Fest hours: Today, noon to 1 a.m.; Sunday, noon to midnight.

 

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