Oktoberfest Provides a Boost to Downtown Businesses in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership said the event brought in 80,000 festival goers, with more than half coming from within 50 miles.
THE FERRIS WHEEL WAS A CENTERPIECE OF KARNEVAL ON THE ROBERTO CLEMENTE BRIDGE DURING THE RECENT OKTOBERFEST. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN
Pittsburgh’s recent 11-day Oktoberfest celebration offered traditional food, drink, games and live music, Ferris wheel rides and a boost to Downtown businesses by drawing 80,000 attendees to Market Square.
“The community’s enthusiastic turnout was a win for local businesses, and we look forward to building on this success next year,” said Jeremy Waldrup, in a statement. He’s president and CEO of the nonprofit Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, which hosted the event.
Oktoberfest, which ran from Oct. 3-13, featured a Ferris wheel on the Roberto Clemente Bridge as a centerpiece of an all-ages Karneval there. The Biergarten was in Market Square, where a beer tent similar to the famous Munich beer halls was erected and traditional live music was performed on stage. The partnership said that foot traffic increased in the area by 160%, compared to the same time last year.
TRADITIONAL GERMAN MUSIC WAS PERFORMED IN MARKET SQUARE DURING OKTOBERFEST. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN
Local businesses benefited from Oktoberfest with 64% of festival goers traveling from within 50 miles, according to the partnership. The Taste of Oktoberfest promotion gave 11 restaurants around Downtown an opportunity to “blend Bavarian tradition with the Steel City imprint.” Redbeard’s Bar and Grill on Sixth Street was one of the participating restaurants. General Manager Brent Kightlinger said in a statement, “Not only did it give me an excuse to wear Lederhosen, it also helped to create a corridor between Market Square and the Sixth Street Bridge. We saw an increase in foot traffic every day.”
The Ferris wheel attracted 15,000 riders. Daily crowds in Market Square averaged 7,000 people, and a high of 17,000 on the first Saturday, Oct. 5.
“The Ferris wheel activation on the Clemente Bridge was a powerful example of how we can transform Pittsburgh’s iconic spaces into extraordinary experiences,” said Matt Galluzzo, president and CEO of Riverlife, in a statement. The Ferris wheel on a truck was provided by Flyspace Productions, a Pittsburgh event planning and production company.
