SOUTHWEST HARBOR, Maine — "You may not have seen someone all year long, but you can count on seeing them at Oktoberfest," Bass Harbor Native Jayson Clough said as he wandered around various brewery stands.
Mainers from across the state piled into Archie's Lobster in Bass Harbor to enjoy the fall season and try some of the state's most popular beers from 13 local breweries.
"There's a lot of pumpkin beers due to the time of year, lots of light beers, just lots of good tasting beers," Clough said.
Other attendees also took the event as a time to get festive.
"There's a great selection of beer and I don't get a lot of chances to wear this outfit," Ellsworth resident Susan Halverson said while dressed in a blue and white traditional Oktoberfest dress.
Event organizer and Treasurer for the Southwest Harbor and Tremont Chamber of Commerce Bobbie Lewis said the festival is the nonprofit's biggest fundraiser of the year that not only helps them provide resources to the community, but also gives local businesses and breweries a place to sell their products.
"A lot of people get introduced to some of these breweries that come here, and we have a whole host of them in Maine. It's a good way for them to really showcase what they brew," Lewis said.
Nick Gaulin with Orono Brewing Company said this is his first time representing the company at Acadia's Oktoberfest and loves the opportunity to connect with other Maine breweries.
"It's really cool to see that unique scope of things in the craft beer community and see how well other breweries are doing," and also talk with longtime fans of the brewery's beers. "Getting all that feedback that we enjoy, and we encourage from everyone it makes you feel really good," Gaulin said.
For attendees who aren't as into drinking, organizers said the keg toss is something everyone can have fun with. There's a variety of activities that Clough and other attendees said will keep them coming back.
"Everybody's friendly everybody's got great products, so you got no complaints here from me,"
The Southwest Harbor and Tremont Chamber of Commerce said they will also be hosting a marathon in Southwest Harbor on October 20.