Octobers are going to be a little less festive on Fort Bragg.

The Army post has decided to quit holding its annual Oktoberfest celebration each fall because of sharply declining attendance and revenues. The 11-day festival lost money last year, said Fort Bragg spokesman Tom McCollum.

"The more money we lose on this," McCollum said, "the less opportunity we have to provide other services" through the post's Morale, Welfare and Recreation office.

Oktoberfest featured carnival rides and a midway with food, games, live music and, of course, beer, and was open to military personnel and the public alike. Fort Bragg held its first Oktoberfest celebration in 1980. The one-day event was such a success it became an annual occasion, with even more activities and spread over nearly two weeks.

In the late 1990s, the event drew more than 40,000 people, according to news reports from that time.

A decade later, between 2005 and 2008, average attendance had dropped to 18,500. Revenues averaged $182,000 during that period, McCollum said.

In 2009, Oktoberfest netted $12,800, McCollum said. It lost money last year. The festival wasn't held in 2010 because of scheduling issues and missed communications with the company that provided its carnival rides.

In January of this year, the MWR office recommended canceling Oktoberfest, McCollum said. Col. Stephen J. Sicinski, then commander of the Fort Bragg garrison, agreed and that was it.

There are no plans to reconsider the festival at a later date.

The post will continue to hold the Fort Bragg Fair, its popular springtime carnival.

It also will continue to hold smaller events in the fall, including a German-themed Volksmarch and festival, set for Oct. 20 at Smith Lake. That event, in its fifth year, features a non-competitive 5k and 10k hikes along marked trails, family and children events, a dog costume contest, live entertainment, hay rides, German cuisine and, of course, beer.

Distributed by MCT Information Services

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