OB Oktoberfest

Ocean Beach has run its Oktoberfest for more than twenty years, staged right on the sand-facing edge of the neighbourhood with a beer garden looking out at the Pacific. It is a two-day, 21-and-over event built around a main music stage and a separate electronica stage rather than a polka tent. Friday is pitched at locals, with discounted beer and a stein-hold contest; Saturday adds a beach party and a run of novelty competitions. The association says the festival has returned more than $850,000 to local causes.