Outside the tent

Not all of the Oktoberfest action takes place at the fairgrounds tent.

"We're enormously busy," reported Patty Gorman of Dude's Steakhouse. "People meet here--they have for years."

Restaurants and bars in Sidney experience the annual festival as a series of ups and downs. People may grab a cup of coffee in Grandma Joe's or the Coffee Corner before and after the parade, for example.

Weather plays a factor, as well. When a snowstorm cancelled last year's parade, participants either remained at home or huddled out at the fairgrounds.

"We were slow on Saturday," said Rene Merryfield of Sam & Louie...