Even though it’s only 3 on a Saturday afternoon – a day that was earlier threatened by storm clouds and rain – thousands of people have crowded the streets of Cincinnati with beer in their mugs and food in their hands.

It’s Oktoberfest, after all.

The five blocks of Fifth Street that Oktoberfest encompasses welcomes people of all ages from all over the country.

These patrons are celebrating the history of Oktoberfest that is deeply rooted within the city limits of Cincinnati.

In 1976, the festival began as a block party near Fountain Square to bring in visitors from all around. Since then, the event has grown to showcase some of the finest aspects of the German heritage.

While half a million people celebrate the history of Oktoberfest, vendors from area German restaurants are available to cook up their finest foods.

In fact, food may be among the most celebrated items of the festival: Over 80,500 bratwurst, 64,000 sauerkraut balls and 24,640 potato pancakes are served in a weekend, among dozens of other food items.

Pat and Mick Noll, owners of Covington Haus, a German restaurant in Covington, Ky., scurry around their stand to serve the crowd of customers gathering nearby.

As the brats sizzle when they hit the grill, Pat asks one of her workers to hold up a mettwurst.

“That’s what they look like,” she says excitedly.

“We work long hours,” she adds. “We start at 3 a.m. and we usually don’t get out until 1 or 2 in the morning.”

Working hours like these can surely be a drag on the couple, but by the look on their faces, they don’t seem to care at all.

“I enjoy the great ambiance of it all,” Mick says, dressed in authentic German apparel. “It’s all about people just having a good time. You meet different people and consequently, you make the food and the beverages and everybody has a good time.”

Without hesitation, Pat adds, “We love seeing all the people, all the different nationalities and all the fun people have.”

The couple should know a thing or two about the history of Oktoberfest; they’ve been serving food at the festival since the day it opened 30 years ago.

One of the most commonly asked questions about Oktoberfest’s history is why the festival is celebrated in September.

Cincinnati’s Oktoberfest is modeled after the original Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. The holiday typically starts the third full weekend in September.

Lisa Mettman, a Bowling Green resident and native of Cincinnati, finds her own reasons to enjoy the atmosphere of the festival.

“With my family, [Oktoberfest] just gives us time to spend together in our busy lives,” she says. “To Cincinnati, it brings people into the city more and brings more of an attraction.”

Mettman says she has made her yearly trips to Oktoberfest somewhat of a tradition over the past few years.

“I’ve been going to Oktoberfest for the past five years or so,” she says. “It’s my own tradition; I’ve gone home every year to go, not necessarily with my family, but with someone.”

While tradition plays an important role in the festival, the city benefits in more ways than one when hosting Oktoberfest.

Cincinnati not only gets to show off the highlights of engaging in city life to its visitors, but rakes in an estimated $20.4 million as well.

While tourists give their money to the local beer and food stands scattered on the streets, two police officers stand by, keeping a close eye on activities.

With so many people visiting the city in just one weekend, it’s no wonder that security is so tight.

And while the officers stand and keep things under control, people all over revel in the spotlight of Oktoberfest.

Bidingen Blaskappelle, a German band from a village 75 miles west of Munich, stand close by, performing some of their best music.

As a crowd gathers in front of them, a band member yells out what seems to sum up perfectly the atmosphere on this Saturday afternoon.

“You are in the city of Cincinnati drinking a beer. You only get to do this once a year,” he says in a heavy accent. “You came here to have a party and enjoy yourselves.”

People cheer as one bystander asks, “Isn’t what this is all about?”

Check us out next month when we visit Mansfield State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio.

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