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Oktoberfest Delights Square Visitors

Harvard Square's Oktoberfest yesterday wasn't exactly Munich, but still served up music, food and street performers for the 50,000 revelers.

Even Mother Nature helped with Cambridge's 22nd annual version of the traditionally beer and sausage laden German festival.

"We've been blessed with the most unbelievable weather known to New England," said event organizer Robin Lapidus, the executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association. "This makes up for the rain delay we had to call for last year's Oktoberfest."

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One thing the Square's Oktoberfest is not is authentic or traditional, unless Peruvian music and Tibetan food qualify as German customs.

"We should call it Internationalfest, not Oktoberfest," quipped Raymond Ost, owner of Sandrine's Bistro.

This multi-cultural feel, however, was anything but inadvertent.

"Oktoberfest reflects Cambridge's diverse population through its choice of programs, vendors, and music...to be a purely German event would not be as enticing to the community," said Vanessa Trien, events and exhibitions coordinator for Harvard's Holyoke Center.

But there was no lack of Oktoberfest mainstays.

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