Crowds of locals and students descended on Harvard Square yesterday for Cambridge’s annual take on the Old World tradition of Oktoberfest—though sauerkraut, Wiener schnitzel and lederhosen were in short supply.

“This is definitely a less traditional Oktoberfest,” said Robin A. Lapidus, executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, which coordinates the annual event. “This is Cambridge. It’s far more an international event for all ages, as opposed to a beer fest....we have Buddhist food, Tibetan food.”

From noon until 6 p.m., about 300 vendors set up shop on Mass. Ave. and JFK, Brattle and Church Streets, according to Lapidus.

Traffic was rerouted as pedestrians took over the streets.

Lapidus anticipated a turnout of 100,000 visitors—similar to last year’s figures. Clear skies and a cool breeze blessed the event.

This year, organizers set up a new children’s area on Church Street.

“We wanted it to feel a little safer, separate from the mayhem,” Lapidus said, noting that the Harvard Square Oktoberfest draws many families with young children.

A 10-car mini-train on Church Street took kids and their parents on a zigzag ride through the streets. For three dollars, Cambridge resident Tim Fitzgerald and his 18-month son Ronan rode the R&D Express, while wife Djamila looked on from the safety of the sidewalk.

“He seemed to like it, eventually,” Fitzgerald said of his son, who looked slightly bemused after a ride on the “choo-choo.”

Kevin B. Rogus ’05 and Graham L. Beatty ’05 stopped to check out the ride as well.

“We were mesmerized by the little train,” said Beatty, who was turned away from a ride on the tyke-sized locomotive.

“Unfortunately, they don’t allow 6’5” and 6’8” guys on it,” Rogus said.

Older Oktoberfest-goers bypassed the train in favor of a trellis-enclosed beer garden on the patio of Au Bon Pain. At 1:15 p.m., only a few patrons sat in the still-quiet beer garden. About 25 people stopped in during the first hour, said Brian C. Goodwin, an employee of John Harvard’s Brew House who was supervising the area.

“It usually gets off to a slow start and picks up later,” he said, enjoying the cool breeze on the patio. “It’s better than being in the basement.”

Also stationed in front of the beer garden was officer George R. White of the Harvard University Police Department, keeping an eye on the growing crowd.