The new location of the Oktoberfest Zinzinnati receives positive reviews from festival visitors

CINCINNATI (WKRC) – Oktoberfest Zinzinnati looks a little different than in years past.

It has a new home in Yeatman's Cove and Sawyer Point and people seem to like the new Oktoberfest layout. It's more spacious, cooler and has more seating.

“We have six marquees this year, more than in the past. Each tent has different bands playing, so we have our huge, tall tent down here. It can hold 1,000 people. We've never had a tent this big,” said Amy Fitzgibbons, vice president of marketing and communications for the Cincinnati Regional Chamber.

Fitzgibbons said the location this year is about the same length as in past years when it was on 5th Street, but it is wider, making room for more food and vendors.

“We haven't measured the width, but last year it was obviously only as wide as one street, so I'd say we'd probably get at least three streets wide here,” Fitzgibbons said.

Returning festival-goer Jeff Chuck and his dog Zamp like the design. Chuck said the bridge is easy to walk across from his home in Covington. There are also two new rideshare zones for getting on and off.

“Lots of grass, I really liked that. Up on Fifth Street it was much more urban, so it's kind of open here and there's a breeze blowing through. You can see the river and everything,” Chuck said.

He said you can never have enough shade to beat the heat. This couple makes the festival an annual tradition.

“It's much more airy and spacious. There are lots of things too. It's not as crowded at each stop and I just like that a lot better,” said Blanchester resident Danette Crosby.

Crosby said she and her husband lived in Germany for six years and Oktoberfest has left its mark there. They hope it stays on the river for many years to come.

“That's the goal. Hopefully we'll be back here next year and this can be our permanent location,” Fitzgibbons said.

Fitzgibbons said the festival had already met its attendance forecast on opening night and numbers were expected to continue to rise. Oktoberfest attracts 700,000 people annually.