National Harbor & Oktoberfest

This weekend I discovered not only the first of the area's Oktoberfest celebrations, but also our newly developed National Harbor.
Oktoberfest is an activity for beer-drinking groups whether the group members drink in moderation or excess.  There were two kinds of tickets: regular or VIP.  Regular ticket holders are given 6 chips for the price of admission and a plastic mug.  Each chip buys the drinker 2 oz of a taste of beer.  VIP members pay $20 per ticket but have unlimited tastes of beer and their cup is filled up to 6 oz per taste.  The event was filled with 20 somethings and was sprinkled with attendees in costume.  There were vending booths who might have sold goods, but the populace there was, without a doubt, there for the beer.  Bratwurst and knockwurst were sold in addition to potato pancakes and regular fair food.  To get there, you could drive and park, take the water taxi from Alexandria, or take a taxi from anywhere nearby.  The water taxi is a pleasant but pricey experience compared to drive and park, but worth taking once.
The real treat of the event being at the National Harbor was the harbor itself.  Maryland had invested in creating an attraction, and succeeded.  Cirque du Soleiel has chosen to stage this year's Washington DC area show at the Harbor, and people from all around go to the National Harbor for shopping and eating on the waterfront.  There are even public bathrooms that are well-maintained and a beach with a statue of Poseidon lying in the sand.
I did not remember my camera for this event, but I encourage readers to Google search the National Harbor in Maryland, and if you haven't been there, give it a try.  There is plenty of pleasant walking space, as well as a nice area for shopping and eating.  I plan to take out of town visitors there!