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Judy Peterson, reporter, the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, Silicon Valley Community Newspapers, for her Wordpress profile. (Michael Malone/Bay Area News Group)
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Expect to see men in lederhosen and women in dirndls as the Los Gatos Brewing Company celebrates its 20th anniversary with an Oktoberfest-themed party. The event is Sept. 15 and goes all day and night starting at 11 a.m.

Why, you ask, is an Oktoberfest celebration being held in September? Brewing company owner Andy Pavicich says it’s not because Sept. 15 is the actual date the restaurant opened 20 years ago. Instead, the promise of good weather figured into the date of the party and, Pavicich adds, “The real Oktoberfest in Germany starts in September.”

Plans call for a beer garden to be set up on Grays Lane from N. Santa Cruz Avenue to approximately the end of the Brewing Company’s building. Pavicich says that maintains easy in-and-out access for people who want to park in the adjacent public lots.

Two bands will provide live music throughout the celebration, plus there will be a kids zone with face painting, a jump house, snow cones, a 20-foot slide and a dunk tank.

“We want to make this a community event for families because that’s important to us,” Pavicich said. “We think it will be a nice event.”

The restaurant will be open throughout the party, so people can still come in, sit down and order a meal as usual. But the menu that day will be limited as chef Jim Stump and his staff juggle food indoors and outdoors. The beer garden will likely have a food station set up. Both the indoor and outdoor menus will focus on Oktoberfest specialties–think bratwurst and sauerkraut.

Food and drinks will be purchased separately, but Oktoberfest tickets can be purchased in advance. A $5 ticket gets you into the beer garden and kids zone. A $20 ticket includes the beer garden/kids zone entry fee, a commemorative T-shirt, a beer stein and a token for a free beer.

The Pavicich family opened the Los Gatos Brewing Company when Andy Pavicich was just 20 years old. “It’s been a wonderful family venture,” he said. “We’ve been very fortunate to be as successful as we have been.”

So successful that a second restaurant was opened in downtown San Jose a few years back that’s called Los Gatos Brewing Company at San Pedro Square.

“We’ve built the brand for 20 years and it didn’t make sense to change the name from Los Gatos even though it’s in San Jose,” Pavicich said.

One last note, if you know Pavicich personally, beware–he’s still looking for volunteers who are willing to be dunked.

The Los Gatos Brewing Company is at 130 N. Santa Cruz Ave. Oktoberfest tickets can be purchased in advance at the restaurant or online at www.LGBrewingCo20thAnniversary.eventbrite.com. Tickets will also be sold at the door on the day of the event.