“But I like the [bratwurst],” she said. “I came for that, and it’s wonderful.”
Like Oddon, the rain did not diminish the enthusiasm of those who made the trek from all over the San Fernando Valley.
Seventy-eight-year-old Henry Maslyk and his son, Chris Maslyk, 49, stood under a green awning, each with a beer in hand as they waited for the weather to improve.
It was the first time at the festival for both, who each maintained the rain would not dampen their outing.
“I drink beer and I like polka, so this is the place to be,” said Henry Maslyk, a Burbank resident who was celebrating his birthday at the event.
But by 2:30 p.m., the sun cracked through as rain dissipated, and the festival kicked into normal gear.
“It was very full; more people arrived,” said Marian Jocz, executive director of the chamber.
Jocz expected the festival to turn a profit this year, as it does every year, which in turn will go toward local scholarship programs and community events, officials said.
Rose Gamble, the administrative assistant with the chamber, said the business group donates up to $50,000 each year and did not expect the rain to eat into that total.
Still, the early-morning rain was an odd sight for an event that has seen a downpour only once in its 31-year-history, Gamble said.
That was in 1986 and, like Saturday, the event went on as planned, said Gamble, adding, “People still drank beer. I don’t think they even noticed.”
Besides beer, the festival also included carnival games and a troupe of children singers and dancers who performed at both ends of the event.
