The German community in San Francisco celebrated 10 years of Oktoberfest, a three-day festival held at at Pier 48 to honor the German culture.

Hundreds of people attended "Oktoberfest by the Bay" from Friday Oct. 2 to Sunday Oct. 4, some of them wearing traditional German clothing, ready to dance, eat and of course, drink beer.

With around 199 years of history, this festival started first as a small celebration in Munich that was part of a marriage celebration and has become one of the largest festivals in the world.

"People can expect an experience very much similar to the one in Munich," said Robert Maggiora, member of the Chico Bavarian Band at the 2009 Oktoberfest in San Francisco.

The Oktoberfest in Munich has become known around the world, and places like San Francisco are not left behind. The crowd drinks and dances to a mix of tradional and modern music.

"I love it because it's not about a bunch of underage people getting wasted. It's an actual community environment," said 24-year-old Dena as she was drinking a beer along with two friends. "If you want your family to have a good time and hear good music this is the place to go."

For the last several years, Oktoberfest was celebrated in Fort Mason, but as Jennifer Moak from the Golden Gate Bavarian Club said, the new "venue is much more attractive" at Pier 48. "There's public transportation, there's more parking and for those reasons I think it's a good change," she added.

The crowd sang along to most of the songs played by the band as they danced, drank and ate German food.Festival goers could also buy German clothing and souvenirs.

The United German American Society puts on the event every year in San Francisco. Admission tickets ranged from $30 to $35.