RANGELEY — There was a small amount of cognitive dissonance on the last afternoon of Rangeley’s Oktoberfest, when visitors at Moose Alley heard Maine’s Dick Curless singing “China Nights” over the PA system. But any possible disappointment at the lack of a Bavarian oompah band evaporated when the Mallett Brothers took the stage for a live set.

“We usually play at festivals with a lot of other bands, for maybe an hour slot,” Luke Mallett said. “But today we’re going to play all day, and then move inside and play all night. That’s freedom!”

Luke and Will, sons of Dave Mallett, swung into another hard-driving but melodic number that was reminiscent of their famous dad’s folky style, with a pulse of classic rock pushing it along. Oktoberfest celebrators, at tables with umbrellas set up next to Moose Alley’s deck, which served as the stage, ordered a few more beers and settled back to enjoy.

“We’ve had a great turnout for all three days,” said Rangeley personality Miss Bagels, who was pouring beer in the space under the deck, where food and drink service was set up. “It did rain yesterday, but we put carpets down on the deck up there and kept on serving.”

Miss Bagels said the turnout over the three-day weekend event was bigger than expected, and the shuttle bus moving between festival venues was popular.

Down the road in Oquossoc, Hannah Keirstead at The Farmer’s Daughter agreed that the shuttle had been a great addition, and brought good-sized crowds to the farm stand, which also sells beer, wine, cheeses and locally-sourced produce. Their distributor, Wicked Wines, out of Bangor, had hosted beer tasting there featuring rare German brews, including Curator Dunkler Doppelbock from Ettaler Klosterbrauerei, a Mai-ur-Bock from Einbeck, and the Helles Schlenkerla Lagerbier, which has been brewed in Bamberg since 1678.

“It’s been an exciting weekend,” Keirstead said. “I also work at Loon Lodge, and it was very busy there last night.”

Loon Lodge had a special menu of German specialties in its cozy pub, including bratwurst with sauerkraut and Leipziger tort, with more German brews, including Leipziger Gose, a top-fermented beer brewed from barley and wheat and flavored with coriander and salt, and the Original Hochzeitsbier von 1810, from the authentic recipe brewed to celebrate King Ludwig’s wedding at the first Oktoberfest.

“It’s been a very busy weekend, but it’s been great; we’ve seen new and old faces,” Loon Lodge server Grace Temple said, “and it was excellent the way the organizers handled the map and the publicity to promote everybody.”

Beth Hinman, Loon Lodge’s manager, was equally enthusiastic about the Fest, and echoed comments from the staff at Moose Alley and The Farmer’s Daughter.

“It’s been a tremendous success,” she said, pausing briefly on a run from the bar to the dining room. “We should absolutely make it an annual event.”

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