Council approves Triumph Oktoberfest on Palmer Square Green, subject to municipal counsel review

The Princeton mayor and council approved a request from Triumph Restaurant and Brewery to hold an Oktoberfest celebration on the Palmer Square Green on Sept. 13, 2025, but did so after hearing concerns from Palmer Square Management's outside counsel about which party has approval authority for portions of the green.

Anari Shaw, an attorney for Palmer Square Management LLC, told the council that under two agreements dated in the early 1980s, Palmer Square acts as manager for part of the green and that third-party event requests have historically been routed through Palmer Square. "On that basis, we object to adoption of this resolution," she told the council.

Representatives of Triumph, who have operated in Princeton since 1995, described the planned event as a family-focused, afternoon Oktoberfest with music, food and children’s activities. "It's a community-based event," said Eric Nutt, a Triumph representative. He said the restaurant applied for permits after concluding no conflicting event had been scheduled for that date.

Council members and the mayor discussed the competing accounts. The mayor said the municipality owns the majority of the green but acknowledged there is a small parcel managed by Palmer Square. Council members asked municipal counsel to review a letter submitted by Palmer Square's attorney earlier the same day and said their approval should be subject to counsel’s further opinion. Several council members noted they have worked cooperatively with Palmer Square Management on events for decades.

The council took a motion and voice vote to approve the Triumph event. The mayor and multiple council members stressed the approval was conditional on municipal counsel’s review of the legal questions raised by Palmer Square Management and the underlying 1980s agreements; if counsel finds legal barriers, the council indicated it would revisit the authorization.

Triumph representatives said the event would include a German-style band, grilled sausages, pretzel stands and family activities, and that the business has a 30-year presence in Princeton. Palmer Square's counsel urged the town to follow the long-standing application process in which third-party event requests are routed through Palmer Square for review.

The council did not produce a signed legal opinion at the meeting; members expected municipal counsel to review the day's submissions and advise whether the town's approval could stand without further steps. The council's immediate action authorized the event on the town-owned green but left open the possibility of later reconsideration pending counsel's review.