Even more than pumpkin beers, Oktoberfest makes this a great time to be a beer drinker. Celebrating the very best and wurst (sorry, had to make one bratwurst pun) of German culture, it’s our Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Yom Kippur, a time for beer drinking if there ever was one.
Oktoberfest began as a festival to celebrate the marriage of then-Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese, but has since grown to the largest annual fair in the world. Held in Munich, Germany for 16 days leading up to the first Sunday of October, it’s a celebration of German food, culture and, perhaps most importantly, beer!
But you don’t have to fly to Munich to partake- there are plenty of Oktoberfest celebrations in our area this year.
First is this Saturday’s Oktoberfest fair in Cape May, NJ from 10 AM to 5 PM. Past years have featured traditional Oktoberfest foods and beers and live bands, in ever-quaint Cape May.
Also this weekend is Oktoberfest on The Deck at Golden Nugget casino in Atlantic City. This Oktoberfest runs from Friday through Sunday and features Paulaner Hefeweizen, one of the few official Munich-born Oktoberfest beers. If you go Saturday night, they’re also having their second annual Craft Beer Festival, with over 120 craft beers.
Next weekend on October 6 and 7 is historic Smithville’s Oktoberfest.This is the one Oktoberfest event I really want to get to this year, in part just because I’m a big fan of Smithville. The place is awesome all year long, with great restaurants and beer selections, giving me high hopes for the food and beers of Oktoberfest to be found there this year.
For something a little different, you can go to the Viking Cooking School at Harrah’s in Atlantic City. They’re having Oktoberfest cooking classes on October 10, 13, and 20 where you’ll learn to make wild mushroom and spinach strudels, soft pretzels, Bavarian beer cheese spread, and a few other Oktoberfest staples.
And if you can’t wait a few days to start celebrating, Brauhaus Schmitz Restaurant and Beer Hall has had Oktoberfest all week, with three days still remaining. Brauhaus Schmitz is on South Street in Philly between 7th and 8th streets, but if you don’t mind heading into the city they have a lot going on. Thursday night there’s a Bratwurst Eating Contest, and Friday night a “Kick the Keg Lottery”, which you can win if your beer is the one that taps the keg. Finally on Saturday afternoon they’re filling the whole block of South Street with Oktoberfest.
Or if you can’t get out to these but still want to celebrate Oktoberfest, Passion Vines, where I work, has Paulaner Oktoberfest, the same beer they’ll be drinking in the Paulaner tent in Munich. Get a pint at the bar or fill your growler and bring it home.
I’m going to try to get to the Smithville Oktoberfest, and if I do I’ll definitely be taking notes.
Images from jikatu
Tapped SJ 