Photograph courtesy MadTree Brewing
The 50th annual Oktoberfest Zinzinnati takes place from September 17 to 20 this year, and the half-century celebration is sure to be a big one. But why keep the party confined to the weekend?
Experience Oktoberfest all week long by noshing on German cuisine, learning more about Cincinnati’s heritage, and pregaming the second-largest Oktoberfest celebration in the world at other Bavarian bashes across the region.
Eat and Drink
Perhaps one of Cincinnati’s most popular German restaurants, Kreimer’s Bier Haus has an extensive menu full of German appetizers, entrees, and desserts for guests to order. Many bottled and draft beers are available, along with a refreshed drinks menu for the season. While not hosting its own Oktoberfest celebration, Kreimer’s hosts local bands on its outdoor patio every Friday and Saturday, meaning you can jam all night long. 6052 Hamilton Cleves Rd., Whitewater Twp., (513) 353-2168
Similar to the restaurant of the same name in Munich, Germany—Cincinnati’s sister city—Hofbrauhaus provides an authentic German setting with large dining halls and a full menu of German favorites for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The joint puts on an Oktoberfest celebration every weekend throughout September, except on the weekend of Oktoberfest Zinzinnati itself. Drink up before the big event with Hofbrauhaus’s five German beers on tap and more in cans, on a monthly and seasonal rotation. 200 3rd St., Newport, (859) 491-7200
During all of September, MadTree Brewing offers a German beer flight featuring four seasonal beverages and a rerelease of its fan-favorite, award-winning Ziegler Oktoberfest Lager. A few food options will be available for the occasion, from giant Barvarian pretzels to Ziegler wings to a burger topped with hot sauerkraut. If you still need your German fix before the festival, MadTree will host a day full of activities and music at Zieglerfest, beginning at 10 a.m. on September 12. 3301 Madison Rd., Oakley, (513) 836-8733
Photograph courtesy MadTree Brewing
Experience
On September 12, Fifty West’s Wooster Pike location will host its own Oktoberfest featuring a salted pretzel milkshake, $1 off pretzel bites, and its signature German beers. Attendees can sign up to test their strength at a stein-holding competition and dress in traditional Lederhosen with their pets to receive a free order of fries. Admission is free. 7605 Wooster Pike, Columbia Twp., (513) 834-8789
Covington Oktoberfest has expanded this year, from Goebel Park into Main and Sixth streets in MainStrasse Village. Taking place September 11 to 13, guests can take part in activities and contests, including card tables, a kids area, and Hammerschlagen, a German game where players drive a nail into a log in one swing. Bengals fans can also celebrate the first game of the season at the tailgate on Sunday. Goebel Park & MainStrasse Village, Covington
Newport Oktoberfest returns September 11 to 13. The festival is open to all ages for $10, which grants access to inflatables and a full carnival. Fan-favorite vendors will return as well as new food and drink options serving various German street foods and cuisine. Events include stein hoisting, the Chicken Dance, and music from local and regional bands held in the Glier’s Goetta Tent. Festival Park, 201 Riverboat Row, Newport
Educate
To learn more about Cincinnati’s deep German roots, the German Heritage Museum is open on most Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. through the end of October. The museum is run by the German-American Citizens League of Greater Cincinnati and features historic items such as a 1976 Oktoberfest Zinzinnati banner, an 18th-century German Bible, and photos documenting German immigrants in Cincinnati. Admission is free. 4764 West Fork Rd., Green Twp., (513) 598-5732
The Ohio Historical Society, along with Cincinnati-German Heritage organizations like the German-American Citizen’s League of Greater Cincinnati, have placed historical markers across the Queen City documenting German immigrants who worked on the city’s famous buildings and the area’s German heritage. You can read about Cincinnati’s German heritage on a marker in Sawyer Point, the Anti-German Hysteria during World War I in Findlay Market, or see a piece of the Berlin Wall on The Banks. Downtown and Over-The-Rhine
