Nothing says “It’s almost spring in Cincinnati” like a zany parade of bizarre floats and buzzed monks through Over-the-Rhine, followed by a weekend party with freshly tapped kegs of malty bock beer. The 32nd annual Servatii Bockfest is scheduled for March 1-3, and while the event has grown over the years, it’s always been a community endeavor, says Steve Hampton, executive director of the Brewery District Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation, the event’s organizer since 2006.
Bockfest began in 1993 with a parade and party to celebrate Hudepol-Schoenling’s addition of a bock beer to their Moerlein line. Bock beer was first celebrated by monks in 13th century Einbeck, Germany, as a hearty libation to carry them through their Lenten fasts. Over the years, as the story goes, pronunciation of Einbeck morphed into “ein bock,” which is German for billy goat.
Cincinnati’s impromptu bacchanal, based on this centuries-old tradition, was an instant classic and has celebrated local brewing culture and the Over-the-Rhine community for over three decades now. “I don’t know that you could create this festival whole cloth today,” says Hampton. “It’s grown so organically. Like when we came up with this ridiculous idea to burn a snowman in effigy after being shut down by a blizzard,” referring to the annual snowman burn at Bockfest’s “precipitation retaliation happy hour,” which sets a mood of irreverent revelry the weekend before the main event.
Hampton says this year’s Bockfest is spreading out and getting back to its community roots. With the site of last year’s Bockfest Hall closed for construction, there will be not one but three main halls: Moerlein Lager House downtown and the Rheingeist and Northern Row breweries in OTR. Admission to each hall—which hosts tastings, history talks, live music, and more—is free.
With the goats, the buzzed monks, the parade, and more events than you can shake a stein at, Bockfest can be a lot to get your head around. Here are some highlights.
Sausage Queens
Preliminary heats for the Bockfest Sausage Queen contest, the event’s gender-neutral beauty pageant, are hosted at watering holes all around town. Wannabe royals show off their prowess at carrying trays of bockwurst in an epic struggle to be crowned Sausage Queen. The final showdown takes place at Rhinegeist Brewery on Saturday, March 2.
Snowman Burn
In 2008, a snowstorm shut down the city and that year’s Bockfest for all but the most hardcore revelers. Ever since, either in revenge or to propitiate the gods, organizers have burned a snowman effigy. The year, the snowman gets toasted at the “Precipitation Retaliation Happy Hour” at 5-8 p.m. Friday, February 23 at Northern Row Brewery & Distillery.
Get Your Goat
Monks and billy goats are everywhere during Bockfest, including the absolutely terrifying “Trojan Goat” float pulled by monks to lead off the annual street parade … as well as the generally goatish demeanor of Bockfesters. The annual “Goat Rodeo” scavenger hunt, presented by 4EG, rampages across participating OTR watering holes on Saturday, February 24. And if you’re interested in getting up close and personal with goats, check out Rosedale OTR’s Pre-Bockfest Happy Hour, featuring baby goats on the bar patio, and Goat Yoga at multiple locations throughout Bockfest weekend.
Bockfest Parade
Presided over by the reigning Sausage Queen, this procession of themed floats and merry pranksters sallies forth from Arnold’s Bar and Grill at 6 p.m. Friday, March 1. Expect bad puns and hilarious costumes such as “Bock to the Future,” “The Bocking Dead,” and “Bock-Busters.” This year’s Bockfest Parade runs north up Sycamore from Eighth Street and cuts over on 12th to Main, where it continues north before hooking back southward down Clay via Melinda Street to end at 13th and Clay. The Bockfest Parade Awards Ceremony takes place Saturday, March 2 at Northern Row Brewery & Distillery, 111 West McMicken Avenue. The Zinzinnati Bierband, Bockfest crowd favorites, will entertain after the parade at Rhiegeist as well as Saturday afternoon at Moerlein Lager House and Saturday evening at Braxton Brewery in Pendleton.
Brewing Heritage
Bockfest is new and old history coming together, says Hampton, which makes it the perfect occasion to learn about local brewing past and present. That and drink beer. “If you’re a beer lover at all, we’re going to have almost 24 local Bock beers available,” he says. “It’s just a great representative sampling of what the local breweries are doing these days in a unique style.”
For the more inquisitive, check out the Bock Beer Experience and Heritage Speaker Series on Saturday, March 2 at Moerlein Lager House and Bockfest Brewing Heritage Trail Tours on Saturday and Sunday. This year’s tours explore the Hamilton Brewery complex on McMicken Avenue, which tunnels into the hill behind it. Since the mid-19th century, the site has hosted a number of breweries. Today, the massive structure that once brewed Felsenbrau houses Cincinnati Beverage Company, where they make Hudepohl, Christian Moerlein, and Little Kings. Naturally, tour tickets include a delicious bock beer.
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