- A weekend full of fun and flavor is coming. Get a taste of it all at the Craft Beer Walk and Dells On Tap October 18-19.
Oktoberfest – for a marzen lover like me, it’s the most wonderful time of the beer.
With the city's German heritage and thriving passion for suds, it’s little surprise that Milwaukee loves this autumn festival of food and froth.
Here is info on some of the area's Oktoberfest celebrations. Keep checking back as well add more as they're announced!
Kegel’s Inn, Swarmm Events, East Town Association and Milwaukee County Parks are again collaborating on Milwaukee Oktoberfest, this time at Cathedral Square Park Downtown, from Oct. 4 to 6.
The family friendly – 14th annual – event features stein hoisting, Miss Oktoberfest, cornhole and Wiener Dog beauty competitions, along with authentic German food from Kegel’s Inn and, of course, beer.
Last year's event was held at Cathedral Square Park, having moved there from the Milwaukee War Memorial Beer Garden. The last time Oktoberfest was held in Cathedral Square in 2015.
Admission is free and wristbands for folks 21 and up to purchase alcohol are $2. VIP and party packages are also available. There are also packages for purchase online here.
Proceeds benefit Milwaukee County Parks via East Town Association and its programming at Cathedral Square Park, including Bastille Days and Jazz In the Park.
For more information and to purchase VIP and party tickets, visit milwaukeeoktoberfest.com.
“Kegel’s Inn is proud to have served the community since 1924,” says Stephanie Kegel, fourth generation owner of Kegel’s Inn.
“Milwaukee is a town with so much rich culture and history, and as we approach our 100th anniversary we’re excited to be participating again in this fun annual event with our partners at Cathedral Square!”
Oktoberfest at Old Heidelberg Park
Now celebrating 61 years on its current site, Oktoberfest on the grounds of the Bavarian Bierhaus takes place weekends through Oct. 5.
Gates open at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and at 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and there’s live music, carnival games, frothy beer, German dancing, and food galore, including Usinger’s sausage, Bavarian pretzels, doner kebap, schnitzel, fish on Fridays, kids and vegetarian meals, and, on Fridays and Saturdays, spanferkel and otissere chicken.
Admission is $5 on Fridays and $10 on Saturdays. Wristbands are sold at the front gate. Admission is free on Thursdays and Sundays. Get a $5 discount when you download the Bavarian Bierhaus App and show it at the gate.
Reservations for tables of eight ($10 on Friday, $40 on Saturday) can be made here.
Find more info, including a full roster of live music, at thebavarianbierhaus.com.
Component Brewing
Bay View's Component Brewing hosts an Oktoberfest party, Saturday, Sept. 14 from noon until 8 p.m., Carl Erikstrup and The Hey! Fevers performing live, stein-holding contests, K&L's BBQ serving food from 2 to 7 and, of course, beer and more.
Czechtoberfest
Amorphic beer celebrates the arrival of autumn by hosting a fest with its neighbor Crops on Top that offers a little Oktoberfest twist: it focuses on Czech beer and sausage.
Authentic Czech-style salsicc from the butcher at Stefano’s Slo Food Market, along with other Czech treats, multiple Czech-inspired beers, live music from Pay the Devil and more.
Saturday, Sept. 28 from 2 until 7 p.m. More here.
Duesterbeck's Brewing Company
Elkhorn's farmhouse brewery, N5543 County Rd. O, hosts its fourth annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. German dancers, vendors, food trucks, live music, the brewery's own Oktoberfest marzen beer and more.
More information here.
Mobtoberfest
MobCraft's Oktoberfest takes place at the Walker's Point taproom, 505 S. 5th St., on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 11 a.m.
There's ive polka music beginning at noon, games and contests with prizes, German-inspired food and lots of bier.
Live music schedule and more info here.
Oksoberfest
4th Dimension Sobriety, Wisconsin’s largest provider of
sober living services, hosts Oksoberfest, Sept. 19 at 00 E. Center St. in Riverwest, to raise funds to support the organization’s mission to transform lives through recovery.
There will be live music by Keith Gennerman Band, raffles, traditional Oktoberfest games and concessions for purchase. This family-friendly event is open to all. For more information and to RSVP, visit donorbox.org/events/636298. Admission is $5, 12 and under get in free.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
