Ach, Oktoberfest is here
Oktoberfest officially begins in Munich on Saturday, Sept. 16, and runs through Oct. 3.
In the Columbia area, you have a few choices to celebrate this German tradition of beer and food.
Sept. 30: Soda City Oktoberfest, 1400 & 1500 blocks of Main Street, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
The extension of the Saturday Soda City Market will feature two biergartens where beer – River Rat Brewery’s American Kolsch Story, Helles Bock, Oktoberfest and Honey Biscuit Ale – will be sold by the token. Live music from Soda City Brass Band and Flat Out Strangers. www.facebook.com/events/1310981192361738/.
Sept. 30: Pints at the Park, Spirit Communications Park, 1640 Freed St., 6-9 p.m.
Relax at the ballpark and enjoy more than 100 craft beers, live music and football on the video board. Ticket levels include Designated Driver ($10, unlimited soft drinks and a pretzel), General Admission ($50, unlimited tastings and special edition tasting glass) and VIP ($80, unlimited tastings, tasting glass, exclusive craft beers, early admission at 5 p.m. and access to the Club Lounge buffet). Ages 21 and over only to drink, wristbands provided with ID. www.firefliestickets.com and at Spirit Communications Park Box Office.
Oct. 7: Bierkeller Oktoberfest at Senate’s End, 300 Senate St., noon-10 p.m.
There will be four beers featured – Kolumbianer Kolsch, Rauschbier, Kellerbier and Festbier (new). Food will be available from Senate’s End catering and The Wurst Wagen and will include a selection of wursts, fleischkase (meatloaf), fresh-baked pretzels and a few surprises. Children and leashed dogs welcome. www.facebook.com/bierkellercolumbia
Oct. 7: Newberry Oktoberfest, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. in downtown Newberry
Newberry has a rich German heritage and this is probably the closest in spirit to the Munich Oktoberfest. Family-friendly (there’s a Kindertown just for children with toy vendors, rides, bounce house and other activities), two beer gardens and German cuisine, classic car show and live music. And if you need a reason to break out the lederhosen, there’s even a contest for the Best Traditional German Dressed. www.newberryoktoberfest.com
Oct. 13-15: Incarnation Lutheran Church, 3005 Devine St.
Probably the largest celebration in the area, this Oktoberfest event brings in about 10,000 visitors over the weekend.
Featuring live music (polkas, anyone?) and authentic German food that includes schnitzels and wursts, side such as potato salad, kraut and spaetzle and bakery items such as pfeffernusse (cinnamon, clove and ginger spiced cookie), lebkuchen (honey spice bar with almonds), linzer (hazelnut and raspberry sandwich cookie) and zitronenbretzeln (lemon pretzel-shaped cookie).
Of course there will be beer – some national Oktoberfest releases as well as German-style American craft beers from Swamp Cabbage, Palmetto Brewing Company, Columbia Craft Brewing (new), Goose Island, Brewery 85, Hi Wire, Red Hare, Devils Backbone and Wicked Weed. www.oktoberfestcolumbia.com
Oct. 14: Jam Room Music Festival, 1500 Main St., noon-10 p.m.
Yeah, OK, technically it’s a music fest – but there’s a beer garden. And The Wurst Wagen will be there. So by a brat and enjoy a brew while listening to Guided by Voices, Hiss Golden Messenger, Barnwell, King Vulture, Elf Power, The Lovely Few, Valley Maker, Hearts on Fire, FatRat Da Czar, NUMBTOUNGUE, Bombadil and Bask. jamroommusicfestival.com
Oct. 14: Lexington Craft Beerfest, Icehouse Amphitheater, 107 West Main St., Lexington. 6-10 p.m.
While not “officially” an Oktoberfest event, this is in the spirit as it is a beer-centric event with food provided by local restaurants. Hosted by the Greater Lexington Chamber and Visitors Center, attendees must be 21 or older. Tickets, $20/person in advance, $30/person at the door, include craft beer samples, commemorative glass and non-alcoholic beverages. www.lexingtonsc.org
Year-round you can enjoy German cuisine at Julia’s German Stammtisch, 4341 Fort Jackson Blvd., Columbia, www.facebook.com/juliasgermanstammtisch and Gasthauz Zur Elli, 205 South Main St., Prosperity, gasthauszurelli.com. Or you can track down The Wurst Wagen food cart, usually at Soda City Market on Saturdays, www.facebook.com/thewurstwagen or swing by The German Meat Market, 8502 Two Notch, for your fix of wursts, cakes, breads and German dry goods, www.facebook.com/German-Meat-market
What’s a kolsch beer?
It is a light to medium body beer, pale in color and has a medium to slightly assertive hop bitterness. Originally brewed in Koln, Germany, kolsch beers average 4.0-6.0 percent alcohol by volume.
Oktoberfest fun facts
▪ The unofficial beginning of the Oktoberfest tradition began in 1811 as a celebration of the marriage of King Ludwig I and Princess Therese of Sake-Hildburghausen. The event featured horse races and tastings of wine and seasonal beers.
▪ The regulation Oktoberfest mug – a Mab or Mass (pronounced “mas”) – holds a serving of 1 liter of beer. That’s just over 2 pints in a glass. An experienced Oktoberfest waiter can “pour” a Mab in 1.5 seconds.
▪ The all-time record of beer consumption was in 2013 when 6.4 million Oktoberfest guests downed 7.7 million liters of beer, the equivalent of three Olympic-size swimming pools.
This story was originally published September 21, 2017 at 8:39 AM with the headline "Ach, Oktoberfest is here."