Fall is here, midterms are coming (say it ain’t so!) and it’s almost time to huddle up inside with a nice warm drink. Luckily, a 180-year-old Bavarian tradition gives us a reason to enjoy the last bit of warm weather with one of my favorite drinks: BEER!
The original Oktoberfest
Everyone’s heard about Oktoberfest, a 16-day long festival held in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, that welcomes nearly 6 million visitors each year, according to the city’s website. They sell a ton of beer, pretzels and sausages, and the waitresses even dress up in traditional barmaid dresses (though to be fair, they always wear them at the famous Beer Gardens in Munich, as I found out when I visited last spring). For many, Oktoberfest is the only reason to visit Munich.
Louise Lafleur getting into the spirit of Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany
Oktoberfest in Ottawa
This year, Oktoberfest in Munich started on September 21st, and my Facebook newsfeed has been bombarded by pictures of friends on exchange enjoying their huge mugs full of fresh beer. Not wanting to be left out, I set out to find the top 3 beer festivals in the Ottawa region.
- Oktoberfest on Sparks Street
Starting Thursday, Sept. 26th, until Sunday, Sept. 29th, Sparks St. is hosting Ottawa’s own Oktoberfest. The patios along the pedestrian street will be celebrating with live music and Bavarian food. Of course, it wouldn’t be right without the traditional keg tapping!
Check out their website for restaurant specials, and to find out how you can donate to the Ottawa Food Bank: http://www.sparksstreetmall.com/oktoberfest.html
- Oktoberfest Ottawa 2013
From September 27th-29th, Clarke Field Park in Barrhaven turns into mini-Bavaria. Touted as “Eastern Ontario’s premier heritage Bavarian festival”, it includes (local) beer relay races, pretzel-eating competitions, and so much more. Single day tickets can be bought online for 15$, and the website even has suggestion on how to dress for Oktoberfest!
Visit their site to find out where it is and plan your bus route: http://www.oktoberfestottawa.com/festival-info/area-map
- Beau’s Oktoberfest
Not to play favorites, but Beau’s is one of Ottawa’s best local breweries, and its Oktoberfest is by far the most anticipated in our region. Need proof? The festival lasts only two days (October 4-5th), and Saturday’s event is already all sold out!!! Friday’s tickets cost $22 online, and include a traditional Alpine hat, pretzel and beer! Bonus: for us car-less students, there’s a shuttle bus leaving from Ottawa for only $15 more. Yes, that totals $37, plus beer money, but think about it: a trip to Munich would be so much more!
To see which bands are playing, or to buy tickets, visit: http://www.beaus.ca/oktoberfest
For those of you who won’t be able to make it to the Oktoberfest festivals, don’t worry – October is a great month for beer anywhere you go. Many of Ottawa’s local pubs will be serving seasonal beer, such as Pumpkin Ale from The Clocktower, and Beau’s Night•Märzen Oktoberfest Lager. So get out there and enjoy your last patio beers, before the leaves fall and midterms arrive!
Photo Credit: Louise Lafleur