Unless you just stumbled across this website randomly (welcome, stranger!) than you know about my love for Oktoberfest that borders on infatuation. It’s not just the beer that I’m in love with (though… on a side note – I do love Marzen and Festbier enough to try to drink through ever packaged version of them in town to find my favorite… it’s been fun) I also am deeply, deeply in love with the festivals that accompany this time of year. We’ve got some really amazing Oktoberfests around town, too – and this stupid virus has attempted to ruin that part of our year, too.

Luckily, our biggest Oktoberfest festival – Oktoberfest Zinzinnati – while being forced to cancel the traditional festival is thinking on it’s feet. (Can a festival think on it’s feet?). Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is not going away – instead, this year it heads ‘In Za Haus’.

The Details

The celebration will return – 9/18-9/27 with a city-wide Oktoberfest that will take place in bars, restaurants, and right in your own living room. The best part about this, is because Munich has officially canceled their Oktoberfest this year, and we haven’t really canceled ours – just “moved” it, guess who’s claiming the title of world’s biggest Oktoberfest this year? Yeah – we’re taking it.

The organizers are very, very quick to point out that none of this would be possible without the support of the event’s sponsors, who have stayed strong even through the changes. Sam Adams and Kroger deserve a huge non-socially distant hug when that becomes a thing again for helping to keep this alive this year.

Here’s how it works: You can order your own DIY Oktoberfest Zinzinnati Zelebration Pack which features these items:

• An official Oktoberfest Zinzinnati tote bag
• $10 Kroger gift card for Oktoberfest essentials (that just so happens to be the price of a six pack of Sam Adams Oktoberfest)
• Official Oktoberfest Zinzinnati yard sign
• Two official Oktoberfest beer cups
• Two Sam Adams Oktoberfest hats
• Two Sam Adams Oktoberfest “suspender” koozies
• One pair of suspenders
• Access to the official Oktoberfest Zinzinnati playlist
• Kroger coupon packet (this is for things like brats, buns, pretzels, etc)
• $2 off coupon for the new Frisch’s Beer Cheese burger, which is the official burger of Oktoberfest
• $5 Sam Adams taproom coupon
• 20% off coupons for On the Rhine Eatery
• A surprise or two

You buy the pack on ‘Das Online Shop’ and then pick it up from one of three locations between 9/15-9/17. Do you have to have one to celebrate? No, of course not. But does it make you more awesome, if you do? Yep.

There will be Polka Pop-ups in a variety of neighborhoods to bring the revelry right to your home…

In addition, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati will be alive in neighborhood restaurants, bars and breweries this year… stay tuned for more on that.

While you’re celebrating you can tune in online to join others, too with festivities like:

• Friday, September 18 – Oktoberfest Zinzinnati official opening ceremony including a special guest message.
• Saturday September 19 – The worlds largest chicken dance.
• Friday September 25 – Sam Adams stein hoisting challenge.
• Saturday September 26 – The worlds largest Oktoberfest Toast and Prost led by Jim Koch, founder of Sam Adams.
• Every Night 9/18-9/27 – Singing of Ein Prosit with special guests.
• Every Night 9/18-9/27 – Oktoberfest Zinzinnati live and virtual entertainment and performances.

Why This Matters

Look, it might seem a little cheesy to you, but Oktoberfest is important. Drinking is something that we hold near and dear in Cincinnati – it’s part of our culture. It’s one thing to grab a drink with dinner, to enjoy a bottle of wine or beer with your friends and family (in fact, it’s great). We get those moments in a bar or taproom where we celebrate and drink with others, and that’s amazing. But nothing – NOTHING – compares to Oktoberfest. To join crowds of strangers and to feel like brothers and sisters. To hoist obnoxiously large glasses of the drink that gave our city it’s identity in unity? This is what it’s all about. Covid sucks. Isolation sucks. But we don’t have to let it stop us… I refuse to let it take away the joy that drinking brings to me, and to my family.

Screw you, Covid. We are drinkers… and this is Cincy! I’ll see you guys there… virtually.

For more details you can always visit the official site here.