Best Places To Celebrate Oktoberfest In Minnesota
There is a strong history of German immigrants settling in Minnesota, and some of the first beer ever drank in this state was brewed by them. Today, there are plenty of great places in Minnesota still celebrating the omnipresent Bavarian celebration of Oktoberfest. With everything from traditional dress to traditional eats, you don't have to buy a plane ticket to Munich to see what the festival is all about. Find a pair of lederhosen and put on a dirndl for one of these local celebrations.
Minnesota Renaissance Festival Oktoberfest
12364 Chestnut Blvd.
Shakopee, MN 55379
(952) 445-7361
www.renaissancefest.com
Dates: Sept. 20-21, 2014
The festival grounds will turn Bavarian village for the weekend of Oktoberfest (Sept. 20-21), and it is a magical experience. Stroll past shops and vendors offering everything from hand-carved toys to chocolates, with the sounds of polka music in the air, plenty of revelers dressed in classic style and plenty of food and drink to fill your belly. Activities include a homebrew competition, for all of the Minnesota brewers out there, plenty of games and, for the manliest among us, a best beard competition and Keg Toss.
Saint Paul Oktoberfest
Klub Haus
1079 Rice St.
St. Paul, MN 55117
(651) 489-4808
www.klubhaus.net
Date: Sept. 20, 2014
The capital city's German population comes out in full force for this celebration, and the Klub Haus on Rice Street is the place you want to be if you're in the cities. The north end of the city, where the Klub Haus is located, was home to thousands of German immigrants and dozens of German-American societies. That history is celebrated September 20-21, coinciding with the German Oktoberfest dates, with food, drink, music, costumed revelers, canon shots, folk music and even dachshund races to bring the spirit of harvest, love and commitment to the streets of Saint Paul.
Related: Best German Food In Minnesota
New Ulm Oktoberfest
New Ulm Holiday Inn
2101 S. Broadway St.
New Ulm, MN 56073
(507) 359-2941
www.newulmoktoberfest.com
Dates: Oct. 3-4 and 10-11, 2014
The relatively quiet town of New Ulm turns into one big party for Octoberfest, and the German roots (clear not only by its name, as Ulm is a major city in Germany, but also by Schell's brewery) are proudly on display. Head to the Holiday Inn, modeled after classic German inns, for the main music stages and festivities, or wander around the downtown area and enjoy authentic shops, food and carriage rides as a 45-foot glockenspiel rings overhead. The festival takes all day long on the first two weekends of October, and lodging fills up quickly so reserve your space now.
Gasthof zur Gemütlichkeit
2300 University Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55418
(612) 781-3860
www.gasthofzg.com
For probably the wildest celebration (and this is not to take away from the insanity of the other parties), Gasthof's brings in Germans looking to celebrate the holiday with a delicious meal and a giant glass of beer, surrounded by just the right people. The giant tent outside is filled with German revelry, and you can catch a man in lederhosen playing an Alphorn, the enormous horn that has been a signature of the Alps for hundreds of years, or a professional accordion player strolling amongst the crowd. Games and activities of all sorts are offered, but beer drinking is the most popular activity. It might get overcrowded, but it's a celebration in true German fashion.
Adrian Schramm is a resident Saint Paul writer with a passion for all things local. Through his work with Saint Paul Almanac and Minneapolis Examiner at Examiner.com, as well as in the kitchens of bars and restaurants around town, he has discovered what truly makes the Twin Cities tick.
